Murgh Musallum/Chicken- Mughal Style

Ingredients:
Good for 8 people.

• 1 kg 250 grams chicken pieces
• 4 Green chillies
• 20 flakes garlic
• 20 gms. ginger
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 5 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup curd beaten
• 2 tsp. red chilli powder
• 12 cloves
• 12 peppercorns
• 2 sticks (2 cms. each) cinnamon
• 8 brown cardamoms (peeled)
• 16 almonds (shelled)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 cup Refind Oil
• 3 large (1/2 kg.) Onions (Thinly sliced)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 large (1/2 kg) Tomatoes (blanched and pureed)
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method:

1. Prick chicken pieces all over with the help of fork.
2. Grind together chillies, 12 garlic flakes, and half of the ginger piece into a fine paste.
3. Mix chicken well with ground paste, garam masala powder, 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder, curd and half of the red chilli powder.
4. Allow to marinate it for about 1/2 an hour.
5. In a pan, roast together cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, cardamoms, almonds, cumin and corriander seeds.
6. Heat oil in a pan for about 3 minutes.
7. Add onions and remaining garlic flakes (8).
8. Fry till onions are golden brown and remove from heat.
9. Strain oil and pour into cooker and keep it aside.
10. Grind together fried and roasted ingredients and remaining ginger (10gms.) into a paste, adding a little water (1/2 cup) from time to time.
11. Remove chicken pieces and reserve the marinade.
12. Group chicken into 2 batches.
13. Place the pressure cooker with oil on high heat. Lightly brown each batch and remove.
14. To the remaining oil in cooker add the ground paste. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes.
15. Add chicken pieces, marinade, tomato puree, remaining chilli powder (1 tsp) and salt (4 tsp) and mix really well.
16. Now add the remaining water (1/4 cup)
17. Close the pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. After one or two whistles reduce the heat and let it cook on slow for another 5 minutes.
18. Remove cooker from heat and let the steam come out on its own.
19. Open the cooker and Serve hot chicken garnished with fresh green coriander leaves.