Nigella Lawson's Chicken Mughlai

I've never really been very ambitious to try anything to do with curries, because of the inordinate amount of work involved, if you do it from scratch. That means no using of curry pastes, etc. And furthermore, our cook at home makes wonderful curries, so why bring sake to Japan, or why bring waffles to A&W?

However, I've always been curious to try THIS particular recipe, because 1. It's by Nigella Lawson, and curry is afterall, England's National Food. 2. She looked so seductive making it, I wondered if I could look sexy too. 3. I was hosting dinner for friends who've eaten my stuff countless times, and I had run out of repertoire. Like a has been lounge singer who keeps repeating New York New York every night.

So, I actually made an almost entirely new menu, when I hosted dinner for the Woman I Am Scared Of. (she insisted I cook for her, and she wanted to meet my "new friends", so any of you old fellas out there reading this, you weren't invited not coz of me).

The dinner menu was something like this. Paprika's Lasagne Al Forno Con Melanzane, minus the lasagna sheets, since I couldn't fit them in, and therefore only used egg plant as the layering. Sorry to plagiarise your recipe dahlink.


(Photo courtesy of Lyrical Lemongrass, since I forgot to take)

For soups, wife made a shrimp bisque, also her first time. Not something you'd want to attempt without domestic help. Peeling 2 kg of shrimp is not my idea of culinary fun.

For mains, we had Pan Seared Scallops on a bed of Aragula and Frisee, With Balsamic Honey Mustard Dressing, accompanied by Quails eggs, A Zuchinni and Mushroom Pie, Store Bought Briyani Rice, Embellished with Wasabi Cashews and Plump Golden Raisins, and Nigella Lawson's
Chicken Mughlai .

Here's the recipe.

Group 1
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried chili

Group 2
4 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 cup water

Group 3
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves ( I omitted, coz forgot to buy)
4 cloves

Group 4
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1.7 kg boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2

Garlic & Onions
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 onions, finely chopped

Group 5
1 cup Greek yogurt (beyond my budget, so I used Nestle Natural Yoghurt)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Group 6
1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Group 7
3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish


1. Process of blend group 1 ingredients, and add group 2 until it forms a gloriously orangey paste.
2. Fry the chicken pieces until slightly brown, just to seal in the juices.

3. Using the remaining chicken oil, and vegetable oil, fry the garlic and onions. Chuck in the group 3 ingredients.

4. Add the paste (group 1&2) and fry together until the aroma hits you like the sweet embrace of a buxom woman.

5. Add the yoghurt, half portion at a time, chicken stock and then the cream.

6. Add the chicken pieces, and simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Take off the heat, cool and refrigerate. Best when kept overnight, or longer. Before serving, sprinkle toasted almonds. Serve with basmati rice, pilaf rice, or BRIYANI, which you can easily buy anywhere.