Don’t worry, I did resist the urge to drown my sorrows in sugar and butter. Not just because I was out of butter. So here is another dish, with considerable less fat and sugar, which I find pretty comforting. It is a version of chicken curry called Chicken Kalia (kul-ya) that I had not had until I got married.
What is Chicken Kalia?
Kalia is a chicken salan that is very different from the traditional chicken curries. It does not contain yogurt or tomatoes. The robust flavours of whole garam masala are also absent in Kalya which only uses cumin seeds in it’s whole spices. Most notably though the flavour of the Kalya seems to lie in the onions. In most curries onions are barely sauteed, cooked to a delicate gold or deep fried then crushed (Korma). A Chicken Kalia’s base is the deep flavour of caramelized onions. This makes for a curry that is somehow rich tasting and light in body at the same time.
Can I use Pre Fried Onions
For those of you who are not looking forward to caramelizing onions for Chicken Kalia you can absolutely use store bought fried onions. However, there’s a catch. The onions you use MUST NOT have any coating whatsoever. Some varieties are coated in flour or contain other ingredients which ruin a curry. Read the package! Ideally you have two ingredients - onions and oil. Those will actually taste good. So good that my kids will casually snack on them when I am cooking. If you have those pre fried onions then they also work well in this simple Chicken Pulao and can also be used in this Nihari recipe.
What kind of Chicken is best?
My astute friends will notice this is boneless chicken in my curry. We tend to use a lot of boneless chicken owing to a combination of my FILs heart condition and convenience. However, there is no question that your Kalya will be even more flavorful with any bone in meat than boneless. If you make this Chicken Kalia then I’d love to hear how it went! Share a comment and rating below or tag me in your recreations on Instagram. I am @flourandspiceblog and always happy to hear from you!
