Mughlai Chicken Handi

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Category: Dawat & Eid Specials, Main Course (Desi)

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description

A rich, royal, and restaurant-style Mughlai chicken handi featuring tender boneless chicken simmered in a luscious, aromatic onion-almond paste and tomato-yogurt gravy.

Ingredients

For Chicken Marinade:

500 g boneless chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper powder

For Almond Paste & Onion Base:

25 -30 almonds + 2 tbsp water blended into a smooth paste (soaked in water, skinned)
2 medium onions (blended into a smooth paste or grated)

For the Gravy & Spices:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup tomato puree (or 3-4 tomatoes blended)
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Fresh green chillies and cilantro for garnish (coriander)

Instructions

1
Marinate the boneless chicken pieces with salt and black pepper powder, and set aside.
2
Blend soaked and peeled almonds with a little water to form a smooth almond paste. Separately, blend or grate the onions into a paste.
3
Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a pan, add the onion paste and ginger-garlic paste, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and aromatic.
4
Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and cook on high heat until the chicken changes color and seals in its juices.
5
Stir in salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric powder, mixing well into the chicken.
6
Pour in the tomato puree, stir thoroughly, and let it cook on medium heat until the tomatoes soften and blend into the gravy.
7
Add the yogurt and the prepared almond paste, stirring continuously to create a rich, velvety consistency.
8
Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame for 15 minutes until the chicken is fully tender and cooked through.
9
Crush Kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle it over the curry along with fresh green chillies and chopped cilantro. Give it a final toss and serve hot with steamed rice or naan!

Note

Blending the onions into a smooth paste gives this Mughlai gravy its signature ultra-smooth, restaurant-style texture without needing heavy cream.

The addition of almond paste adds a natural nutty richness characteristic of authentic Mughlai cuisine.

Keywords: mughlai chicken handi recipe, royal chicken curry, creamy chicken handi, pakistani chicken gravy, cooked by sabeen