This recipe details how to cook a murgh musallam in your kitchen in the easiest way possible, step by step without getting overwhelmed.
Prep Time45 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Mughlai
Keyword: Murg Musallam, Murgh Musallam
Servings: 4people
Author: Samrat Roy Chowdhuri
Cost: ₹220
Equipment
Wok/Kadai
Pan
Spatula
Grinder and Mixer
Bowls
Spoon
Ingredients
Cashew, Sesame, Poppy Seed Paste
1/3cupcashew nuts
1/3cupsesame seeds
1/3cuppoppy seeds
Whole Spices for the Murgh Musallam Gravy
2pcbayleaf
1tbsppeppercorns
1inchcinnamon stick
3-4pccardamom pods
For the Murgh Musallam Gravy
1tspcumin seeds
1/2tspturmeric powder
1tspcumin powder
2tspcoriander powder
4pconionmedium sized, sliced
2pctomatoeschopped
2pcgreen chillyfinely chopped
1/2cupcurdbeaten properly
1tbspsugar
2tbspoil
5pcKashmiri/Byadgi red chillies
8pcgarlic cloves, chopped
2inchginger, chopped
salt to taste
Water as per requirement
For the Stuffing
1pcwhole chickenproperly cleaned, should be around 1 kg and not more than 1.5 kg
250gmminced chickenor minced mutton
1tbspoil
1pconion, big-sized
1tspginger garlic paste
1/4tspturmeric powder
1/2tspcumin powder
1/2tspcoriander powder
1/2tspred chilli powder
1pcgreen chillychopped finely
salt
Water as per requirement
Other Ingredients Required for Stuffing
2pcboiled eggs
2metercotton thread to tie up chicken
1tbspcashew nuts
1tbspraisins
Instructions
Preparation for the Murgh Musallam
Clean and brine the chicken for a minimum of 4-5 hours
In a pan roast the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and keep separate
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. You can also use Kashmiri red chilies
In a grinder, make a paste of the red chili paste, ginger and garlic and separate in a bowl
Chop the onions mentioned under 'For the Murgh Musallam Gravy' and 'For the Stuffing' (in the header under Ingredients) and keep aside
Boil both the eggs, and de-shell. Keep it aside
Chop the green chilies and tomatoes and keep aside
Cooking the Keema
Heat oil in a kadai
Drop in the chopped onions and fry till golden brown
Add in the ginger garlic paste and turmeric and cook till the raw flavor disappears
Add in the cumin, coriander and red chili powder and cook. If required, splash in some water to avoid burning of the spices
When the oil begins to separate, add in the minced chicken (or mutton) and cook
Stir in between to ensure that the minced chicken does not stick to the bottom and burn
Add green chilies and salt and simmer
Add in water if required
Keep it separate in a bowl and allow to cool
Stuffing the Chicken
Once the keema has cooled down, we will proceed with the stuffing
Take chicken and stuff the keema through the belly
Add the roasted cashews and raisins as mentioned under 'Other Ingredients Required for Stuffing' except the thread
The eggs should be stuffed in a way to prevent the minced chicken/keema from coming out. It is fine if the eggs crack when you try to stuff inside the chicken
Take a cotton thread and tie the chicken in such a way so that the minced meat and eggs do not come out while cooking it in the gravy in the next steps. You can do this by putting the thread under the neck, bring it from above the wings, and tie it around the legs. The legs will act as the wall preventing the stuffing from coming out while cooking in the gravy
Keep it aside, carefully
Cooking the Murgh Musallam gravy
Heat oil in a wok
Drop in all the whole spices listed under 'Whole Spices for the Murgh Musallam Gravy'
Cook on a low heat to allow all the flavors to get in the oil
Add in the cumin seeds
Once the cumin seeds splutter, add in the chopped onions
Allow the onions to cook. Once the onions start turning golden brown, add in the red chili paste (along with ginger and garlic paste) prepared previously
Cook till the raw flavor go away
Add in the powdered spices - turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and cook. Add tomatoes and cook.
Add in the curd and cook till the mixture starts releasing oil
Add in the cashew, sesame, poppy seeds paste prepared in the Preparation stage
Cook till the mixture is properly cooked and starts releasing oil
Add in water, green chilies and salt and bring the gravy to a boil
Check for seasonings and consistency of gravy
Cooking the Whole Chicken in Gravy
Once the gravy comes to the desired consistency, carefully place in the stuffed chicken in the gravy breast down
Take a spoonful of gravy and put it on top of the chicken. This process is called basting
Every couple of minutes, using a spoon rotate the chicken in the kadai. This will prevent the spices under the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the kadai and getting burnt
Repeat the last two steps above for 20 minutes
Now using a spoon and spatula turn the chicken upside down. So previously the chicken was placed breast/chest down in the gravy. This will be now on top
Repeat the basting like we did previously
Every couple of minutes, using a spoon rotate the chicken in the kadai like we did previously
Repeat this process for another 20 minutes
Check seasonings and adjust, if required
Serve hot with roomali roti or lachha paratha
Notes
Buy a whole chicken that does not weigh more than a kg after dressing
Almonds are an important part of the dish. I have replaced that with cashews. You can use almonds if you want
While I have used minced chicken, you can substitute that with minced mutton