Murgh Musallam

History

Murgh Musallam it is mean chicken cooked with rice and dry fruits stuffed inside. This is not exactly an Indian cuisine but it is influence by Lahori cuisine it part of Lahore in Punjab.  Lahore is city with extremely rich food culture.  

Murgh Musallam

Ingredients

• 10 flakes garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• Salt To Taste
• 1 cup curd or plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 chicken
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 3/4th cup shelled peas
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 cup ghee
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 225gms/1/2 lb tomatoes (peeled & sliced)
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Spices

• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 8 cloves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 brown cardamom
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp saffron strands

Method

• Mix three-quarter of garlic with half the ginger, half the garam masala, 1 tbsp. salt, 1/3rd of turmeric, half of curd and the lemon juice and mix to paste.
• Make small cuts in the chicken flesh and rub the paste all over and in the cavity. keep aside for 2 hours.
• Half cook the rice with peas, remaining garlic , 4 cloves, peppercorns, 1/2 tsp. salt, brown cardamom and 4 bay leaves and water and use to stuff chicken.
• Heat the ghee in saucepan and fry the chicken until brown all over, being careful not to let the stuffing out. Drain the chicken.
• In another pan fry half onions in the remaining ghee with 2 bay leaves, remaining cloves and green cardamoms, until golden.
• Add the remaining turmeric and chili powder. Make a paste grinding together the coriander and cumin seeds and the remaining onion and grated ginger.
• Cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes, until the ghee starts to separate. add the remaining curd, the tomato and 1/2 tsp. salt.
• Add the chicken to the pan and baste with the spice mixture. Pour over 300ml/ 11/4 cups of water, cover and cook in a moderately hot oven (200 degree centigrade, 400 degree Fahrenheit, gas mark 6) for 1 hour.
• Steep the saffron in the remaining garam masala powder and coriander leaves before serving murgh musallam.