Desi Style Chicken Clear Soup

Today I have an easy chicken clear soup made in Indian style. This soup is mildly spiced, light and flavorful. Back home, bone soup with mutton is very common which I already posted here. The version I posted has some lentils in it, which gives the soup a thick base and can be served with rice or as is. Chicken soup wasn’t very common and I only started making it after coming to US. Today’s version is mildly spiced and is better served as is. It can be served with rice as well and if doing so, make it a bit more spicy.

Mr U usually prefers this clear soup and I too prefer light soups over creamy ones. This is often on our menu in Fall & Winter. However, when I made this last week, it was very hot, more like summer. Though summer is unofficially over and official Fall is going to start in a week, mercury index is still above 80F and in 90s the last few days. When it does, this soup is going to be made again!!

Back to soup, I usually make it in a pot and this time I made it in a pressure cooker. I kept my fingers crossed and was afraid I might overcook the chicken pieces. If the soup is served right away, when cooked for three whistles, chicken pieces were perfectly cooked, tender and juicy.

I used chicken thighs with bone, cut the meat around the bones into bite size and cut each thigh bone (after cutting the meat) into half and cooked along with the boneless meat. Soup was flavorful and aroma was amazing! This is my day 12 post for Cooking Carnival, Cooking with Protein Ingredients.

Servings: 3 - 5

Ingredients

1.35 Chicken Thighs with bone, 1.1 lbs or 500 grams after cleaning and cutting into bite size pieces
2 - 2 ½ tbsp. Oil
5 Cardamoms
2 Cloves
¼” Cinnamon
½ tsp. Caraway Seeds
2 Bay Leaves
4-6 Curry Leaves
½ small Onion chopped
1 ½ tbsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
½ - ¾ tsp. Coriander Powder
½ tsp. Chili Powder
½ tsp. Pepper Powder
Turmeric Powder
1 tsp. Salt (adjust to taste )
3-4 cups Water (I used 4 cups)
Cilantro to garnish
Lime juice when serving

Preparation:

I used chicken thighs with bone. Remove the skin, cut the meat off the bone into bite size pieces and then the meatless bone into ½.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. I used a 3 liter pressure cooker but would recommend at least a 4 liter cooker.
When oil is hot, add cardamoms, cloves , cinnamon, bay leaves, caraway seeds and curry leaves.
When the spices are lightly roasted in oil, add onions and saute until soft.
Add Ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Add chili powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well.
Add chicken and fry until chicken is lightly roasted and brown.
Add water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the cooker, adjust reasoning and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve as a soup or with rice as a side dish. If serving as a soup, squeeze some lime juice.