Murgh Musallamمرغ مسلم

Name: Murgh Musallam
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mughlai
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (مرغ مسلم), ~1.2 kg, skin removed; 3/4 cup hung curd — chakka dahi; 2 tbsp ginger paste — adrak paste; 2 tbsp garlic paste — lahsun paste; 2 tsp red chilli powder — lal mirch; 1 tsp turmeric — haldi; 2 tsp garam masala; to taste salt; 2 hard-boiled eggs — ande; 1 medium onion, finely chopped — pyaaz; 3 large onions, thinly sliced — pyaaz; 3 medium tomatoes, pureed — tamatar; 4 tbsp ghee or neutral oil; 2 bay leaves — tej patta; 4 cloves — laung; 1 pod black cardamom — badi elaichi; 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder; 2 tsp coriander powder — dhaniya powder; 2 tbsp fresh cream; small bunch fresh coriander — hara dhaniya

⏱ Prep 30m🍳 Cook 70m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Cook with Lubna (YouTube)

Murgh Musallam — literally whole chicken in Persian — is one of the grand centrepieces of the Mughal court kitchen. A cleaned whole chicken is marinated in spiced yogurt, stuffed, and then slow-cooked in a richly layered gravy until the meat falls easily from the bone. It takes patience to prepare but delivers a dish that commands the table at any feast.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

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Ingredients

▪whole chicken (مرغ مسلم), ~1.2 kg, skin removed1
▪hung curd — chakka dahi3/4 cup
▪ginger paste — adrak paste2 tbsp
▪garlic paste — lahsun paste2 tbsp
▪red chilli powder — lal mirch2 tsp
▪turmeric — haldi1 tsp
▪garam masala2 tsp
▪saltto taste
For the stuffing
▪hard-boiled eggs — ande2
▪onion, finely chopped — pyaaz1 medium
For the gravy
▪onions, thinly sliced — pyaaz3 large
▪tomatoes, pureed — tamatar3 medium
▪ghee or neutral oil4 tbsp
▪bay leaves — tej patta2
▪cloves — laung4
▪black cardamom — badi elaichi1 pod
▪Kashmiri red chilli powder1 tsp
▪coriander powder — dhaniya powder2 tsp
▪fresh cream2 tbsp
▪fresh coriander — hara dhaniyasmall bunch

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Method

1Score the chicken all over with deep cuts using a sharp knife. Mix together the hung curd, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt into a marinade. Rub it deep into the chicken inside and out. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
2For the stuffing, sauté the finely chopped onion in 1 tsp oil until soft and translucent. Season with a pinch of salt and a little garam masala. Cool completely, then mix with the halved hard-boiled eggs. Stuff the chicken cavity with this mixture and seal the opening with kitchen twine.
3In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat ghee over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring regularly, for 15–18 minutes until they turn deep golden-brown. Remove half the fried onions and set aside for garnish.
4To the remaining onions in the pot, add bay leaves, cloves, and black cardamom. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomato puree, coriander powder, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the oil begins to separate from the masala, about 8 minutes.
5Place the stuffed chicken breast-side down into the gravy. Add half a cup of water, cover the pot tightly with a lid, and cook on low heat for 35–40 minutes, turning the chicken carefully once halfway through. The chicken is done when the juices from the thigh run clear.
6Stir in the fresh cream, taste and adjust salt, then let the chicken rest covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with the reserved fried onions and fresh coriander. Bring the pot to the table and carve at the table for the full effect.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.