Chicken Maharani

Mughlai Cuisines are famous for their non-vegetarian (meat) recipes along with rich aromatic gravies with heavy use of spices, yogurt, and cream. Chicken Maharani is a Mughlai recipe – chicken cooked with aromatic spices in thick yogurt, onion, and nuts based curry. It is an extremely popular dish from the Mughlai royal kitchen and Indian Cuisine.  

Just the term Mughlai is enough to put me off because I’m imagining a heavy gravy that leaves you feeling full. But this Mughlai chicken recipe changed everything. Because I could’ve never imagined the kind of magic that brown onions and creamy cashews can do with some simple spices.

This Mughlai chicken recipe tastes much better when it’s left to sit for a couple of hours. Use bone-in chicken for this recipe. Bone-in chicken is more flavorful and definitely juicier and has less chances of being overcooked.

This Chicken Maharani dish is extremely delicious because of the ingredients and the the cooking process.. the results are always a delicious, aromatic chicken which melts in your mouth every time.

So…Let’s Cook Good Food…

Serves: 4.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 lbs (cleaned and cut into small pieces.)

Cashew (Kaju) – 6-7

Almonds (Badam) – 6-7

Green Chili – 2-3

Jeera – ½ tbsp

Mace (Javetri) -1

Saunf – ½ tbsp

Black Cardamom – 1

Coriander – ¾ tbsp.

Red Chili Flakes – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Green Cardamom – 2-3

Gram Masala – ½ tsp

Kasuri Methi – ½ tbsp

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 1 tbsp

Yogurt – 150 gms

Milk Cream – 100 ml

Milk – ¼ cup

Onion – 1 Medium size (sliced)

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1-1/2 tsp

Ghee/Oil – 2 tbsp

Green Coriander – ¼ bowl

Kasuri Methi and Chili flakes to garnish

Method:

1.  Dry roast all spices –Jeera, Mace, Saunf, Black Cardamom, Coriander, in a pan – Smells well.

2.  Grind all spices (Coarse)

3.  Make a paste of Cashew, Almonds, and Green Chili with a small amount of Yogurt. (Before you

4. start, soak your cashew, Almonds in hot water. Using hot water, softens them faster so that

5. when you grind them along with everything else)

6.  Hear 2 tbsp ghee/oil in a pan or vessel

7.  All Onion and saute for few minutes.

8.  Add Green Cardamom.

9.  Add Chicken pieces and fry for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

10.  Add Ginger Garlic Paste.

11.  Fry till colour changes.

12.  Add Cashew, Almonds, Chili paste to the Chicken

13.  Sprinkle little water and mix well. Saute continuously.

14.  Add 2-3 tbsp water, cover the pan/vessel and cook for another 12-15 minutes.

15.  Once checked cooked well add salt and mix well.

16.  Add ground spices, Kashmiri red chili powder, Garam Masala, red chili flakes and mix well.

17.  Saute well.

18.  Add Kasuri Methi and mix well.

19.  Add Milk to maintain consistency.

20.  Add Milk cream (Malai) and stir well.

21.  On high flame cook for 1-2 minutes.

22.  After first boil, reduce heat, cover it and cook for another 4-5 minutes on low heat.

23.  Add green Coriander, Sprinkled Kasuri Methi and Red Chili Flakes.

24.  Let the curry sit for 10 minutes before serving with parathas and rice.