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Onla Khari

Bodo chicken curry thickened with onla — rice roasted and ground at home — giving a smooth, nutty, light-brown gravy without any heavy masala.

Ingredients

• 750 g chicken (preferably country chicken), cut in pieces
• 4 tbsp rice, for onla
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Dry roast the rice in a pan on low heat for 6 minutes, stirring, until golden brown and nutty.
2. Cool and grind to a fine powder. This is onla.
3. Heat the mustard oil, add the onion and fry 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken, ginger, garlic, turmeric, green chillies and salt and cook 10 minutes until the chicken firms up.
5. Add 3 cups water, cover and simmer 15 minutes (country chicken may need 25 minutes) until tender.
6. Mix the onla with 0.5 cup water into a smooth paste and stir it into the curry.
7. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly so no lumps form, until the gravy is thick and creamy.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Tip: Roast the rice evenly brown, not black — the colour of the onla sets the colour of the gravy. Some homes add jute leaves or a little khar.