Doi Murgi

A mild Bengali chicken curry cooked in yoghurt with golden onions, bay and whole spices.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 1h 15m
Cook: 50 min
Total: 2 hours 5 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skin removed
  • 200g thick Greek-style yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp fresh root ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5cm cinnamon stick
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 150ml water
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ghee

Method

  1. Mix the yoghurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Coat the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

  2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and cook for 30 seconds.

  3. Add the onions and sugar and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown.

  4. Add the cumin, then the chicken with all the marinade. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until the yoghurt has reduced and the oil starts to separate.

  5. Add the green chillies and water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender.

  6. Stir in the garam masala and ghee and serve with plain rice or luchi.