Badshahi Magaz Murg

Badshahi Magaz Murg

The Mughals sure knew how to cook. The Khansamas or chefs would conjure up new and innovative dishes to please their lords and masters. They were famous for using dry fruits and cream to make their dishes rich because nothing was rich enough for the emperors.

The Badshahi Magaz Murg is an adaptation of the techniques used by the chefs of yore. I didn’t quite want to make it like a korma and hence the gravy has more elements than a chicken korma. The khada masalas give it a subtle flavour and the richness of the dish comes from the use of cashews, magaz and cream. Compared to cashews the char magaz has a nuttier taste  and so I have named this dish after the magaz.

Ingredients

1 chicken, boneless

2 onions, cubed

2 tomatoes, cubed

3 green chillies

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 black cardamoms

2 green cardamoms

1” cinnamon

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp cashews, soaked in warm water

2 tbsp char magaz

1 cup yogurt, whisked

½ cup cream

2 tbsp chicken masala

1 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

½ tsp turmeric powder

Apply some salt to the boneless chicken and keep aside.

Put the onions, tomatoes and green chillies in a pan of water and boil for 10 minutes. 

Drain, cool and then blend into a paste.

Blend the soaked cashews and char magaz into a fine paste.

Heat some ghee. Add the green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaf. 

Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute. Now add the onion tomato paste and cook. 

Once the oil starts leaving the sides add the chicken masala and garam masala. Saute till the masalas are well fried. Now add the cashew-char magaz paste and fry some more. Add the chicken pieces and cook on sim for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. The idea is to incorporate the masalas into the chicken. 

Add the whisked yogurt, salt and turmeric. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook till the chicken is done. 

Add the cream and switch off the heat. 

Garnish with chopped cashews.