Also known as Murgh Nizam, This tender, semi-dry chicken dish is made with yogurt, pureed cashew nuts, coconut, and poppy seeds. It is cooked “Dum” (slow cooked in a sealed cover) to produce extraordinarily tender chicken in a soft flavorful yellow gravy. The dish is a great example of what makes Hyderabad cooking so distinctive- Dum-style low and slow cooking, and the abundant use of nuts.
Dum ka Murgh- Spicy Chicken Curry
This delightful chicken curry is a gift from the streets of Hyderabad. Rich and hearty, Dum ka Murgh is easy to prepare at home and makes for a wonderful weeknight dish along with rice or naan and a green vegetable.
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Servings: 6
Equipment
- Wok, kadhai, or deep-bottomed pan
- Spice grinder or small food processor
- Food processor (optional for chopping onions)
- Zip top plastic bag
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 whole Chicken, cut up
- ½ cup Yogurt
- 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cayenne pepper or red chili powder
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Mace or nutmeg powder
- ⅛ tsp Ground cloves
- ½ tsp Ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
Cooking Ingredients
- 4 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 3 small Green chilis
- 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 3 Green cardamom seed, lightly crushed
- 1 small Small cinnamon stick
- 4 whole Black peppercorns
- 1 tsp Mustard seed
- 1 small Green chili, minced and crushed to a paste
- ½ cup Yogurt
- 1 pinch Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ½ cup Poppy seeds, soaked
- ½ cup Cashew nuts
- ¼ cup Sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp Cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 pinch Salt to taste
Instructions
Marinade Chicken
- Rinse and dry chicken pieces. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste, red chili powder, salt, and chicken to a zip top plastic bag. Rub spices into the chicken and marinade for 30 minutes.
Cook Dish
- Combine cashews and soaked poppy and sesame seeds in a spice grinder and grind to a paste. Heat oil in a large deep bottomed pan over medium heat. Add whole spices and let them sputter. Add chopped onion and green chili to the pan. Fry until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in ginger garlic paste and cook 1 more minute. Add chicken with its marinade to the pan and stir to combine. Increase heat to high for about 4 minutes. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook 25 minutes without lifting the lid.When chicken is done, remove lid and stir in ground nuts and seeds. Cover and cook another 7 minutes. Transfer everything to a large serving dish, sprinkle cilantro over, and serve hot with rice and some chutney.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg