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A white bowl containing, chicken masala curry and fluffy basmati rice.

Murgh Masala

Delicious Murgh Masala recipe made with chicken breast, tomatoes, yoghurt, and aromatic classic Indian spices. A simple mild Indian chicken curry, packed with flavour. Serve with basmati rice, plain naan or chapati and create a wholesome family dinner.
5 from 12 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chicken Marinade: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 - 5
Calories: 294kcal
Author: Khin

Equipment

  • Large heavy bottom pot or pan

Ingredients

  • 400 gram Chicken breast (About 14oz) Chicken breast or thigh
  • 2-3 Shallots Or brown onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Garlic paste Or finely grated garlic
  • 1 tbsp Ginger paste Or ginely grated ginger
  • 2-3 Tomatoes Finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Tomato puree
  • 3 tbsp Plain yoghurt
  • handful Coriander
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 2 tbsp Ghee
  • ½ tsp Salt Or salt to taste
  • 1 ½ cup water add more water if needed

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 tbsp Yoghurt
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • ½ tsp Turmeric

Spices

  • 1 tsp Chilli powder Or paprika powder
  • 4-5 pods Cardamom
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • tbsp Garam masala
  • ½ tsp Cumin powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder

Instructions

  • First cut the chicken into medium dices. Marinate the chicken pieces with yoghurt, garam masala, turmeric, and salt to taste. Mix it well and set it aside for 15 minutes.
  • In a heavy bottom pot, heat the ghee and oil over medium heat. Saute the bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon for few seconds.
  • Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent. Next, add the garlic and ginger paste. Continue to stir until the onions are slightly brown, then add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Once the tomatoes are reduced and soft, add the chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, and turmeric. Stir it well for a few seconds.
  • Place the marinated chicken in the pan, stir it well for 2-3 minutes.
  • Next, add the yoghurt, season with salt, and pour the water in.
  • Bring it to simmer, close the lid and cook with low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in chopped coriander.
  • Serve with plain basmati rice, chapati or naan.

Notes

  • Chicken breast - You can also try this murgh masala recipe with chicken thigh, bone-in chicken pieces, lamb, mutton, or beef. Cooking time can be varied if you use red meat or bone-in meat. 
  • Yoghurt - Yoghurt is the key ingredient to cook this curry base. Recommend using natural full-fat plain yoghurt as the low-fat yoghurt is easy to curdle when cooked. 
  • Substitute for yogurt - Instead of full-fat yoghurt you can add double cream or heavy cream to the curry sauce. For the chicken marinade, you can add a tablespoon of lime juice or lemon juice instead of yoghurt to tenderize the meat. 
  • Cinnamon, cardamom & bay leaves -  These whole spices bring extra flavour to the dish but if you do not have all of them, you can omit some of them. It's important to saute these spices for a few seconds to release the fragrance before adding onions. 

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 726IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
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