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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Goalondo Chicken Curry

I love recipes that have a story woven around them. Whether truth or fiction, a bit of folklore always seems to add that right amount of oomph or X-factor to a dish. Goalondo Chicken curry/Steamer chicken curry was created by the Muslim boatmen of 'Goalondo-Narayanganj' steamers in pre-partition India. It was an important point in those days while travelling from Kolkatta to Dhaka.

As this is a Bengali recipe that dates back to the British days, I feel honored to put a piece of history on my blog. Having read about it on so many blogs, I could not resist its charm. There is nothing earth shattering about the recipe, just a very basic rustic type with minimal spices. Due to the limited kitchen available on a boat, it was made with un-ground spices.Believe me, many of us would have already tried it out without knowing about its iconic status. Even my mother-in-law makes something like this but has long forgotten where she picked up the recipe. My husband attributes the great taste to the miraculous waters of the Ganga and Bhramaputra that irrigate the region.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 1 hour ( plus 10-12 mins extra )

Ingredients -



  • 600 gm medium sized chicken pieces ( skinless )
  • 3 big onions (roughly chopped)
  • 2 inch ginger ( roughly chopped )
  • 8-10 garlic cloves ( roughly chopped )
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2-3 green chilis ( slit lengthwise )
  • 2-3 red chilis ( broken into two )
  • 4 tbsp mustard oil ( no other oil plz )
  • salt to taste
  • 1-2 tsp tomato sauce ( my addition )
  • coriander leaves for garnishing



Preparation - Thoroughly wash chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic, red chilis, green chilis, turmeric, mustard oil and salt. Mix well. Keep aside to marinate for 1 hour.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Toss on medium flame for 3 mins.

Reduce the flame to low. Cover with a lid and allow to cook without adding any extra water. It is important for the chicken to get cooked in its own juices. It will take about 45 mins to 1 hour for the chicken to become tender. ( Most of the water should have reduced by now. If not, turn up the flame for 2 mins )

Serve hot with white rice or rotis.


1 comment:

  1. Nice to know the history behind the dish...looks inviting!!1

    ReplyDelete

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