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Not A Curry

A blog about Indian food history, culture, politics, and traditional Indian recipes.

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Most recent post

Aloo phulkopi die maach

Do you love Bengali fish steak curries but feel intimidated to make one yourself? Do you believe that Bengali fish curries are complex recipes that belong only in grandmas’ kitchens? It is true that Bengali fish curries may seem daunting for many at first, especially if you live outside of India/Bengal, but trust me, they…

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Chingri Maach bata

chingri maach bata recipe

This chingri maach bata recipe is my mom’s grandma’s, who I have heard was the most amazing cook that ever lived. My mom tells me that boro dida would take so much care to make each and every dish that her presence in the kitchen had a very calming effect. She fried red chilies, ground…

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Lau chingri

Lau chingri recipe Bengali

Kolkata-style fried rice

Fried-rice

Some of you know that I have been dabbling in a little bit of creative writing. What none of you know, however, is that most of my stories come from my dreams and are overwhelmingly unresolved, like my stories. But last night I had the most perfect and finished dream/nightmare, with an intense plot, climax,…

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Restaurant-style chili Chicken Gravy

It’s been nearly a year since I have been to Kolkata, and will likely be another until I can go back. And I have realized, unsurprisingly, that it’s the food I miss most about Kolkata. And of all of the foods, I miss chili chicken the most. Anyone who knows me knows that I am…

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Egg Curry with Potato and Asparagus

Ehh curry with vegetables

Chocolate Coconut Patishapta

Chocolate patishapta

Some of my best recipes are the ones that came out of kitchen accidents/mishaps. I used frozen grated coconut to make the patishapta stuffing, but it just wouldn’t come together even after trying for an hour. So I added chocolate to bind the stuffing and also because chocolate makes everything better. The result was FANTASTIC!…

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Akhrot Murgh or Walnut Chicken

Akhroth murgh recipe

Vodka Cider

2020 (Every year) has taught me that 1. At the end of the year no one remembers who won which argument. All people remember is the dignity with which you walk away from a petty situation. 2. No matter what you achieve in life, there will always be some people who will say mean and…

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French Silk Pie

French silk pie recipe

Chicken 65

It’s funny how many different stories there exist about how this iconic dish got its name. According to one story, the number 65 marks the year the recipe for chicken 65 was invented in. Another story claims that this was the 65th item on the menu in an army canteen in Chennai. According to another…

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Shukto with anything

Shukto with any leftover vegetables

Traditionally, Shukto (Bengali) requires a long list of ingredients. An authentic shukto has potatoes, sweet potatoes, bitter gourd, drumsticks, eggplant, papaya, plantains, snow peas, white radish, and bori (recipe on the blog). This means that it is impossible to make shukto just for 2 people. Shukto seems like an unreasonable choice for everyday cooking. Which…

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Banana Walnut Bread

Banana Walnut bread

Banana is one of the few ingredients that I prefer to eat when it goes bad (in banana bread). Every week I buy a dozen bananas, at least half of which inevitably go bad. And every week I make banana bread. Sometimes with nuts, sometimes with berries, sometimes with chocolate chips. Sometimes I add sugar,…

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Tomato chutney

I have so much respect for those of you who have been consistently cooking, plating, and photographing like everything is normal. On most days I feel special if I can make a cup of tea or tomato chutney.  This chutney is special because I can eat it with dosa, idly, French fries, chops, cutlets, fritters,…

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Grapes Chutney with Coconut Milk

Gapes chutney with coconut milk

Grapes chutney with coconut milk  Writing a food blog is a complicated and difficult business because it’s hard to find new inspirations and invent new recipes every day. But on some days magic makes itself and genius happen. Also, on these very days, words are elusive and hard, apparently. Anyway, long story short, I was…

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Fish curry

Bengali style fish curry with cauliflower and eggplant

Conserving food is the norm where I come from. It doesn’t matter how abundant food may be, using up every ounce of ingredients––even vegetable peels and fish bones––is the practice back home. This fish curry with cauliflower and eggplant is a recipe that I grew up eating. My mom would make a different fish recipe…

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Kolkata Style Fish fry

Best fish fry recipe kolkata

What is Kolkata style fish fry? For those of you who are not from Kolkata, fish fry is not the typical Bengali maach bhaja (fried fish steak) that has become a marker of authentic Bengali cuisine. This is rather the anglicized version of maach bhaja— thick fillets of fish marinated with flavorful herbs, breaded with bread crumbs…

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Goat Curry

Best goat curry recipe

What is goat curry? Goat curry is basically small cuts of goat slow-cooked or pressure-cooked in a gravy made with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and aromatic spices. There are as many varieties of goat curries in India as there are dialects and more.  That is to say that there is no one way of making it….

