The world is a small place, and food makes it even smaller. Food is an excellent topic of discussion, even with complete strangers. In every culture, there are foods that have a claim to fame throughout the world, highlighting the authenticity and traditional taste of that region. ‘Mughlai Curries’ do the same for us. Our traditional curries are enriched with love and purity dating back to the great Mughal Emperors of the subcontinent. Since the Mughals were Persian, they contributed to, and adopted from, the best of both type of cuisines. Whole and ground spices came from the subcontinent, and rich creamy nuttiness came from the dry fruits of Persian cuisine.
In modern times, restaurants and chefs inspired by Mughlai flavors and aromas have successfully created delicious kormas, kebabs and curries enriched with our great traditional taste. Mughlai Chicken Handi is one of the most famous traditional dishes in Pakistani cuisine. It is rich, creamy and flavored with aromatic whole spices and nuts. Everyone has their own versions of chicken handi, inspired by restaurants, cooking shows or just a family recipe taught by grandmothers and mothers. The secret lies in the method of cooking and how ingredients are treated and used in the recipe to extract the maximum flavor.
I cook the chicken by marinading it with basic spices in yogurt and then simmering it in a curry sauce. To make the smoothest curry sauce, make the onion paste and boil it before using it in the curry; this is one of the secret steps used in restaurants by chefs. For that creamy nutty flavor, use almond and cashew nut paste along with khoya. Cook the chicken in a handi (clay pot) or just serve it in the handi the way I have explained in the recipe.
Oh my! It seems I have revealed all the secrets to making a restaurant grade Mughali Chicken Handi in your very own kitchen 🙂
This dish however is not about ingredients alone – you have to cook with love and sincerity. Enjoy this special Mughali handi with your family and friends and let us know what they thought in the comments below.
Ingredients:
Chicken:- Chicken – ½ kg (boneless or with bone - your choice)
- Garlic Ginger Paste – 1 tablespoon
- Green Chili – 1 (finely chopped)
- Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon
- Yogurt – ½ cup
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Onion – 1, large (finely blended into a paste and boiled)
- Garlic Ginger Paste – 1 tablespoon
- Tomatoes – 2 to 3, medium sized (pureed)
- Green Chili – 1, finely chopped
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
- Red Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Coriander Powder – ½ teaspoon (roasted and grounded)
- Cumin – 1 teaspoon (roasted and grounded)
- Black Pepper Powder – ½ teaspoon
- Fenugreek Leaves (Qasoori Methi) – ½ teaspoon
- Cream – ½ cup
- Khoya (Dried Whole Milk) – 2 tablespoons
- Almonds – 5 (soaked overnight)
- Cashew Nuts – 5 (soaked overnight) [Alternatively: You can also use Coconut Powder]
- Oil – ¼ cup
- Whole Spices – 1 Bay Leaf, 1 Cinnamon Stick (2-3 inches), ½ teaspoon Whole Mace, 2 Whole Cloves, ½ Black Cumin, 1 Cardamom Pod
- Fried Onions
- Fresh Coriander and Mint Leaves
- Green Chilies
- Handi (Clay Pot)
- Butter – 2 teaspoons
- Oil – 1 teaspoon
- Garam Masala Powder– ½ teaspoon
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients together and marinade the chicken pieces while you prepare the curry
- In a fry pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the marinaded chicken and fry until the pieces are brown. Remove and set aside. Note: This step is simply to give the chicken a deep golden brown color, the chicken will not have been cooked thoroughly during this step
- Blend onions with water into a smooth paste and give the paste a good boil. Once it boils, strain the water completely from the onion and a smooth onion paste is ready
- Grind the nuts and khoya with water. Use as little water as possible and then set aside
- In the handi or a regular pot, add a quarter cup of oil and add all the whole spices. Once they begin to sizzle, add the onion puree
- Let the onions cook until they turn light brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste and chopped green chili. When the ginger garlic turns brown, add the tomato puree, salt, red chili powder, black pepper, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder, and let it cook on a medium flame
- When the curry is partially cooked, add the chicken, nut paste, and half a cup of water. Let the chicken cook until it is tender. Cook well until the curry is smooth and thick (what we call 'achi tarah bhoona hua')
- When the oil rises to the top, add Fenugreek leaves as you crush them slightly between your hands, along with the cream. Now mix and let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes on a low flame
- The dish is now ready. Below are some serving instructions for an aromatic Mughlai handi
- Just before serving, transfer the prepared curry into a handi
- Place the handi on a stove on a low flame and let it heat. Once hot, add oil and butter. As the butter melts, add garam masala powder. When it sizzles, pour the chicken mughlai curry into the handi. Let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes
- Garnish with coriander and mint leaves, nuts and fried onions
- Serve with naan
Fatima Ali
I am trained to be an IT professional. I served National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) for six years after graduating from the same university. As long as I can remember, cooking good food has been my passion and it makes me happy. My cooking lessons were a bit unusual though. Back in the day when digital did not mean much, my father would record cooking shows (knorr ka kitchen, kaukab khuwaja and Zee Khana Khazana – Chef Sanjeev Kapoor) for me to watch endless times later on, before trying the recipes out. I would make brownies and cold cake almost every day while my mother was asleep. This was my way of surprising her every evening. My mother cooks amazing food too and I have tried many of the recipes written in her recipe book. I draw inspiration from a number of chefs from televised cooking shows such as Late Chef Farah, Chef Rahat, Chef Mehboob, BBC Food, Masala TV, Chef Shai, Chef Sharmeen, Master Chef Australia and my ultimate favorite Chef Shireen Anwer. I would not be as good a cook I am now without passive guidance from each one of these.
