Rara Chicken Curry (North Indian Onion Pepper Fennel Curry
Rara chicken curry, a North Indian Smoky Onion Fennel Pepper Cardamom curry, that is absolutely bursting with amazing complex flavors! Prepare it as-is with tofu or use your protein of choice to make it your own! It is delicious served with flatbread, naan, or rice.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For The Rara Masala Blend
- 12 black peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
To Add Later
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the tofu
- 14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 of the rara masala from above
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Rara Curry Sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom pod partially opened
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 a hot green chili such as serrano or Indian, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or use 4 cloves of garlic and 1” of ginger, all minced
- 4 ounces canned tomato puree or unseasoned tomato sauce
- 1 cup water or stock or more if needed, or use non dairy milk or cream for creamier
- cilantro and lime juice for garnish
Instructions
Make the rara masala blend.
- Add all of the whole spices to a small skillet over medium heat, and cook them until the fennel seeds start to change color. If your bay leaf is too large, you can tear it into 2-3 pieces, so that it toasts up easily, 3 to 4 minutes. Then, transfer the roasted spices to a spice grinder or coffee grinder, add the nutmeg, and grind them up into a powder. The bay leaves will take longer to break down, but you want to powder the bay leaves entirely, otherwise they will be annoying in your mouth.
Make the tofu.
- Press the tofu, if you haven't already, then tear about 12 ounces of it into 3/4” organic shapes. Crumble the remaining 2 ounces into a separate bowl, and set aside.
- Add the garlic powder, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, half of the rara spice blend, and the cornstarch to a small bowl, and mix really well. Then, sprinkle this over the torn tofu, tossing well to coat.
- Crisp a tofu in a skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add 1 teaspoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet. Spread it evenly, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip the tofu and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Now, toss the skillet a couple of times, so the tofu gets mostly golden on the edges. Remove the tofu from the skillet, and set it aside. To bake the tofu instead: spread the coated tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle the teaspoon of oil over the pieces, and then bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Make the sauce.
- To the same skillet, add a teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and wait for them to change color significantly and darken and get fragrant. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Mix in the black cardamom and cinnamon stick for a few seconds, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well, and cook the onion for 6 to 9 minutes, or until evenly golden. (Add splashes of water in between to help the onion brown onions brown evenly. After about 5 minutes of cooking the onion, reduce the heat to medium.)
- Once they’re browned, add in another splash of water and add the ground spices, green chili, and ginger garlic paste. Mix in and cook for a minute. If you're using minced ginger and garlic, cook for an extra minute, so that the garlic cooks . Then, mix in the tomato puree, water, and the crumbled up tofu. Cover with the lid, and let the tomato puree cook and thicken for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Open the lid, and mix in another 1/2 to 1 cup of water or stock. Fold in your crisped up tofu, then cover with the lid again and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Once the sauce is pretty thick and coating the tofu, switch off the heat. For a saucier rara chicken curry, you can add in more stock or water or non dairy milk and bring to a boil. Garnish with cilantro and lime juice, and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.
Video
Notes
Rara chicken curry is naturally gluten-free and nut-free.
To make it soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan,, chickpeas, or other beans of choice. For the chickpeas and beans, you don't need to coat them with spices and toast them. Add them directly to the sauce. In place of the crumbled tofu, which is giving you a minced meat texture, use some veggie grounds, cooked lentils, or chopped walnuts to make up the mince.
To make this with soy curls, soak them in hot broth, then drain and squeeze out the excess the liquid. Toss with the same cornstarch and spices as the tofu, then either bake them or crisp them up on the skillet. Add them to the sauce where you add the tofu.
For more protein: serve this with whole grain flatbread/roti or quinoa. Garnish with hemp seeds or my crispy lentils.
Storage: this curry can be made ahead and refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container for upto 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet..
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 452IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 3mg