Murgh Musallam (Mughlai Whole Chicken)

Good food is the labour of love and I would like to add that good food is also a labour of blood sweat and tears. I am talking about murgh musallam,a gormet dish developed by the royal cuisine during the Mughal Empire. For those of you who are not familiar with Mughlai cuisine it is redolent with an aromatic blend of spices and is characterized by rich creamy sauces laden with dried fruits and nuts.

The word murgh musallam means whole chicken. I first became familiar with this dish at a dinner party. I really liked it but never got a chance to cook it due to my extremely busy schedule. Since my blog is about food and recipes I had to try it even if it was just for once.

I planned it for Sunday dinner since every one is at home and I like to make elaborate meals when we all have a chance to sit together at the dinner table. Well! this royal dish is worth every effort and every one loves it. So I have decided to shuffle my weekly menu between murgh musallam and Lahori Chargha

The process of making this recipe is quite lengthy, there are quite a few steps involved but you will love the results. The whole chicken is first marinated then stuffed and shallow fried after that it is cooked in gravy and served. There are several versions for making this recipe some recipes involve stuffing with boiled eggs and peas and some with rice and nuts like I have done. Usually murgh musallam is stuffed and then cooked in a tomato based gravy, however I have skipped making the gravy altogether. The masala that we smear on the chicken is enough to yield a substantial amount of gravy.

So for making this recipe you will have to follow the step by step instructions given below.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantiy
chicken	1 whole
garam masala	1 tsp
red chili powder	1 tsp
green cardamom	5
cumin powder	2tsp
coriander powder	2tsp
cloves	6
cinnamon	1 piece
peppercorns	10
turmeric powder	1 tsp +1/2 tsp for the rice
ginger /garlic paste	1 tbsp each
yogurt	1 cup
lemon juice	1/2 cup
salt to taste	to taste
almonds	10 -15
cashews	20-25
raisins	1/2 cup
onions sliced	1 large
basmati rice	1 cup
oil	5 tbsp
freshly chopped coriander

Preparation:

Grind the cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns, almonds and cinnamon stick either in a coffee grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Also add the coriander and cumin powder. Mix in the garam masala powder and salt.

Now add the yogurt and mix properly.

Make slits on the chicken and apply the masala paste. Leave to marinate for 4-6 hours.

Prepare the rice :

Fry the onions until golden and crispy. Set aside .Boil the soaked rice with salt, and 1tsp turmeric, discard the water once the rice is tender. Set aside.
Dry roast the cashews and add them to the rice also add raisins and fried onions.

Stuff the chicken cavity with the prepared rice. Reserve some rice which will be served along with the murgh musallam.

Tie the chicken legs with the help of a kitchen thread. Now take 3-4 tbsp of oil in a pot and fry for about 5 mins on high heat. Lower the heat and cook covered until tender and cooked thoroughly.
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Once the murgh is cooked the oil will come on top and it will be covered with a thick gravy. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve on a bed of rice that was previously reserved from the stuffing.