Dalcha Chicken

Dalcha is popular among Indian Muslims who originated from South India.  In Malaysia, if you happen to attend any Muslim wedding, dalcha is a must accompaniment for the rice. Mostly dalcha is prepared with mutton rather than chicken. If you ask me mutton dalcha is more delicious than chicken dalcha. 

Anyway, I used to prepare dalcha with chicken as it was easier to get chicken in market than mutton.  Dalcha goes well with ghee rice.

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup Dal soaked in water for 1/2 an hour


• 1 tsp turmeric powder


• salt


• 1 red chili


• 1/2 cup long beans cut into pieces


• 1 aubergine cut in wedges


• 1 cup chicken cut into small pieces


• 1 tomato cut in wedges


• 2 potatoes cut into 4


• 1 onion sliced


• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste


• 2 tbsp - chicken curry powder (any brand)


• 1 inch cinnamon


• 2 cardamoms


• 5 cloves


• 1 star anise


• 1 /2 tsp fennel powder


• 1 tsp cumin powder


• 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder


• curry leaves


• 1/4 cup tamarind juice


• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Preparation Method :

• Pressure cook dhal preferably chana dal with turmeric powder and red chili until well cooked. Reserve aside.


• Meanwhile, heat oil in wok. Add spices like cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, star anise and fry until fragrant. Add curry leaves as well.


• Add sliced onions. Saute till turn pink brown.


• Add ginger- garlic paste and continuously stir further until cooked.


• Add chicken pieces. Stir well.


• Add curry paste and stir for 5 minutes.


• Add spice powder mix. Add some water to it.


• Add all the vegetables - long beans, potato, tomato and aubergine. Add little water boil to cook.


• Add cooked dhal. Let it boil together.


• Add tamarind juice. Mix well. Let it boil.


• Add salt.


• Finally add coconut milk. Turn to slow fire. Let it simmer. After the first boil, turn off heat.


• Serve with hot Ghee rice.

This is my simplest way of doing dalcha.