Kesari Murgh / Chicken in Saffron infused Gravy

A royal chicken curry, infused with an equally royal spice, kesar akar zaffran aka the saffron!! The name itself is enough to entice you to try the dish!!I just love the fact that despite being a curry, the gravy remains surprisingly light and subtle, both in taste and texture. And there is a very complex fixture of flavours from the whole spices and saffron, which makes the gravy yet more tempting!!

Step by step process:

Heat the oil and add the whole spices, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves and back cardamom. Saute until the oil becomes aromatic.

Add the fried onions and the ginger - garlic paste. Cook for a minute.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and whisked yogurt.

Cook them on low flame until the yogurt creates a thick gravy and the oil separates.

Add the marinated chicken.

Mix them altogether and cook covered until the chicken becomes tender. Add water if the gravy becomes dry.

Add cream, saffron infused cream, raisins, garam masala powder and ghee.

Simmer until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to float on top of it.

Kesari Murgh / Chicken cooked in a Saffron infused Gravy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken on bone

3 large onions – fried until golden brown

6-8 cloves of garlic – paste

1 inch ginger – paste

2 green chillies – slit

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 and ½ tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp rose water

½ tsp kewra / screwpine water

12-15 strands of saffron / kesar

¼ cup of warm milk

½ cup of heavy cream

½ cup of thick yogurt

2 cinnamon sticks

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 black cardamom

 A handful of golden raisins

Salt

2 tbsp oil

2-3 tbsp pure desi ghee

Method:

Whisk the yogurt until it becomes creamy and keep it aside.

Warm 2 tbsp of the heavy cream and soak the saffron strands in it. Stir until the milk turns a little yellowish and keep it aside.

Take the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add half of the ginger and garlic paste to it. Add 2 tbsp of the yogurt and salt and rub the marinade well over all the chicken pieces. Let the chicken marinade for about 1 hour.

Heat the oil + ghee in a kadai and add the cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.

Sauté those until the oil become aromatic.

Add the fried onions to them and mix well.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and the kept aside whisked yogurt. Switch your flame to the lowest before adding the yogurt to prevent it from curdling.

Stir and cook the yogurt until it becomes thick and the oils starts to separate.

Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade and mix them well with the curry.

Cover the kadai / pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring in between or until all the moisture evaporates.

If the chicken is still undercooked, add some water and cook until done.

When the chicken is cooked, open the lid and simmer on medium flame until the curry becomes thick.

Sprinkle the garam masala powder and add the heavy cream.

Add the saffron soaked cream and stir to mix everything.

Simmer until the oil separates.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Add some more melted ghee if you like.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with your choice of pulao or naan or paratha/roti/ plain rice.