Murgh Musallam: A Sumptuous and Wholesome Mughlai Chicken Dish

Murgh Musallam is a Mughlai dish originating from the Indian subcontinent.

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4 

Ingredients:

Paste

• 1/3 Cup Cashew Nuts
• 1/3 Cup Sesame Seeds
• 1/3 Cup Poppy Seeds

Spice Mix

• 2 Pc Bay Leaf
• 1 Tbsp Peppercorns
• 1-Inch Cinnamon Stick
• 3-4 Cardamom Pods

 Murgh Musallam Gravy

• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 2 Tsp Coriander Powder
• 4 Pc Onion (Sliced)
• 2 Pc Tomatoes (Chopped)
• 2 Pc Green Chilly (Chopped)
• 1/2 Cup Curd 
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 5 Kashmiri/Byadgi Red Chilies
• 8 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
• 2 Inch Ginger (Chopped)
• Salt to Taste
• Water

For Stuffing

• 1 Whole Chicken 
• 250 Gm Minced Chicken 
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion
• 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1 Green Chilly (Chopped)
• Salt
• Water as Required
• 2 Pc Boiled Eggs
• 2-Metre Cotton Thread 
• 1 Tbsp Cashew Nuts
• 1 Tbsp Raisins

Method:

• Clean and brine the chicken for a minimum of 4-5 hours
• In a pan roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds and cashew nuts 
• Grind the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and half of the cashew nuts to a fine powder
• Soak Byadgi red chilies in water for a couple of hours
• In a grinder, make a paste of the red chilli paste, ginger, and garlic and separate in a bowl
• Boil both eggs and de-shell
• Chop the green chilies and tomatoes 

Preparing Keema

• Heat oil in a kadai / wok
• Drop in the chopped onions and fry till golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste and turmeric 
• Cook till raw smells goes off, add cumin, coriander and red chili powder 
• Add a splash of water as required, when the oil begins to separate, add minced chicken 
• Stir in often to avoid burning, add green chilies and salt, add in water if required
• Keep it separate in a bowl and allow it to cool

 Stuffed Chicken

• Take the chicken and stuff the keema through the belly, add roasted cashews and raisins 
• Stuff boiled eggs inside the chicken, take a cotton thread and tie the chicken beginning with the legs and going over the belly and around the neck. Repeat process a few times and set aside

Murgh Musallam Gravy

• Heat oil in a wok, add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter, add onions and allow them to turn golden brown, add red chilli paste and ginger-garlic paste, cook till the raw smell of garlic goes 
• Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder, add tomatoes, mix well and allow to cook
• Add curd and cook till the mixture starts releasing oil, add previously prepared paste 
• Cook till the mixture starts releasing oil, add water, green chilies and salt
• Bring the gravy to a boil, once done turn off the heat

Whole Chicken in Gravy

• Once the gravy comes to the desired consistency, carefully place in the stuffed chicken
• Bast the chicken, rotate chicken often, repeat the last two steps for 20 minutes
• Turn the chicken over and repeat the basting. Repeat this process for another 20 minutes
• Serve hot with Indian breads, or jeera rice

Murg Musallam prepared in traditional mughlai style is a popular dish which has a mixed texture comprising juiciness; it is nutty with the sweetness of almonds and raisins wrapped in crunchiness.