Handi Murgh

About the Recipe

Every ingredient here is something you are likely to already have if you cook Indian food regularly. The whole spices, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, come from the same jar you use for biryani. The ghee is optional but worth using if you have it. From start to finish, including a short active cooking time, you are looking at about an hour on the day, not counting the marinade. I make this when guests are coming midweek and I want something that tastes considered without keeping me at the stove all evening.

Why you will love this recipe

The marinade does most of the flavour building before you even turn on the stove. When the chicken goes into the hot gravy, it is already seasoned through to the bone, which means the final dish has a depth that a same day curry often lacks. The kasoori methi stirred in at the end adds a dry, slightly bitter note that cuts through the richness of the cream and ghee.

That contrast is what keeps the gravy from feeling heavy. I find the whole spice base, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom bloomed in ghee, also makes the kitchen smell good long before the chicken is done, which is reason enough to make it on a weekend.

Cooking Tips

The most common beginner mistake here is rushing the onions. Golden brown means caramelised and a little sweet, not pale yellow and soft. If you pull them off too early, the gravy will taste raw and slightly sharp. Another thing to watch: the chicken marinade should coat every piece evenly, so get your hands in and rub it properly rather than stirring with a spoon.

And do not add the kasoori methi too early. It loses its aroma quickly over high heat. Stir it in during the last five minutes.

Top Tips

• Marinate the chicken for at least four hours. Overnight in the fridge is better, and it will make a visible difference to how tender the meat is once cooked.
• Use a heavy bottomed pot or an actual handi if you have one. Thin pans cause the gravy to catch on the bottom before the chicken is cooked through.
• Bloom the whole spices in ghee for about thirty seconds until fragrant before adding anything else. If they go in with the onions or tomatoes, they do not open up properly.
• Bring the cream to room temperature before stirring it in at the end. Cold cream added to a very hot gravy can split and look curdled.
• If you are using bone in chicken pieces, allow an extra ten to fifteen minutes of simmering time and check by pressing near the bone.
• Kasoori methi benefits from being rubbed between your palms before it goes in. That releases the oils and makes a noticeable difference to the aroma.

Serving and Storing Suggestions

Serves four people with a side. Prep time including marination is about four to five hours, with thirty to forty minutes of active cooking. Handi Murgh is best served hot, straight from the pot, with steamed basmati rice or plain chapati. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to two days in a sealed container.

Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the gravy. I do not recommend freezing it as the cream can separate on thawing.

Similar Recipes

• Murgh Makhani
• Dhaba Style Chicken Curry
• Chicken Korma
• Kadai Chicken
• Chicken Do Pyaza

Nutrient Benefits

Chicken, particularly bone in pieces cooked with the skin off, is a solid source of protein that keeps the dish relatively balanced despite the ghee and cream. The curds in the marinade add some calcium and also help tenderise the meat before cooking. Ginger and garlic, used here in meaningful quantities rather than trace amounts, both have anti inflammatory properties that have been part of Indian cooking logic long before anyone labelled them superfoods.