Sometimes, the simplest recipes are the most satisfying. Who am I kidding ? More often than not that’s the case and I have to keep reminding myself about this everytime I wonder what recipe to show case next. I ate this in Nepal many years ago but forgot about it till I read it on the menu at a restaurant called Across in Mumbai that specializes in cuisine from the Himalayan region. They had a buff choila on the menu but it took me back to my previous trips to Nepal and before you know it I was looking up recipes for this humble dish.
What is Chicken Choila?
The dish chicken choila or sometimes choila chicken is a popular Nepali dish. In Nepal the choila is a type of preparation and while chicken is the most common, I’ve also seen a Buff or Beef choila on the menu. The premise is the same – lots of spring onions and red chillies to bring a kick of heat.
Recipe
Ingredients
250 grams of boneless skinless cut chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 Spring onions
Handful of coriander chopped
4- 5 dried red chillies
6-7 garlic cloves
3 Large tomatoes
Mustard oil
2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon pepper
Method
Marinate the chicken in mustard oil, salt pepper and turmeric powder and set aside.
In a pan add a little mustard oil, the dried red chillies garlic and the three tomatoes, cover and let it cook till the tomatoes blister. If the chillies and garlic are cooked take them out to cool and let the tomatoes cook longer. Once cooked, peel the skin off and set aside to cool with the garlic and chilies.
Once the mixtures cools add it to a blender along with red chilli powder and pepper ( some green chillies for extra heat if you like ) and blend it all into a paste. Set aside.
Heat a pan with the marinated chicken and cook on a high flame for 5 mins till the chicken chars on one side. Lower the flame and continue to cook for 8 minutes. Once cooked, add the chopped spring onions ( whites and greens ) and the coriander and let it cook for a minute. While it’s cooking heat some mustard oil in a small pot or ladle and then pour the hot oil over the spring onion and chicken mixtures. Cook for a minute. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for another minute.
Turn off the heat, add extra coriander ( optional ) for garnish if you like and serve hot.
How To Serve Chicken Choila
Choila Chicken is best eaten with rice and dal in my opinion. However you can eat it as you like. With hot chapati or plain rice as well.
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