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Restaurant style Butter Chicken

Best butter chicken recipe

What is butter chicken?  Butter chicken is one of the most internationally famous Indian dishes. It is basically morsels of chicken, usually kebabs, that are then simmered in a tomato and cream based gravy. Butter chicken is obviously made with a lot of butter. The high dairy content in this dish makes it a very…

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Coconut chutney

Best Indian coconut chutney recipe

What is coconut chutney?  Coconut chutney is a famous yet simple South Indian condiment made with grated coconut and a mix of fresh spices and herbs. Coconut, fried gram, ginger/garlic, and chilies are ground together, and then some oil tempered with red chili, mustard seeds, and curry leaves is drizzled on top to get this…

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Chicken curry Recipe

Best chicken curry recipe

What is chicken curry? A polite reminder that Chicken curry is nothing but chicken in a simple tomato and onion based gravy. The word ‘curry’ by no means is a singular representation of Indian cuisine. Every Indian recipe is NOT a curry. Even this chicken curry recipe is not universal. Everyone has a different version…

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Mango lassi

How to make mango lassi at home?

What is summer without mangoes? Actually, the right question is: what is summer without Indian mangoes? We get mangoes here in the USA, but they pale in comparison to their Indian counterparts. They don’t have the smell, sweetness, or juiciness of the mangoes that I have grown up eating. So, I try to make as…

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Narkel bori die lau er ghonto

lau er ghonto narkel r bori die

Narkel bori die lau er ghonto Beginners always find cooking Indian food daunting because most popular Indian dishes require a long list of spices; spices that non-Indian kitchens have no use for. And this explains the “curry-powder” phenomenon. The problem is, what passes or is recognized as Indian food is usually the rich, greasy, spicey,…

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Rainbow pancakes

The best rainbow pancake recipe

Rainbow pancakes are so fun to make and they look so pretty that we have been making these every alternate day. Most of the rainbow pancake recipes that I have read online are too elaborate, and, frankly, too much work for breakfast. So I have used a boxed pancake mix for these. I tried a…

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Bengali Fish batter Fry

Kolkata style fish butter fry recipe

How to make Bengali fish butter fry? The Bengali fish butter fry is probably a malapropism of fish batter fry but remains totally acceptable because it does taste melt-in-your-mouth buttery. Fish butter fry or fish batter fry is not commonly made in Bengali home kitchens. This is one of those Bengali recipes that is implicated…

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Mango Pickle

Aam ka achaar

When I think of childhood summers, I can still smell and taste the distinct flavors of my grandma’s mango pickle: pickle oil slathered on a roti rolled into an afternoon snack, pickle oil mashed with potatoes and onions to go with rice and dal, pickle straight up.  My grandma, who wasn’t fond of cooking and…

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Microwave Pulao in 20 minutes (with video)

How to cook vegetable pulao in microwave in 15 minutes?

I frequently get asked how to cook pulao, specifically, how to cook the Bengali style basanti pulao. I will be honest with you. I don’t cook pulao very often. Pulao, I think, is haughty and temperamental. It looks at the cook with disdain and judges them. If it doesn’t like what it sees, it sweats and…

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Baingan ka Bharta Recipe

Baingan ka bharta recipe super easy restaurant style

Did you know that organic eggplants are highly sustainable with low water and carbon footprints? And as long as no pesticides are used, they cause no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. If you are trying to go vegan or eat and cook more consciously, this is a great vegetable to incorporate…

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Sausage and jalapeño mac and cheese

Best and easiest mac and cheese recipe with an Indian twist

Sausage and jalapeño mac and cheese This is by far the most requested recipe on my blog. This is also the recipe that I make almost every alternate day because my son LOVES mac and cheese. And what’s there not to love? It’s just pasta, lots of cheese and a good white sauce. The best…

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Moong Dal with cauliflower and peas

Moong dal with cauliflower and peas recipe

When you are trying to keep overwhelming emotions at bay and trying not to crumble under the pressure of a burdened heart, the only thing that really seems to help is lots and lots of comfort food. That is if the bottles of wine and tub of chocolate ice cream are not doing their usual…

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Best Aloo Posto Recipe

Alu posto a Bengali vegetarian dish

Aloo Posto, the most popular Bengali dish. When people talk about Bengali food, they mostly talk about fish, or rosogolla, or misti doi. It’s astounding to me how little people know about the everyday Bengali vegetarian fare, which constitutes such a massive part of the Bengali cuisine. Take for example Aloo Posto. I have met…

