Mughlai chicken recipe is the ultimate taste of creamy chicken with nutty gravy. It's a restaurant style Indian chicken recipe from Mughal cuisine. Full of flavor and easy dinner recipe to serve with naan or rice.
About This Recipe
If you are curious to know then I am excited to share that it's a recipe from mughal era when elites used to make fusion food by adopting different cultures in Indian subcontinent. I don't know exactly the origination of this recipe but the style of making is purely based on mughal cuisine.
Mughlai chicken also famous as shahi chicken that prepared in dark brown texture by adding spices, garam masala and paste of nuts. The tangy, sour and nutty flavor of mughlai chicken gravy makes it distinct from other chicken recipes. If you haven't tried this then give it a try and I am sure you will love it.
I never thought the paste of almonds and cashews will add a divine touch in a simple recipe. I love to make shahi korma which is also from mughal food that people love to eat but this recipe is totally different and makes it distinguished among other gravy recipe ideas.
What's Special?
The blend of cream and nutty ingredients makes it super scrumptious and also executes a viscous gravy texture that enough to tempt this recipe. Traditioanally 'Mughlai chicken recipe' famous as shahi chicken and can be prepared in different ways like some restaurant chef marinate the chicken first to add in gravy and some directly cook chicken in gravy. If you are wondering, why I choose this recipe because it's super simple and give you royal taste just by adding few ingredients.
SEE ALSO: Chicken Pulao | Mughlai Paratha | Peas Pulao
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Expert Tips
- Use chicken with bones as it makes the perfect taste of gravy. If you are using boneless chicken breast then add chicken broth in the place of water.
- Use purple onion to fry. It's an Indian onion that makes a great taste after getting brown.
- The onion needs to be finely sliced to get a crispy texture.
- If your onion seems to be soggy then keep it in the freezer to get hard.
- It's important to soak the almonds and cashews to make a smooth texture of the gravy.
- Always soak the nuts in hot boiling water to make a perfect paste.
- Mughlai chicken gravy needs to be viscous and thick so don't make it runny.
Ingredients
Chicken: prefer to use chicken with bones as it makes best taste of gravy. The Simmering of chicken adds a broth taste in a thick gravy that makes it super delicious.
Oil: Use any type of canola, or sunflower oil. People also make the same recipe with desi ghee. If you like then you can switch.
Onion: Finely sliced, purple onion is used to make gravy.
Whole Garam Masala: Used Bay leaves, cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom, and cinnamon sticks.
Ginger Garlic: Add in form of paste.
Spices: Ground spices like red chilies, turmeric, and coriander are used to make gravy. The addition of homemade garam masala makes a big difference in taste.
Salt - To Taste (savory recipes will not be complete without this)
Yogurt: It will add a savory, sour and creamy taste in gravy.
Water - Added to tender chicken and to maintain gravy consistency.
Almond & Cashews Paste: will add a specific Mughlai style nutty and creamy taste in chicken gravy that makes it special.
Green Chillies: make it a little spicy in taste. It's optional to use!
Fresh Cream - will add a smooth and creamy texture.
Garnish: It's best to garnish with Julianne ginger.
How to Make
The making of Mughlai chicken recipe is so simple and easy only requires few ingredients that make it special. So let's start to make.
In a heated pan, pour oil and add finely sliced onion. Fry to make it crispy until turned to golden brown color. Take it out and crushed it with hands.
Now in the same pan, add whole garam masala and let it pop for a few seconds to make it aromatic. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes on medium heat. Season with spices that include salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Cook for a few minutes to get rid of spice rawness and until the oil comes over the surface. Now time to add chicken! cook on high heat until the chicken changes the color. Add crushed onion in chicken and mix well. Blend the gravy with yogurt and cook on high heat until it shows one tone smooth texture. Add water and sprinkle homemade garam masala. Give it a good mix and cover with the lid and cook for about 25 minutes to tender the chicken.
In the meanwhile, make almond and cashew paste, After 25 minutes, add almonds and cashew paste. Soak the almonds and cashews in hot water for an hour. In a blender add soaked cashews and almonds with little water to make the paste.
After 25 minutes, add cashews and almond paste and cover again for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, pour the cream and mix well. Now cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until oil separates.
Now it's ready to serve. Garnish with Julianne ginger.
How to Serve
It's great to serve with garlic naan or kulcha or tandoori roti. If you like rice then serve with garlic butter rice as it makes a perfect flavor. To make a rich platter, add fire roasted tomatoes, tomato salsa, pickles, or veg salad.
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Mughlai Chicken Recipe
Materials
- 600 g Chicken
- 1.5 tbsp oil
- 2 Onion Slices (Medium size)
- Whole Garam Masala:
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- 6 Cloves Cloves
- 5 Green Cardamom
- 3 sticks Cinnamon Sticks 3"
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- Salt – To Taste
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 2 tbsp Yoghurt
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 200 ml Water
- 2 tsp Almond & Cashews Paste
- 3 Green Chillies
- 1 tbsp Fresh Cream
- Ginger For Garnish
Instructions
- In a pan, add oil and heat it up.
- Also, add onion slices and fry to get golden brown colour.
- Take out onions and crushed with hands.
- Now in the same pan, add whole garam masala and heat it up to make it aromatic.
- Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.
- Add spices – salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and cook for a few minutes until the oil comes over the surface.
- Next, add chicken and cook on high heat until the chicken changes the color.
- Add crushed onion in chicken and mix well.
- Now add yoghurt and cook on high heat until the yoghurt forms a gravy.
- Add water and mix well.
- Sprinkle garam masala.
- Cover for 25 minutes to tender the chicken.
- After 25 minutes, add cashews and almond paste and cover for 10 minutes. (In a blender add soaked cashews and almonds with little water to make the paste).
- Pour cream and mix well.
- Again cover for 5 minutes to bring oil on the surface.
- Mughlai Chicken Gravy is ready to serve!
Video
Notes
- Use chicken with bones as it makes the perfect taste of gravy. If you are using boneless chicken breast then add chicken broth in the place of water.
- Use Indian onion to fry. It's a purple onion.
- Make sure the Onion needs to be finely sliced to get a crispy texture.
- If your onion seems to be soggy then keep it in the freezer to get hard.
It's important to soak the almonds and cashews to make a smooth texture of the gravy.
Always soak the nuts in hot boiling water to make a perfect paste.
Mughlai chicken gravy needs to be viscous and thick so don't make it runny.
Hinz
Mughlai chicken idea is perfect for dinner. The paste of almonds and garlic, cream and brown onion makes a perfect flavor or chicken. Give it a try!