Chicken Akbari recipe: It was the Rajputi Murgh Mussamman that Akbar really liked

Mughlai cuisine has given us a wide range of royal delicacies, but it has also adapted a lot of dishes that have been a part of cuisines native to India. 

Most Mughal rulers were also big foodies and loved to try out new recipes. Whatever they adored, they got named after themselves.

It was the Rajputi Murgh Mussamman that Akbar really liked and got it re-named to Chicken Akbari.

This dish is not very difficult to prepare, even though the process might seem intimidating at first, but the flavours are truly worth it. 

The whole magic can be credited to the cooking technique of this dish, and that is focusing on flavourful marination and letting the dish simmer at a low flame until it is cooked through. 

That is when all the flavours come together and result in something just delicious.

INGREDIENTS OF CHICKEN AKBARI

500 gm chicken

1/2 cup onion

2 green chillies

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1/2 cup tomato

1/2 cup yoghurt (curd)

1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 green cardamom

2 clove

50 gm coconut

50 gm cashews

2 teaspoon coriander powder

2 tablespoon mustard oil

2 tablespoon ghee

1 handful coriander leaves

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AKBARI

Step 1 / 3 Prepare The Masala

To begin, wash your chicken thoroughly with fresh water and pat it dry. Now take a pan and add ghee or oil to it.

Add in your whole spices like cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves and let these roast for 40 seconds in the oil.

Add the green chillies, sliced onions, saute them until they turn translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and finely chopped tomatoes. Add salt to cook the tomatoes quickly.

Step 2 / 3 Add The Chicken And Cook

At this point, add in the chicken and let it cook until it changes colour. Add all the spices, stir well and let it cook evenly on all sides. Now add the curd and close the lid.

Step 3 / 3 Add Cashew-Coconut Paste, Cook And Serve!

Meanwhile, grind the cashews with coconut flesh and make a fine paste by adding a little bit of water as required in the grinder. 

Once you see the oil starts separating from the chicken, add this paste and ½ cup of water with chopped coriander leaves. Cover and cook for the next 5 minutes. Serve with hot rotis!