Roadside Cafe Chicken

6 chicken drumsticks

1 tbsp vegetable oil, raw sesame oil, or peanut oil

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1 tsp Bengali Five-Spice Mixture (page 37), or a scant 1/4 tsp each black mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and nigella seeds

2 whole cloves or generous pinch ground cloves

1 cinnamon or cassia stick

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp minced garlic or garlic mashed to a paste

1 tbsp minced ginger or ginger mashed to a paste

1 ¼ cups packed grated onions

4 dried red chilies

1 ½ cups water

1 tsp salt, or more to taste

1 tsp sugar

Rinse the drumsticks and peel of the skin if you wish. Use a cleaver to chop each one into three pieces. Check the cut surfaces and discard any bone fragments. Rinse well with cold water and set aside.

Heat the oil and ghee or butter in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, toss in the spice blend, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves and stir until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the ground coriander, and stir, then add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the ginger and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, raise the heat to medium-high, and stir-fry dried chilies and stir briefly, then lower the heat to medium and cook until the onions are very soft, about 5 minutes.

Raise the heat to high and add the chicken pieces. Cook, turning and pressing the chicken pieces against the hot pan until all surfaces are browned a little, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of the water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and sugar and stir well, then cover tightly, lower the heat to medium, and cook for about 30 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking.

Add another 1/2 cup water to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Taste for salt just before serving and adjust if necessary. Server hot.

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Roadside Cafe Chicken