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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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Marinate: 2

Total Time: 2 45

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

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

US Customary – Metric

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

Hyderabadi Spicy Chicken Curry (Dum ka Murgh)