Ekla Boisakh – A sorrower’s guide to acing the lockdown in festivities alone

Poila Boisakh a.k.a. Bengali New Year has always been an important day in every Bengali household. Gorging my way through an array of pithe-puli and wearing notun jama-kaapor is what I remember as the new start of the year beckons.

In my childhood days in Assam, convent schools didn’t prioritize Bengali festivals but luckily it coincides with Rongali Bihu, hence a holiday. Early morning Ma dragged me out of bed, be in full cry about how my cousins had already gotten ready and had visited the temple and make a big deal out of nowhere.

Lazy since inside mother’s womb, I showed Maa by I-am-awake-now face and slyly passed away to take one more short nap till I got caught again.

Cousins then came (kids with new snow-white tape-jama), climbed over me and appreciating their consistency and hard-work, I used to wake up, take a bath, dress up in fresh new cotton dress and visit the temple, then eat Bengali delicacies with the entire family together.

Such used to be a typical Poila Boisakh.
Over the last few years away from home, my Poila Boisakh meant visiting restaurants serving Bengali cuisine with my bengali friends since college. Every year, like a tradition.

However, at this time when the entire Bengali community should be celebrating the commencement of a new harvest, celebrate a new beginning and dig into delicacies with their friends and families, sadly, the country is seeing the Poila Boisakh celebrations having a slow death because of the unsettled times that we are living in.

The truth is what the truth is. It is oddly satisfying to know that we are all in the same boat today. We can only find cracks in these times for the sunlight to beam in so that we can make the best out of this situation.

12’o clock I peep into my refrigerator for what’s available, take the last batch of chicken I had saved for the best and decide to cook it.

Inspired from the traditional recipe of Chicken Chaap, succulent chicken pieces wrapped in rich, lustrous gravy with its special taste from almonds and chaar magaz (melon seeds), I decided to name this chicken as Badami Chicken. Served with Laccha Paratha, it was an absolute delight.

Here’s the recipe of Badami Chicken for you all.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken: 300 gms
2. Desiccated coconut: 3 tbsp
3. Almonds (soaked in water): 5-6 nos.
4. Melon seeds (soaked in water): 3 tbsp
5. Cashew nuts (soaked in water): 7-8 nos.
6. Poppy seeds (soaked in water): 3-4 tbsp
7. Onion paste: 1 whole onion
8. Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp
9. Besan (Gram flour): 4 tbsp
10. Shahi Garam Masala/Biryani Masala: 4-5 tsp
11. Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp
12. Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
13. Yogurt: 1 cup
14. Rose water: 1 tbsp
15. Kewra water: 1 tbsp
16. Saffron infused in warm milk/Saffron food colour in warm milk: 2 tbsp
17. Salt to taste
18. Refined oil: 5 tbsp
19. Ghee: 2 tbsp

Recipe:

1. Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and make 2-3 slits in each piece for the marination to penetrate inside.
2. Make a thick paste of soaked almonds, cashew, coconut, melon & poppy seeds and rest of the ingredients (except oil and ghee) and add in to marinate the chicken.
3. Massage the chicken pieces thoroughly so that the marinade penetrates into the chicken pieces; it would make the chicken more moist and succulent.
4. Cover the bowl and marinade it inside the refrigerator for an hour or more depending on the time you have. 1 hour would do just fine too.
5. In a large deep-bottomed pan, pour the oil and ghee and throw in the chicken pieces after brushing off the excess marinade and fry till it light-golden in colour.
6. Take the pieces out once fried and in the same oil, add the rest of the marination and cook until oil separates from the sides and the raw smell is gone.
7. Add the chicken pieces and mix well.
8. Add warm water for gravy if necessary to get the desired consistency.
9. Serve the Badami Chicken with Laccha/Malabar Paratha or Mutton Biryani with a bottle of Coke and salad.

If you liked this recipe and want to see more of this mother-daughter duo, don’t forget to reach out to us at rannabaati00@gmail.com and our Instagram Handle @rannabaati by Oliva Das. We look forward to your requests and feedback!