Lonavala Marghi no Ras - Chicken Stew with Coconut Milk

Ras is a thin stew-like gravy that's a big part of the Parsi everyday repertoire. These are fairly simple and light with no heavy spice mixes or ground spice pastes. The main ingredient can be fish, mutton, chicken, or prawns, and the ras is usually paired with rice. This version that I call Lonavala Ras is something my mom in law Katy taught her housekeeper Asha bai. This version has hardly any spices and the broth contains coconut milk making it a little different from the usual ras recipes. It used to be a staple when we would visit the in laws at their home in Lonavala and Katy made sure Asha bai had learned the recipe properly. Now when we go to Lonavala we get Asha bai to make this without fail, and as we gather at the dining table with a big pot of this lovely ras we remember Katy and the good times we have shared with her at the very same table.

Lonavala Marghi no Ras 

500 gms boneless chicken
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium potatoes, diced into medium cubes
2 medium carrots, diced to match the potatoes
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large onion, cut into medium dice
10 pepper corns, lightly bashed
2 star anise
5 inch stick of cinnamon or cassia bark, whatever you prefer
4-5 cloves
2 Indian bay leaves
2-3 green chillies
1 tsp chilli powder
oil
salt
1 cup medium thick coconut milk (I made it with Maggi coconut powder)

Wash the chicken, drain, and marinate with salt and ginger garlic paste. Keep aside as you prep the veggies.

In a large pan heat oil and drop in the whole spices and let it sizzle for a minute. Then add the green chillies.

Chuck in the potatoes and carrots next and stir a little and let the veggies cook for a few minutes.

Now add the onions and let them cook till they turn pink. For this dish you don't want the onions browned at all, you want them to be translucent in the gravy so keep an eye on them.

Next you add the chicken and stir till all the pieces have changed coour. Add the tomatoes and the chilli powder and mix well. Lower the heat, cover the pan and let it all cook for a few minutes. Then add around 3/4 cup of water and let it simmer till the potatoes are cooked through. Add salt if required.

Now pour in the coconut milk and mix gently. Cook on low heat for another five minutes or so and it's done.

This tastes best with plain steamed rice and a simple kachuber of finely sliced onions, tomatoies, cucumber, finely chopped chillies, some fresh coriander, a dash of salt and lemon juice, all tossed together. This ras is also superb with fresh soft 'peti pao' or Bombay pao.