Chicken in green garb

Pushpesh Pant

Murg Kalimirch is a minor classic and is usually served in creamy gravy. Hariyali murg too isn’t a stranger to chicken lovers. It can be encountered as saag waala murg draped in methi or palak or green chutney-laced tikka. What won us over recently at a Christmas lunch was a hybrid that claimed both the titles with some justification. The pan-grilled chicken was redolent with peppercorns and donned a green garb of assorted vegetables without any gravy. Easy to cook, light and refreshingly different, the dish is strongly recommended. Our khalis desi but anglicised friend usually favours serving only phirangi food during this part of the year, a practice we find a bit odd; however, we must confess we quite enjoyed this offering; though we passed up the mustard and paired the murg with mint chutney. The greener, the better!

Chooza Chaat Kali Mirch Hariyali

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless, breast pieces) 700g

Lettuce (iceberg) 1 head

French beans 4-6

Celery/spring onion greens A handful

Garlic-ginger paste 1 tbsp

Black peppercorns 2tsp (fresh, coarsely pounded)

Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Salt To taste

Oil 1/4 cup

Method

Wash, trim and pat dry the chicken and cut it into large pieces. Put in a bowl. Sprinkle salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice over it. Add garlic-ginger paste and mix well. Let it remain in this marinade for at least two hours. Wash and string the beans. Cut it into large pieces. Blanch in boiling water for a minute and immediately refresh in cold water. Wash and chop the celery/spring onion greens. Wash well and shred the lettuce. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and transfer the chicken into it. Sear, reduce the flame, sprinkle peppercorns and pan grill the chicken till it is evenly browned. Sprinkle a few drops of water if chicken sticks to the pan. Scrape the residue from the bottom. Place lettuce on a platter and arrange the chicken pieces on this bed. Then top it with beans and celery/spring onion greens. Adjust the seasoning and serve as a salad or a light main course.