Mughlai-style Chicken Recipe

Today's main course is another curry recipe. However, this recipe comes from the Mughlai (or Mogul) tradition of Northern India and Pakistan. The Moguls were the persian rulers of India in the 15th and 16th centuries and they fused their traditional Persian cookery with local Indian ingredients and spices.

This yielded a rich but aromatic form of cookery. Not hot, but very fragrant. Slightly decadent, with its use of saffron and almonds.

If you have never tried Mogul-style dishes before, then this recipe is well worth attempting.

Mughlai-style Chicken

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast fillets, each rubbed with a few pinches of garam masala
eggs, beaten with salt and freshly-ground black pepper
6 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5cm (2 in) length of fresh ginger, finely crushed
4 garlic cloves, finely crushed
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
5cm (2 in) length of cinnamon stick
2 bayleaves (preferably Indian bayleaves)
16 saffron threads
150ml (2/3 cup) natural yoghurt
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
75ml (5 tbsp) double cream
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
salt, to taste

Method:

Brush the chicken fillets with the beaten eggs.

Heat the ghee in a wok and when hot add the chicken and fry for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove the chicken with tongs and set aside to keep warm.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bayleaves to the oil remaining in the wok. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown. At this point, take the pan off the heat and allow the contents to cool slightly.

Add the saffron then mix the yoghurt with the cornflour (cornstarch) before stirring into the wok.

Return to the heat then add the chicken to the pan. Gently cook the contents of the wok until the chicken is tender.

Adjust the seasonings to taste. Just before serving fold in the double cream and the ground almonds.

Serve the curry piping hot, and accompany with boiled rice and naan breads.

For many more classic Indian recipes, please visit the Celtnet recipes from the Indian sub-Continent page.

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