on Aug 10, 2021 I’m going to be honest with you. Just the term mughlai is enough to put me off because I’m imagining a heavy gravy that leaves you feeling full. And while I’m north Indian and paneer butter masala is in my blood, I don’t like feeling like I ate a whole chicken in one sitting. But this mughlai chicken recipe changed everything. Because I could’ve never imagined the kind of magic that brown onions and creamy cashews can do with some simple spices. Mughlai to me also meant hours in the kitchen sauteeing, grinding, and basically living there for five hours sweating my body weight out. But tada! I have something that’s ready in an hour and gives you so much satisfaction that you’ll be licking the pan clean. Like I did. This mughlai chicken recipe is as easy as it gets. And it reminds me of something my mum used to make when I was a kiddo. You know, those warm, fuzzy, food memories that never really leave you even when you get older? That first bite of something delicious that doesn’t have a name but is almost ingrained in your memory. So that the day you taste it again, there is a light bulb moment. And you are like yesssss! Why didn’t this happen before!
Ingredients for Mughlai Chicken
This recipe has exactly 15 ingredients counting salt and all. And I know that seems like a lot, but the majority of them are just spices. Not the kinds you would have to make a grocery run for, but the kinds that you probably have lying around anyway. The rest are just ghee, onions (lots of them), cashew nuts, garlic, ginger, green chillies and chicken.
Chicken: The chicken is curry cut which is common terminology in India when you buy chicken. When you buy chicken outside, you can use any cut that is skinless but bone in. If you are using chicken breast, buy bone-in and then cut it into 1-1.5 inch piecesOnions: You can either chop the onions or slice them. Browning them takes some time and patience, approx 12-15 minutes but its well worth the effort. Just make sure to cook them on a low flame.Ghee: Ghee is non negotiable for this recipe. If you really don’t have access to it, use butter. The flavours are infinitely better than if you use oilWhole Spices: Bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamomCashews: These should be soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes before blendingGreen Chilli: Sub with serrano pepper. Use 1-2. This is not meant to be a spicy dish so the chilli is more for flavour than heatGround Spices: Standard spices like coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala (I have a recipe for homemade garam masala that you can try)
How to make Mughlai Chicken
Top tips for nailing Mughlai Chicken:
Before you start, soak your cashew nuts in hot water. Using hot water, softens them faster so that when you grind them along with everything else, you’ll have a smooth, creamy curry without any stubborn cashew bits.Chop your onions for this recipe as fine as possible. I recommend using a food processor which will give you a nice fine chop without too much effort. This helps brown them faster and breaks them down quicker.Use bone-in chicken for this recipe. Bone-in chicken is more flavorful and definitely more juicy and has less chances of being overcooked.This mughlai chicken recipe tastes much better when it’s left to sit for a couple of hours or even overnight, which makes it perfect when you want to plan ahead for a party!
I’m hoping you’ll make this a regular Sunday afternoon affair because this mughlai chicken recipe will give you all kinds of soul satisfying, sleep inducing feels that all comfort food should have. If you do, here are my top tips for making this mughlai chicken recipe. This has made me so very hungry! I have a hankering for mughlai chicken now, and lucky for me, I have some lying around in the fridge 🙂
Watch the Video
This recipe was first published on July 23, 2017 and updated on August 10, 2021 with a new recipe video. No changes to the original recipe were made.
