Murgh Musallam-Style Curry
This recipe takes inspiration from the rich flavour architecture of murgh musallam but uses large bone-in chicken portions rather than requiring a whole stuffed bird. The Awadhi Murg potli supplies the whole-spice foundation while yoghurt, onion, nuts and saffron create a festive gravy.
Servings
4–6
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Extra Time
Marination Time: 2 hours
✨ Zaika Potli Secret Technique
Add 1 Awadhi Murg potli with the cooking water before the covered simmer. Remove once the chicken is fully cooked.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Large bone-in chicken pieces — 1 kg
- Thick curd — ¾ cup
- Ginger-garlic paste — 2 tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder — 1 tsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
- Salt — 1½ tsp
Zaika Potli
- Awadhi Murg — 1 potli
For the Gravy
- Ghee — 3 tbsp
- Onion — 2 large, thinly sliced
- Tomato — 1 medium, chopped
- Cashews — 20 g
- Almonds — 15 g
- Coriander powder — 1 tsp
- Hot water — 1½ cups
For Finishing
- Saffron — 10 strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
- Cream — 2 tbsp
- Fresh coriander — 1 tbsp
Cooking Instructions
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1Marinate the chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and salt for 2 hours.
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2Soak cashews and almonds in hot water and blend to a smooth paste.
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3Heat ghee in a heavy handi.
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4Add onion and cook until deep golden.
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5Add tomato and cook until soft.
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6Add marinated chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes.
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7Add coriander powder and nut paste.
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8Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
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9Add hot water and the Awadhi Murg potli.
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10Cover and simmer over low heat for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
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11Remove the potli.
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12Simmer uncovered until the sauce coats the chicken.
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13Add saffron milk and cream.
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14Cook gently for another 2 minutes.
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15Finish with coriander.
💡 Chef's Pro Tip
Use large bone-in pieces rather than small curry-cut chicken. The longer cooking required for the rich gravy suits them better and produces a more festive presentation.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Murgh Musallam-Style Curry
This recipe takes inspiration from the rich flavour architecture of murgh musallam but uses large bone-in chicken portions rather than requiring a whole stuffed bird. The Awadhi Murg potli supplies the whole-spice foundation while yoghurt, onion, nuts and saffron create a festive gravy.
The Secret: Use large bone-in pieces rather than small curry-cut chicken. The longer cooking required for the rich gravy suits them better and produces a more festive presentation.