Murg Mussallam

Ingredients

• 10 flakes garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• salt to taste
• 1 cup curd or plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 chicken
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• ¾ cup shelled peas
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 cup ghee
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 225 g / ½ lb tomatoes (peeled and sliced)
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Spices

• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 8 cloves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp saffron Water

Directions

1. Mix three-quarter of garlic with half the ginger, half the garam masala, 1 tbsp salt, ⅓rd of turmeric, half of curd and the lemon juice and mix to paste.
2. Make small cuts in the chicken flesh and rub the paste all over and in the cavity.
3. Keep aside for 2 hours.
4. Half cook the rice with peas, remaining garlic, 4 cloves, peppercorns, ½ tsp salt, brown cardamom and 4 bay leaves and water and use to stuff chicken.
5. Heat the ghee in saucepan and fry the chicken until brown all over, being careful not to let the stuffing out.
6. Drain the chicken.
7. In another pan fry half onions in the remaining ghee with 2 bay leaves, remaining cloves and green cardamoms, until golden.
8. Add the remaining turmeric and chili powder.
9. Make a paste grinding together the coriander and cumin seeds and the remaining onion and grated ginger.
10. Cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes, until the ghee starts to separate.
11. Add the remaining curd, the tomato and ½ tsp salt.
12. Add the chicken to the pan and baste with the spice mixture.
13. Pour over 300 ml / 1¼ cups of water, cover and cook in a moderately hot oven (200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6) for 1 hour.
14. Steep the saffron in the remaining garam masala powder and coriander leaves before serving murgh musallam.