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Murgh Cholay
Serves 4 Prep 15 min Cook 45 min Total 1 hr Type Meal Origin Pakistani

Murgh Cholay

Pakistan's weeknight chicken-and-chickpea curry: bone-in chicken simmered with chickpeas in a deep tomato-and-onion masala.

Serves 4 Prep 15 minutes Cook 45 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Onion fries in oil until deep gold; ginger-garlic paste joins and is fried for 1 minute. Ground spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala) toast in the oil. Chopped tomatoes go in and cook down 8 minutes. Chicken pieces brown briefly. Pre-cooked chickpeas (or tinned, drained) join with water; everything simmers covered 25 minutes. Fresh coriander, green chilli and slivered ginger finish.

Ingredients

Curry base

  • 4 tablespoons sunflower oil (or ghee)
  • 2 onions (medium, finely diced)
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder (mild)
  • ½ teaspoon ordinary chilli powder (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tomatoes (medium, chopped fine - or 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt (to taste)

Mains

  • 800 g bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks, skin removed)
  • 1 (400 g) tin chickpeas (drained and rinsed, OR 200 g dried, soaked overnight and cooked 1 hour until tender)
  • 400 ml water

To finish

  • 2 cm fresh ginger (cut into matchsticks)
  • 2 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala (extra, to finish)
  • 1 lemon (cut into wedges)

Method

Stage 1 - Fry the onion

  1. Heat oil or ghee in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion; reduce to medium; fry 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until deep gold (not just translucent - push the colour).

Stage 2 - Aromatics and spice

  1. Add ginger-garlic paste; cook 1 minute, stirring.
  2. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, both chilli powders, garam masala and black pepper.
  3. Cook 30 seconds, stirring - the oil will turn red-orange.

Stage 3 - Tomatoes

  1. Add the chopped tomatoes.
  2. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes break down completely and the oil starts to separate at the edges (a sign of a properly cooked bhuna base).
  3. Add salt.

Stage 4 - Chicken

  1. Add the chicken pieces; toss to coat in the masala.
  2. Cook 5 minutes, turning, to seal the chicken in the spice.

Stage 5 - Chickpeas and simmer

  1. Add the drained chickpeas.
  2. Pour in the water.
  3. Bring to a simmer; cover; reduce heat; cook 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the chickpeas have absorbed the sauce.

Stage 6 - Reduce

  1. Lift the lid; cook 5 more minutes uncovered if the sauce is too loose - it should be thick enough to coat the chicken in clinging masala, not runny.

Stage 7 - Finish

  1. Off heat.
  2. Scatter ginger matchsticks, slit green chillies, coriander and extra garam masala.

Stage 8 - Serve

  1. Ladle into bowls or onto a wide platter.
  2. Eat with naan, roti or basmati rice and a lemon wedge.
  3. Raita on the side balances the heat.

Notes

  • Bhuna the base: Pakistani curries depend on the masala being properly cooked - the onion deep brown, the tomatoes broken down, the oil separating. Skipping this step (especially the tomato bhuna) gives a thin one-dimensional curry. Don't move on until the oil glistens at the edge.
  • Chickpeas should be tender: Tinned chickpeas vary in tenderness. If they're too firm, simmer alone in water 10 minutes before adding to the curry. If they fall apart on you, add them in the last 10 minutes.
  • Bone-in chicken matters: Boneless chicken cooks too fast and the masala doesn't penetrate. Bone-in pieces give a richer sauce.

Storage

  • Refrigerate 4 days; reheats brilliantly and the flavour deepens.
  • Freezes 3 months.

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