Mughlai Zafrani Chicken is a rich chicken curry cooked with cashew nut paste and spices and flavored with saffron. Here is a traditional recipe of how to make Zafrani Chicken Curry.
About this recipe
One of the major cities of Mughal empire, Lucknow is known for it’s cultural and gastronomic history. There are still many places that serve the authentic Mughlai Food and keep up to the name and fame this cuisine is known for.
Out of all the Mughlai dishes, the one that completely stands out is Zafrani Chicken. This chicken dish is prepared using pure, dairy fresh ghee. Its richness used to satiate me and just the thought of eating it with piping hot Laccha Parathas give me and my friends goosebumps.
Loaded with ghee, saffron, and cashew nut paste, this Zafrani style Chicken is certainly not meant to be eaten by the faint hearted and can be enjoyed only occasionally.
Serving Suggestions
Savour this royal curry with Vegetable Dum Biryani or piping hot naan and feel more regal, go ahead and note down its recipe!
Here is how to make Golden Fried Onions.
Mughlai Zaafrani Murgh
Ingredients
- 10-12 strands Saffron (Soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk)
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 4-5 Black peppercorns
- 2-3 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 kg Chicken (Curry Cut)
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 cup Golden Fried Onion
- 10-15 Cashew Nuts (Soaked in warm water)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup Curd (Whisked with 1 tsp Maida)
- 3-4 drops Kewra Essence
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat ghee and oil in a pan.
- When the oil is hot, add black cardamom, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick.
- Fry for a few seconds.
- Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Blend golden fried onions and cashew nuts with little water to make a paste.
- Add the paste in the pan along with ginger garlic paste, curd, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt.
- Add ½ cup of water and cover the pan and cook till chicken is done.
- Now add kewra essence, cardamom powder and saffron soaked in milk and cook for another minute.
- Garnish with golden fried onions, almond flakes and saffron strands.
- Serve hot with laccha Paratha or pulao.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I’ve never heard or tried mughlai zaafrani murgh before – but I love how rich with flavour and spice it looks. It is the perfect recipe for me to make for this cool weather right now.
msnehamathur
Thalia. This is an age old recipe which got lost in time. Since it is very heavy and rich, It can only be eaten occasionally.
Roy Brophy
Looks an interesting recipe but….
“1/4 cup Curd Whisked with 1 tsp Maida” – mentioned in the ingredients – but nowhere to be seen in the Instructions?
Also in the EU Maida is banned on health grounds.
Neha Mathur
Curd and yogurt are the same thing. You can use plain flour in place of maida.
Neha
I absolutely loved it. I added green chilli while frying the chicken because the recipe lacked spice. Overall, my first attempt was very successful and it’s rich and tasty.
Neha Mathur
Nice 🙂