Nandita Gaur
- Dec 20, 2011
- 2 min read

Dilldaar Chicken

A chicken dish named as Dilldaar Chicken may sound somewhat Bollywood-ish. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity of showing off my love for Hindi movies and for food in one place 🙂

The other reason for this name is that this dish has English Dill in it. Dill is an ingredient that we Indians know as Soa, Savaa, Sheva or Soya. Dill is considered to have great anti-gas properties which makes this dish easier to digest.

In the list of ingredients I didn’t mention that I included my Hindi Dil (Heart) in my cooking as well. It’s the secret ingredient that everyone knows makes food taste tastier.

INGREDIENTS:

Oil, Whole spices (Cinnamon, Cumin, Cloves, Cardamon black & green,) Chicken, Onion, Ginger-garlic paste, Powdered spice (Turmeric, Garam masala, Chilli, Coriander, Cumin) Tomato, Tomato sauce, Some chicken masala (if you have it,) Yogurt, Kasuri Methi (dry Fenugreek leaves,) Finely chopped ginger.

Whole Garam Masala

Powdered Garam Masala

Let the party begin; In a heavy pan put about one-third cup of oil. Once hot put in the whole masala in the pan and let it splatter. Put chopped onions into the oil and cover it with the lid. After copule of minutes open it and stir. Add a tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste and let it cook until the mixture is light brown in color.

Duo of onions and whole spices

Caramelized onions with ginger-garlic paste

Once the onions are slightly caramelized add your chicken to it. Cover it and let the chicken cook until the chicken releases its water. It might take about 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile dice tomatoes and get the tomato sauce. Once the chicken has released the water, add half a cup of water to your powdered spices and add it to your pan. Deglaze (It is a cooking technique for removing and dissolving caramelized bits of food from your pan) with the water that you have added in spice paste. If needed add more water. Mix it well and cook it for a minute or so and then add tomatoes and its sauce.

Main ingredient is in

Photo says it all

This chicken dish will be tender and soft if you cook it covered. Continue cooking this mixture for about 15-20 minutes. Wash and chop few sprigs of Dill. Once the chicken almost done add this cut and chopped dill to it.

Almost done chicken

Dill (SOYA, SOA...)

Open the lid and switch off the stove when chicken seems to be ready. Wait for a couple of minutes; once the liquid stops bubbling put one-third cup of yogurt and add Fenugreek leaves to it. Mix it well. Cover it up and light the burner again.

Chicken with Dill

Kasuri Methi/ Dry Fenugreek Leaves

When some oil appears on the surface of the gravy; the chicken is ready. Just before you are ready to switch off the stove garnish it with finely chopped ginger and put the lid back.