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boro pishir dhone patar chutney (cilantro chutney)

Best dhone patar chatni recipe

Every Bengali family has its own recipe for a dhone patar chutney. While I love dhone pata (cilantro) in any form, my boro pishi‘s (oldest aunt) dhone patar chatni has to be the best dhone patar chutney or cilantro chutney anyone has ever tried. If you don’t believe me, try this recipe. It’s pretty simple and…

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Dolly’s tea shop’s orange mint julep

Iced tea recipe

Dolly’s Tea Shop is a tiny tea room tucked away in one corner of Dakshinapan, Kolkata. Although, neither the prettiest nor the most impressive eatery in town, it still has a distinct charm of its own that got me hooked nearly two decades ago. Decorated with wooden tea chests, paper lanterns, and cane chairs, this place…

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Restaurant style Dry Chili Chicken

Kolkata style chilli chicken recipe

What is “chilli chicken”? The Indian Chili chicken or Chilli chicken is an Indo-Chinese dish––crispy batter fried nuggets of chicken cooked in soy sauce flavored with garlic and ginger and a whole lot of fresh Thai green chilies. It can be either dry chilli chicken to be had as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvres, or…

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Oatmeal Spinach pancakes

Oatmeal pancake with spinach diabetes and weight loss recipe

I made this spinach and oatmeal pancake quite by accident several years ago, and to this day it remains my most favorite oatmeal pancake recipe. I do not like to eat sugary breakfasts because they make me feel bloated all day. Plus, spiking blood sugar early in the day makes me crave more sugar throughout…

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Chicken Tandoori

Best Indian tandoori chicken recipe

Chicken Tandoori is undoubtedly the most popular Indian delicacy across the world.  Yet, the history of  Chicken Tandoori recipe dates back only to 1920. It is first known to have been prepared in a Peshwari restaurant named Moti Mahal (now in Pakistan) by an experimental chef Mr. Gurjal. The popularity of chicken tandoori is largely…

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chingri maach bata recipe

Chingri Maach bata

This chingri maach bata recipe is my mom’s grandma’s, who I have heard was the most amazing cook that ever lived. My mom tells me that boro dida would take so much care to make each and every dish that her presence in the kitchen had a very calming effect. She fried red chilies, ground…

Read More

Restaurant-style chili Chicken Gravy

It’s been nearly a year since I have been to Kolkata, and will likely be another until I can go back. And I have realized, unsurprisingly, that it’s the food I miss most about Kolkata. And of all of the foods, I miss chili chicken the most. Anyone who knows me knows that I am…

Read More

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About me

Dhrubaa Mukherjee--An academic by profession, a contributor to Huffington Post, a dancer by passion, a compulsive foodie, a former flight attendant, and a constant traveler, I am, what they call, a transnational gourmand (gourmet?). I am not only fascinated by the tastes, colors, textures and aromas of food, I am equally intrigued by the histories, traditions and cultural inter-junctions that drive/influence recipes.

notacurry

Film scholar/Recipe creator/baker
🏡 NYC.
Sustainable & conscious Cooking.🌎
Contributor to Huffington Post India.
💖DM for collab. #notacurry

