Moghul Braised Chicken Recipe

How to make it

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• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Remove the skin from the chicken and cut each leg in two pieces and the breast portion into four.*
• Season the skinned, cut-up chicken with salt and white pepper.
• Over medium heat, heat the oil and butter and sauté the chicken along with the cardamon seedpods, clove buds, bay leaves and cinnamon stick until the chicken pieces are nicely browned.
• Use a tablespoon or so of the cooking fat to oil the bottom of the a covered, ovenproof, serving, braising pan.
• Remove the chicken and spices with a slotted spoon to the braising pan from which the dish will be served.
• Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to low under the skillet and sauté the almonds in the oil until they start to brown, then add raisins and heat them through but do not allow them to burn.
• Pour oil, nuts and raisins over chicken pieces.
• Mix the yogurt, cumin, salt and white pepper.**
• Pour 1 cup of this thick sauce over the chicken, tossing the chicken, spices and sauce to coat everything well.
• Cover and braise in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, turn chicken pieces, arrange the pieces and various spices for serving; then spoon on the rest of the sauce, cover and return to oven for 15-20 minutes.
• When done remove from oven and remove the cover on the pan.
• Allow the chicken to set for a short time while the cooling, drying sauce develops the appearance of encrusted gold, set with black, brown and golden raisin and spice seedpod jewels.
• * Note: eight, serving-size, chunks of skinless, boneless, breast meat could also be used.
• ** Note: The yogurt should be thick and not runny after mixing. You want some of this sauce to coat the chicken and spices and not just settle to the bottom of the pan.
• Note: The recipe for Moghul Braised Chicken (MOGHLAI MURGH DUMPUKHT) is a seventeenth century dish from Delhi, India. The appearance of the prepared dish is due to luck and the fact that the first time I made it, I only had a little over a cup of yogurt. I was enthralled at the beautiful color of the wrinkled, golden yogurt sauce with raisins and seed pods studded in it.