Login Sign Up

Follow Nigella on: Facebook Twitter Vimeo Pinterest

MUGHLAI CHICKEN

MUGHLAI CHICKEN

Related Nigella Recipes

Related Community Recipes

Serves: 8-10

Print
  • Gluten Free
  • Nigella Recipe

I feel very strongly that you should use the moister brown meat, from the thigh, for this, but if you prefer breast meat, and it's a common preference, that's your choice. I can't pretend to understand it though.

There is a long list of ingredients below - and I am not going to pretend this is the sort of food you can bang out in a moment. One ease-making factor to be borne in mind: not only can it be made in advance, it needs to be; only if you let it steep in the pan, in a cold place in the kitchen, overnight, does it have the full depth and resonance of flavour.

Recipe posted by

Join in and share one of your own recipes

Add a Recipe

Ingredients

Switch to Cup Measures
  • 2.5 cm piece of fresh root ginger (peeled)
  • 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli
  • 4 tablespoons ground almonds
  • 125 ml water
  • 5 cardamom pods (bruised)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (broken in half)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1.5 kilograms boneless, skinless chicken thighs (each cut in 2)
  • 2 onions
  • 250 ml Greek yoghurt
  • 250 ml chicken stock
  • 125 ml double cream
  • 100 grams golden sultanas
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 75 grams flaked almonds (toasted)
FEAST

As featured in

FEAST

Method

  1. Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and chilli into a food processor, and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water, then blend again, and set aside. Traditionally, this would be done with a pestle and mortar, and there's nothing to stop you using those, or a little spice grinder.
  2. Put the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cloves into a small bowl. (Obviously, you don't have to do this, but it saves flitting from cupboard to cupboard looking for the right spices while the oil's spluttering away later.)
  3. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish.
  4. Tip in the bowlful of spices and turn them in the oil. Peel and finely chop the onions, add to the pan of spices, and cook until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid them catching. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to colour. Add the yogurt, 125ml / half at a time, stirring it in to make a sauce; then stir in the stock, cream and sultanas.
  5. Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle over the garam masala, sugar and salt. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the chicken meat is cooked through.
  6. It's at this stage, that I like to take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool before reheating the next day. So, either now, or when you've reheated it, pour into a serving dish and scatter with the toasted flaked almonds.
  7. Additional information - for gluten free most garam masalas are gluten free but please check packaging.

Tried this recipe?

Why not leave a comment or a suggestion?

Please note, questions and queries for the nigella.com
team cannot be answered here - please instead submit
any questions as "Kitchen Queries".

Add Comment

  • This is a great meal anytime. The bay leaves are a nice touch I had never tried before. For those who must use chicken breast, I would suggest marinating in a slight salt brine solution for at least 12 hours before. This will add moisture to the chicken breast but you'll miss the great flavor that comes from the dark meat. With a large pot of basmati saffron rice. your taste buds will be thanking you.

    Posted by msmythers on 14th Aug 2011 at 3.39

  • Yummy! Didn't have the caradamom cream or yogurt just used sour cream, can't wait to get those ingredients and try again. The whole family loved it (also cut back on the chilli)

    Posted by kirstenk on 13th Sep 2011 at 8.17

  • A really tasty receipe for a cold winters evening, gentle balance of heat, spices and creaminess.

    Posted by sarah sweetland on 6th May 2012 at 12.29