Chicken mughlai. Featuring rich, royal, luxurious cooking, this Mughlai dish is all about tender chicken simmered in velvety sauce made with fried onions, aromatic spices, nuts and cream. While the cream and nuts give the dish its signature creaminess, whole and powdered spices deliver warmth and depth. Known for its richness and unmistakable aroma, this restaurant favorite remains a timeless classic for special occasions.
Why I Love This Royal Classic
My hunt for the most iconic Indian dishes introduced me to this creamy curry, where the flavor profile is both luxurious and comforting. Let me tell you - this dish comes from the royal kitchens of Mughal empire, and that describes how indulgent it is. Today, the dish has traveled far beyond royal kitchens. You will find it in every Indian restaurant and home kitchens around the world. The base of the dish represents the merging of Persian cooking techniques with Indian ingredients.
Unlike fiery curries, this leans toward mild heat, and the creamy, nut-based sauce, slow cooked spices, and tender chicken brings layers of flavor. The marination tenderizes the chicken and infuses it with flavor. One of the defining elements is the use of fried onions or birista, that are simple golden fried onions. These onions are then blended into a paste alongside cashews and almonds giving the sauce its velvety texture. This dish is, obviously, perfect for anyone who loves flavor without too much heat.
Key Ingredients In Chicken Mughlai
- Chicken - Chicken thighs or bone-in chicken portions.
- Yogurt - To make chicken tender.
- Onions - Golden fried onions is classic.
- Whole spices - Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods.
- Powdered spices - Turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala and red chili powder.
- Cream - Fresh heavy or thickened cream for the creamy texture.
How To Make Chicken Mughlai
Marinate chicken - For the Mughlai style marination, you will need thick yogurt, and a touch of salt and pepper. Coat the chicken well, and rest for about 30 minutes.
Fried onions and onion paste - Slice the onions very thin, and drop into medium-hot oil. Keep stirring until; you get the golden brown color. Drain, let the onions cool slightly, and add to a food processor. Add a few nuts and a splash of water. Blend into a smooth, creamy paste.
Make mughlai curry - Start with ghee, and add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Saute ginger and garlic. Sear chicken. Add the spices except garam masala. You’ll also need to add the creamy paste of onions and nuts. Once the oil separates, cook chicken for about 6-7 minutes. Finish off with fresh cream, garam masala and chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Bring it to a slow simmer. The royal dish is ready to serve.
Restaurant Style Chicken Mughlai
Ingredients
Marinate chicken:
- 1 kg chicken thighs, diced
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fried onions:
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 2 onions, evenly sliced
Onion paste:
- 4 cashew nuts, soaked
- 4 almonds, soaked
Mughlai chicken:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cm cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup heavy (thickened) cream
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- Water
- Salt to taste
Garnish:
- Chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
To serve:
- Rice, naan or paratha
Instructions
Marinate chicken:
- Place chicken, yogurt, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss chicken to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Make fried onions:
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onions. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- Drain on an absorbent towel.
Make onion paste:
- Place fried onions, cashew nuts and almonds in a food processor.
- Process to a smooth paste. Add a little water if required.
Make mughlai chicken:
- To the same pan used for fried onions, add ghee.
- When hot, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom pods. Saute, stirring, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add ginger and garlic. Sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Add chicken. Stir fry for about 7-8 minutes.
- Add ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and red chili powder. Saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste. Saute, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
- Season with salt.
- Add onion paste. Saute, stirring, for about 2 minutes, adding water if the sauce is too thick.
- Cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Add cream, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, and chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Stir to combine.
- Simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves.
- Serve with rice, naan or paratha.
Nutrition
Like this chicken mughlai recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Watch exclusive recipe videos on YouTube.
Check out more restaurant style Indian chicken recipes:
Leave a Reply