Murgh Nafiza

Ingredients:

• 700 grams chicken with bone (cut into medium pieces)
• 150 grams onion paste
• 2 tsp. garlic paste
• 3 tsp. ginger paste
• 1/3 cup curd / yogurt
• 2 tbsp. almond paste
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds paste
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
• 2 tsp. charmagaz paste (melon seeds)
• 7-8 cloves (make a paste)
• 4-5 tbsp. oil or pure ghee
• Salt to taste
• 300 ml water
• A few saffron strands (for garnish)

Making Procedure:

Clean and wash the chicken and put it into a colander for 30 minutes. Then marinate the chicken with onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, curd and 1/4 tsp. salt for 1 hour.

Heat ghee in a pan, add marinated chicken, salt and black pepper powder. Stir it for 2 minutes on medium heat and cook it covered for 8-10 minutes. Then add milk, poppy seeds paste and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add water, mix it well and cook it covered until the chicken is almost done.

Open the lid and add almond-charmagaz-clove paste. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat or the gravy is almost thick.

Pour it into a serving bowl and garnish with a few saffron strands.

Murgh Nafiza goes well with rice, pulao, naan or paratha.