Murgh Malai (Creamy Indian Chicken Curry)
Murgh Malai is a mild, creamy North-Indian chicken curry made with marinated chicken simmered in a rich yogurt-cream gravy. Easy to cook, flavourful and great with roti, naan or rice.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse the chicken pieces and pat them dry. In a bowl, mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken, coat well and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate 2–3 hours for better flavour).
- Heat oil and ghee together in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium flame. Add chopped onions and sauté until they become soft and translucent (about 6–8 minutes).
- Add the marinated chicken along with any leftover marinade. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken pieces turn light in colour and raw smell goes away.
- Pour in milk and ¾ of the cream. Add slit green chillies (if using), pepper powder and roughly half of the kasuri methi. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 25–30 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and gravy thickens slightly.
- Once chicken is cooked and gravy is creamy, stir in the remaining cream and the rest of the crushed kasuri methi. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes and then turn off flame.
- Garnish with a drizzle of cream or a sprinkle of kasuri methi if you like. Serve hot with naan, roti or rice.
Notes
You can skip green chillies to keep this curry mild, suitable for kids. Use low-fat cream or even milk-malai for a slightly lighter version. Cook on low heat once cream is added so it does not curdle.