Goalando Steamer Chicken

Goalando also known as Goalundo is a small town in Rajbari district of Bangladesh. 

The story goes that this recipe gets its name from a steamer that ferried people across the Padma River that runs through Bangladesh and India (where it is called the Ganges).

All Assam-bound passengers from Kolkata would disembark at Goalando from the train and take the Steamer during their journey into the heartland of northeastern India. At Goalando they had an opportunity to relish this delicious chicken. According to some accounts, the cooks on the steamer used to serve passengers unlimited rice and lentil soup or dal, but only two pieces of chicken!

This is my version of Goalando Steamer Chicken Curry, based on a number of recipes that I have tried over the years. No water is used and the gravy is formed from the water released by the onions, which takes on a beautiful red hue with the colour imparted by the Kashmiri chillies. 

Ingredients:

Chicken- 1 kg, cut into medium sized pieces

Onions- 4, medium, thinly sliced

Garlic - 2 tbsp, crushed

Ginger paste-2 tbsp

Kashmiri red chillies- 7-8, made into a paste.

Green Chilli- 1, long, de-seeded

Mustard oil- 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients except the onions and the mustard oil and keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat a pan and add the mustard oil. Add the sliced onions and fry till they are golden brown.

3. Now, add the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on a high heat for two minutes, until the chicken starts to change color.

4. Turn the flame to medium, cover and cook. Check and stir every few minutes. In about 20-30 minutes it should be done. Remove from Heat.

5. Serve with a bowl of steaming hot rice.