Hyderabadi Dum ka Murgh Nawabi from The Essential Andhra Cookbook with Hyderabadi and Telangana Specialities and A Princely Legacy—Hyderabadi Cuisine

[Tan Can Cook]

By Tan Can Cook
Modified and Adapted from Bilkees I. Latif and Pratibha Karan

 

 

Serves 10

 

A decadent, slow-cooked boneless chicken with rich, fragrant, creamy gravy, Dum ka Murgh Nawabi is emblematic of the leisure and passion that define Hyderabadi cuisine. Rooted in the Nizami royal kitchens of Hyderabad, Telangana, this dish stands as one of the most elegant in my repertoire—a true “fancy chicken with gravy.”

 

When I cook, it’s not just food for sustenance but exploring, learning, and appreciating the Greater Indian Culture. Hyderabad stands apart as the only South Indian city to rival the refinement and nicety of Lucknow and Rampur, its culinary traditions reflecting centuries of confluence and refinement.

 

Fried Onions / Birista [Yields: 476 g (2¾ Cups) Onion Oil; 192 g Fried Onions]

 

520 g (3 cups) vegetable oil
785 g (1½–2 large) onions, thinly sliced

 

Charoli-Mixed Melon Seeds-Almond Paste (Ground Into Paste)

 

12 g (1 tbsp) char magaz (mixed melon seeds)
20 g (2 tbsp) charoli nuts
10 g (8) almonds, blanched
100 g whole plain yogurt

 

Dum ka Murgh Masala (Ground Into Powder)

 

1 g (6) green cardamoms
0.63 g (6) cloves
3 g (2″) cinnamon sticks
2.25 g (1 tsp) cubeb berry (Piper cubeba)
2 g (¾ tsp) black cumin seeds (Elwendia persica)
3 g (2 tsp) coriander seeds
10 g (1 tbsp) poppy seeds
2.00 g (1 tsp) sandalwood powder, culinary grade (Santalum album)

 

Marination (Overnight)

 

1.626 kg boneless chicken breasts and thighs, skinned and curry cuts
58 g ghee
96 g (½ cup) onion oil
20 g (1 tbsp) ginger paste
18 g (1 tbsp) garlic paste
1.50 g (½ tsp) turmeric powder
Prepared Dum ka Murgh Masala
Prepared charoli-mixed melon seeds-almond paste
1.00 g (2 tbsp) dried mint leaves, coarsely crushed
12 g (3 tbsp) fresh coriander, chopped
16 g (2 tbsp) Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika powder
400 g whole plain yogurt
19 g (2½ tsp) fine salt
142 g fried onions

 

Dum Pukht (Slow Cooking)

 

0.5 g (a large pinch) saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk (or rose water) and ground

 

Dhungar (Smoking)

 

Piece of live charcoal

Half an onion with skin
½ tsp ghee

 

Garnishing

 

Mint sprigs, chiffonade
50 g fried onions

Zest of lime/lemon

 

Method

 

• Fry onions until dark brown. Drain oil.
• Keep aside 50 g of fried onions and saffron.
• Mix the rest of the ingredients for the marinade with the chicken. Leave in the refrigerator overnight. Keep at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
• Add saffron. Place prepared marinated chicken in an oven-proof dish and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 45 minutes. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Before serving, light a piece of charcoal. Put the half-onion with skin inside the dish with ghee in it. Using tongs, pop a burning piece of charcoal in the oil. To catch the fresh charcoal flavor and retain the smoky aroma, cover the dish quickly.
• Before serving, remove charcoal and spread oil over chicken.
• Garnish with fried onions and sprigs of mint.