Dhrubaa Mukherjee
A few weeks ago I came across an article on The Gu A few weeks ago I came across an article on The Guardian which talked about why Bangladeshis don't promote Bengali cuisine in Britain even though most of the Indian restaurants there are owned by Bangladeshis. Apparently, marketing experts advised these entrepreneurs not to focus on Bangladesh. They argued that "very few people can locate Bangladesh on the map, and almost all associations are negative". The marketing experts go on to explain that India is an easier sell. They say. "In Britain, we have long felt we know India...With their familiar favourites and decor, Indian restaurants have played up to the appetite for such stereotypes, even if their Anglicized fare bears little relation to India itself or its food". More than 8000 Bangladeshi owned restaurants in the UK worry that they might lose business by ditching "Indian" from their trading name.  It is unfortunate that a country and culture as rich as Bangladesh should have to hide behind the "curry myth" and mask authenticity for business, but what is even more shocking is that no one knows/remembers that West Bengal is STILL a state in India. Calcutta, which is STILL a major metro in India, was the capital under the British Raj. When they talk about India, they think about northwest India. But India is not one state. It is rich and diverse. I think it is time to aggressively assert our unique cultural identities and showcase Bengali/Bangladeshi food and culture. Ditch your "curries" and show us your favorite regional food.  This Bengali dish is CHANAR DALNA. Cottage cheese nuggets cooked in tomato gravy with potatoes. 
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#notacurry #bengalifood #bengalicuisine #kolkatadelites #calcuttacacophony #wahhkolkata #thekolkatabuzz #foodtalkindia #homemade #indianfoodblog #vegetarian #theguardian #calcuttaconnexion
I met him when he was 23. He turned 40 today! Soon I met him when he was 23. He turned 40 today! Soon we will be getting dentures together. Gold and diamond studded dentures.☺️😍  Happy birthday, @debkumarde ! 
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#happybirthday #birthdaywish #birthdayboy
You can travel the world and drink all the fancy b You can travel the world and drink all the fancy beverages, but there’s nothing more special than “bhaar e cha” (tea in earthen cup) in your hometown. ⁣
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#thekolkatavibes #calcuttacacophony #kolkatasutra #kolkata #kolkatastreets #kolkatadiaries #thekolkatabuzz #sokolkata #kolkatablogger #kolkata_calcutta_city #studiophotography #ig_calcutta #kolkatagram #indiapictures
⁣ Most people start New Year's day with new reso ⁣ Most people start New Year's day with new resolutions. They make future plans, commit to the correct course, eat healthily, drink less, and make positive lifestyle changes. But we, Bengalis, start new Year's day thinking about food, eating food, cooking food for the next four meals of the day, sharing food, commenting on what we forgot to include in the fourteen-course lunch menu, and so on. We love our food, our pot bellies, our afternoon teas, and our Darjeeling teas. I am not being self-critical at all. I am quite proud of our staunch Epicurean lifeways and I believe loving food and respecting people's food choices are necessary for social harmony.  Subho Nababarsha! <3  52 of us food bloggers are welcoming the Bengali New Year with our virtual food fest. Do hop onto #noboborshekhaikhai to browse through the beautiful creations.  By  @experiments.of.bengalikitchen
@antarabasu9 
@curriesnstories07
@cosmopolite_cook
@theeatingsuitcase
@contempocooking
@dibyascookbook 
@jolly.good.food 
@foodlabinsta
@thetaleofmytastebuds
@plate_to_palette_ 
@nivtalks 
@tamatarchutney 
@romisrecipe 
@the_last_freefall
@my.simple.feast
@smitashreemukherjee
@myhungryrambles
@bhookhbadicheezhai 
@sreoshi.17 
@bhukaadd
@homemade_with_sush
@thefoodiesyndrome
@the_sailorchef 
@delishplating
@gargisplatter 
@treat_cuisine 
@abongkitchendiary
@homecook_from_northeastindia
@bae_likes_to_dine_n_cook
@a_gourmet_loves
@flavors_endless 
@gulp_n_gone 
@manjzaaika 
@moms_desi_tadka
@pujas_kitchen 
@somali.roy.14
@the_cookingchapter 
@sgakitchen 
@arpita.cookbook 
@aye_bengali 
@bong_irenic 
@hakunamatataeats
@madhusculinary_journey
@mallikas_kitchentales
@mithai.roy 
@my_hungry_palate
@pooja_bagchi_ 
@paletteofspices
@the_epicuronomist
@abongkitchendiary  .⁣
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#nababarsha #kolkatadelite #kolkatasutrafood #igkolkata #kolkataigers #kolkata #kolkatafoodies #kolkatadiaries #kolkataphotographer #instakolkata #kolkatabuzz #allaboutkolkata #kolkata_diaries #kolkatablogger #storiesofkolkata
Masala Toast and Chai 13 years ago when I first l Masala Toast and Chai  13 years ago when I first left home and went to another city for my first job, away from family and friends and into an unfamiliar neighborhood, it were the bread and potato masala toasts and the spicy fried chilies served on crushed old newspapers that made me feel not so away from home. Bread and potatoes have that effect on you wherever you go. Whether in Mumbai or in New York. I have made so many friends over the toasts and chais. Mumbai, I may not miss your traffics very much, but I do miss your masala toasts.  This masala toast has sliced boiled eggs, which is an easy and inexpensive way to turn a snack into a meal.
