Photo: stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Dinner

Duck Curry Bengali

Duck pieces in a rich, dark gravy with whole spices, turmeric and ginger — a Bengali winter dinner staple that uses the fat of duck to create an extraordinarily flavourful base.

🧺 Ingredients

• Duck (bone-in): 800g, cut in pieces
• Onion: 250g, sliced
• Tomato: 150g, chopped
• Ginger paste: 2 tbsp
• Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
• Turmeric: 1½ tsp
• Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1½ tsp
• Cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Garam masala: 1 tsp
• Bay leaf: 2
• Whole garam masala: cardamom 4, clove 4
• Mustard oil: 3 tbsp (duck will render its own fat)
• Salt: 2 tsp
• Sugar: ½ tsp
• Hot water: 300ml
• Duck takes much longer than chicken — 45+ min is minimum
• This curry benefits enormously from overnight resting

👩‍🍳 How to make Duck Curry Bengali

1. Place duck pieces skin-side down in a cold heavy pan.
2. Turn heat to medium; cook 8–10 min until fat renders freely.
3. Pour off excess fat (save for roasting potatoes).
4. Brown duck on all sides.
5. Add mustard oil to rendered fat in pan; bloom whole spices.
6. Fry onion to dark golden.
7. Add ginger-garlic; fry 2 min.
8. Add tomato and spices; cook until oil surfaces.
9. Return duck; add hot water, salt, sugar.
10. Cover; cook 45–50 min until duck is very tender — probe with fork near bone.
11. Uncover; cook 5 min to thicken gravy.
12. Sprinkle garam masala.

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