Murgh Musallam(Chicken Curry)
Submitted by bschwar
Murgh Musallam, a fragrant North Indian chicken curry simmered with whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves) and finished with yogurt for a rich, silky gravy. Authentic Mughlai flavor in under 40 minutes.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minMurgh Musallam translates loosely to “whole cooked chicken," a dish with Mughlai court roots that traditionally meant a whole bird slow-cooked in a spiced gravy. This home version jointing the chicken into pieces keeps the flavor but brings the cooking time under an hour.
The spice lineup is Mughlai in every way, heavy on warm aromatics rather than heat. A single star anise, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, green and brown cardamom pods and a small fistful of black peppercorns all go into the oil together to bloom before any chicken joins the pan. Fourteen cloves of garlic and a thumb of ginger form a pungent paste that grounds everything.
The key technique moment is watching for the oil to separate from the sauce. That’s the traditional Indian cue ("tel chhodna") that tells you the onion masala is properly cooked and ready for the yogurt. Skip it and the curry tastes raw.
Yogurt, added after the chicken is partly cooked, thickens and tempers the heat into a creamy, glossy gravy.
Pro Tips
- Break the star anise apart before adding, whole pods release their anise seeds only when cracked
- Bloom whole spices in hot oil 30 to 45 seconds, not longer, burnt whole spices turn the whole curry bitter
- Whisk the yogurt with a fork before adding and turn the heat to low, adding cold yogurt to a hot pan curdles it into chunks
- Salt after adding yogurt, not before, yogurt already carries some salt and oversalting ruins the balance
- Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan to soak up the gravy
Variations
- Add a pinch of garam masala at the very end for a deeper, sweeter finish
- Use bone-in thighs only for a richer, more forgiving curry
- Swirl in a spoonful of cream along with the yogurt for an extra luxurious gravy
Ingredients
Directions
Clean and joint chicken. If you don’t like the skin, remove it.
Mash the ginger into a paste (or chop finely) and mince the garlic.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Use medium-high heat.
Break apart the star anise to release the seeds inside the arms. To the frypan, add onions, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, star aniseed, peppercorns, cloves, garlic and ginger. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Sauté until the onions are cooked but not browned.
Add the chicken, turmeric and chili powder and cook on a medium heat, stirring often.
When the oil starts to separate (the gravy will have oil floating on its surface), add the yogurt and cook until the chicken is done and the gravy is thick. Finally, add the fresh coriander leaves.
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