Dhania Murg Makhni – Creamy Coriander chicken

Cilantro based recipes are quite common in India, but not many of them use the roots, which is primarily found in South Asian cuisine. Cilantro or coriander plant is one of those very few annual plants whose every part can be utilized in cooking. While the roots and stems impart great flavors when cooked, the flowers and the leaves work better as garnishes. However, few recipes call for almost the entire plant to be used, and this is one of them.

Feeding three devoted meat eating humans can use up a lot of brain cells. And at times, inspiration is hard to come by. Then once in while, you are simply overcome by a desire to cook something extra special, and this ‘murg’ – hindi for male chicken (I refuse to use any other word to replace it) definitely fits the bill.

I have tried many versions of this recipe, but the one that I loved the most is by Chef Karan Suri of Team India from NDTV cooks.  It has the perfect blend of taste and punch. I have altered the recipe a bit to fit the US measurement standards, and I skipped the heavy cream part almost completely. It is heavy enough and tasted divine without all that fat.

Note that this recipe is a bit long and looks labor intensive, but it’s not. As long as you simply follow the ingredient list, it’s easy.And as my younger son says – ‘a butter chicken that is more awesome’.

Ingredients:

• 1500 g chicken thighs and drumsticks, hearts and liver (young chicken preferable)
• 1.5 cup onions sliced
• 2 cups yoghurt
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup fried cashewnut paste (sauteed in little ghee till golden, cooled and blended with a little water.)
• 2 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 3/4 cup green coriander (with roots)
• 1 Tbsp garam masala powder
• 1 Tbsp green cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cream

For bhuna masala

• 3/4 cup ghee/clarified butter
• 6 Tbsp ginger, chopped
• 6 Tbsp Thai green chilli, chopped
• 4 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 Tbsp cumin powder
• 3 Tbsp coriander powder
• 2 Tbsp deggi mirch (or cayenne pepper)
• 2.5 Tbsp kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves)
• 1 cup chicken stock (or as needed)

Instructions

• Clean and trim the chicken. Keep the hearts and liver separate in a plate/bowl
• Heat 3/4 ghee in a heavy bottomed wok.
• When the ghee is hot (but not smoking) add chopped ginger, chili and ginger garlic paste, and fry it.
• Add the chicken and saute well till browned. Do not add the hearts or liver at this point.
• Put turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, fenugreek leaves and salt.
• Add some chicken stock and cook the mixture.
• Using a tong, carefully remove the chicken on a plate and keep aside.
• Cook the left over mixture some more and when the mixture dries up, take it off the flame, cover and keep aside.This cooked masala mixture is the bhuna masala. 
• Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the remaining ghee and fry onions till brown and crunchy. Keep aside.
• Now put the wok with bhuna masala back on the flame.
• Add whipped yoghurt  and cashewnut paste. Cook on low heat. 
• Add browned onions, crushing them by hand as you add them.
• Pound coriander seeds in a mortar-pestle and add the coarse powder, reserving 1 tsp for garnishing.
• Pound coriander roots in the same mortar-pestle and add. Stir till oil starts leaving the sides.
• Now add the chicken, hearts and liver and stock, and cook on a slow flame till chicken is completely cooked.
• Add garam masala powder and green cardamom powder. Once the aroma of garam masala starts wafting, take it off the flame.
• Finish with cream, pounded coriander seeds. Serve hot with naan/roti

Printable recipe

 Makhni chicken – Creamy Coriander chicken

*Note: Fresh chicken needs more cook time. So increase or decrease the chicken stock accordingly. I used store bought organic young chicken that used very less stock as it cooked faster, so I used less stock than I have mentioned in the recipe. So play it by the ear and increase or decrease stock according to desired consistency.

*Note: Coriander has a strong flavor. However, seeds impart a very different flavor than the leaves, or cilantro they are more popularly known as. So even if you do not eat or like cilantro, this curry has a very distinctive taste that does not have the cilantro flavors overpowering it unless you add it in garnish.

Note: This dish is difficult to make in small quantity, though not impossible.However, it freezes well. I cooked, and the used half of it and froze the rest in an air tight container. The guys actually looked forward to eating the left over portion and claimed it tasted better.

Note* I used less cream, but you can use more, upto another cup, if you want more creamy, thicker version and don’t mind the fat content. After all, it’s OK to party rich every once in a while.