This chicken pot roast has been in my life for as long as I can remember, or far more than I can remember. I don’t remember my toddler days, but I can assure you mom’s pot roast was there. It was there even before I walked on this planet. This chicken pot roast was perhaps one of the first recipes my mom learnt to cook.
Everytime time I visit my mom, I make sure she makes this one for me. Because I never seem to get enough of it, or maybe because I want to relive my childhood, just one more time. When the aroma of onions cooking in mustard oil along with the warm cinnamon, cardamom wafts through the house and softly cuddles my nose, all my childhood memories come alive.
As time went by I put my own twist to my mom’s original recipe. My version has onion powder and Worcestershire sauce which I think has westernized it a bit. But nevertheless, it retains the original down home Indian flavor. This chicken pot roast gets its unique flavor from caramelizing the onions in mustard oil and butter. Mustard oil lends a smoky flavor, while butter adds that smooth and silky touch to the sauce. Deggi mirch is an Indian spice made from a blend of red bell peppers and Kashmiri red chilies, it adds color and a tinge of heat to the sauce. The amount of onion used here offsets the heat of the chilies, hence steering this dish away from being spicy. I like how the sweet balances off the heat. The cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf rounds off the flavor of this pot roast. It makes a great Sunday lunch or dinner and leftovers taste even more amazing.
Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 9 or 10 chicken drumsticks |
| 4 tablespoons black vinegar or red wine vinegar |
| 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce |
| 1 tablespoon salt |
| 1 teaspoon pepper |
| 1 teaspoon onion powder |
| ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon |
| 1 tablespoon Deggi mirch powder or Paprika |
| 2 fresh Thai chili peppers, each slit in half |
| 1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste |
| ½ teaspoon fresh ginger paste |
| 1 cup grated onion |
| 1 inch cinnamon stick |
| 4 green cardamoms |
| 1 bay leaf |
| 2 tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 2 tablespoons mustard oil |
| 2 plus 1 tablespoons butter |
| 4 cups of water |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Marinate the chicken in vinegar, worcestershire sauce, pepper, onion powder and ground cinnamon for an hour |
| Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large dutch oven or any thick bottom large pot |
| Sear the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown. Do it in batches of four or five, don’t overcrowd the pot. Overcrowding will lead to steaming the chicken. We are looking for a nice golden brown sear on the chicken. Reserve the leftover marinade, we are going to add it later |
| Set aside the chicken. Remove all the leftover oil from the pot |
| In the same pot heat 2 tablespoons mustard oil. Keep on high heat until you start to see some mild smoke, Reduce heat and add two tablespoons butter |
| Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaf to the hot oil/butter and let it toast for a minute |
| Add the grated onion |
| Cook the onion in medium to low heat until it starts to change its color and caramelizes nicely. This step should take about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the amount of heat. But go low and slow. You are building a base for that amazing sauce |
| Once the onion starts to caramelize, add the ginger and garlic paste, green chilies and cook for a minute |
| Add the chicken, the reserved marinade and a tablespoon of salt and Deggi mirch powder |
| Mix everything well, cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Check in between and give it a stir so that nothing sticks to the bottom. |
| After 10 minutes, add around 4 cups of water |
| Simmer the chicken in medium-low heat for an hour or until the chicken is cooked. The sauce should reach a thick, smooth consistency |
| Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and give it a final stir |
| Garnish with fresh onions and serve hot with rice |
Note: Mustard oil is available to buy in any Asian or Indian grocery store. I like the smokiness it lends to the dish. If you are unable to grab some, you can easily substitute it with vegetable oil, sunflower oil ghee (clarified butter). While mustard oil has been used in cooking for centuries in India and other parts of Asia, the EU, US and Canada require the use of a label “for external use only” when selling in those regions. Feel free to read more about the topic through this article: https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/02/mustard-oil-guide.html
If you make this Down the Memory Lane of Chicken Pot Roast, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
Inspiration: Childhood love for chicken pot roast
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