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#cuttingchai #teabreak #timefortea #chai #tealoversofinstagram  #kolkatablogger #indianfoodblogger #foodtalkindia #kolkatadelites #ig_calcutta #cupoftea #teaaddict  #chaiislove #masalachai
One year ago today, I couldn’t sleep. So I decid One year ago today, I couldn’t sleep. So I decided to google my name to find out what my secret lovers can learn about me when they stalk me. And to my surprise I discovered that my blog has been cited in a book (Cambridge University Press!)! Also included in Google scholar citation index! Isn’t it so cool?! I would totally be my secret stalker lover. #notacurry 😎😍 ⁣
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#kolkatablogger #storiesofkolkata #kolkata_diaries #kolkata_ig #instakolkata #igerskolkata #foodiesofinstagram #indianfoodbloggers #indianbloggers #indianbloggerscommunity
QUICK GRILLED SHRIMP Ingredients: 16-20 large p QUICK GRILLED SHRIMP  Ingredients:  16-20 large prawns, cleaned and deveined 
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup cashew 
2 tbsp cheese 
1 tsp salt 
1 tbsp kasoori methi, crushed 
1/2 tsp black pepper powder 
1 tbsp mustard oil 
4/5 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 sprig of cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped 
Fresh lime juice 
1 tbsp butter 
1 tsp Chaat Masala powder  Method:  Grind cashew, yogurt, cheese into a smooth paste. 
Add the paste to the shrimps. 
Add salt, kasoori methi, and black pepper powder to the shrimp. 
Now heat the mustard oil and fry the garlic until slightly browned. 
Add the garlic with oil to the shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Now either tawa fry the shrimps or grill them at the highest temperature for 8-10 minutes. 
Add chopped cilantro, drizzle with melted butter, lime juice, and sprinkle chaat masala before serving. ⁣
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#delicious #foodtalkindia #foodlover #desifood #indiancuisine #indiancooking #indianfoodbloggers #healthyfood #instafood #kolkatadiaries #ig_calcutta
AAMER CHATNI OR SWEET BENGALI MANGO CHUTNEY A few AAMER CHATNI OR SWEET BENGALI MANGO CHUTNEY  A few moths ago I prepared a 14 course Bengali meal for my Punjabi friends. It had shukto, posto, goyna bori, paturi, chingri malai curry etc, and they loved everything they ate, but my friend has been coaxing me for the Chutney recipe ever since. She said it reminded her of her grand mother’s chutney and that was undoubtedly the biggest culinary compliment I have ever received! So here it is for Sukhmani and anyone else who loves mango chutney! 😍 🥭  I used frozen raw mangoes but you can use the real deal without changing anything in the recipe. I used paanch phoron for the spice mix, but it’s okay to skip it if you don’t have it. ⁣  ➡️Check out reels and story highlights for the recipe! 
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#cookingacurry #mangochutney #indianfood #kolkatadiaries #eatatkolkata #eeeeeats #bengalifood #kolkatasutrafood #kolkatafoodbloggers #indianfoodbloggers #bangladeshifood #bengali #kolkatafoodie #kolkatasutra #homemadefood #foodstagram #calcuttacacophony #bengalifoodrecipes #indiancuisine
A good recipe is one that is simple. Just like mus A good recipe is one that is simple. Just like music. And as complicated as it may look, Butter chicken is really a very simple dish with few ingredients. The best thing is that this recipe doesn't use onions, significantly bringing down the cooking time. All you do for the gravy is heat a little butter, temper it with some garlic and cardamoms, add pureed tomatoes and finish with cream. You can either mix a bunch of spices with yogurt to marinade the chicken, to make kebabs before adding to the gravy, or you can simply add chicken to the tomato gravy and slow cook until oil separates. Tastes great either way. If you have these ingredients then give this dish a try.  Follow @notacurry to never miss a recipe and tag #notacurry to show me your creations. 
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Detailed recipe link in bio. ✅
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#beautifulcuisines #homemade #eatingfortheinsta #foodtalkindia #kolkatacacophony #kolkatadiaries #eatingforthegram #instagood  #chickencurry #butterchicken #feedfeed #foodandwine 
 #calcutta #kolkatagram #calcuttainstagrammers #kolkatadiaries #kolkatabuzz #calcutta_spectrum #calcuttacacophony #bongcalcutta #streetsofcalcutta #sokolkata #indianfood #bengalifoodie #bengalifoodrecipes #bengalifood #foodstagram
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Featured posts

chingri maach bata recipe

Chingri Maach bata

Restaurant-style chili Chicken Gravy

Chocolate patishapta

Chocolate Coconut Patishapta

Akhroth murgh recipe

Akhrot Murgh or Walnut Chicken

French silk pie recipe

French Silk Pie

Bengali style fish curry with cauliflower and eggplant

Fish curry

Best butter chicken recipe

Restaurant style Butter Chicken

Best chicken curry recipe

Chicken curry Recipe

The best rainbow pancake recipe

Rainbow pancakes

Kolkata style fish butter fry recipe

Bengali Fish batter Fry

Aam ka achaar

Mango Pickle

Lebu pata die bhatki maacher paturi

Lebu pata die bhetki macher paturi

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