claypot chicken
This recipe for murgh dum pukht is easy to prepare. Everything goes into the pot for overnight marination and then the pot is placed into the oven to cook. Another favourite of the British, this is a versatile dish, and need not be too hot.
equipment
- small frypan
- clay pot - see notes
ingredients
- 800 g chicken thigh fillets - cut into large pieces
for the masala
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 brown onion - finely sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 8 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 blades mace
- 6 green cardamom pods - broken open
- 2 black cardamom pods - broken open
- 25 g raw cashews
- 50 g ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp coriander stalks
- 2 green chillies
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 12 curry leaves
- 200 ml yoghurt
for cooking
- 2 tbsp ghee
for serving
- 1 lime - juiced
- ½ cup mint leaves - coarsely chopped
- 1 cup coriander leaves - coarsely chopped
instructions
for the masala
- Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a small frypan, add the onions and sprinkle with the salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes or until a deep golden brown, then set aside to cool.
- Make the masala powder by placing the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, mace, green cardamom pods and black cardamom pods into a small pan on medium heat. Toss frequently while toasting them until they become very aromatic. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder.
- Make a smooth paste from the cashew nuts by grinding them with as little water as possible.
- Make a ginger-garlic paste by blending the ginger and garlic with a little water.
- Make a coriander-chilli paste by blending the coriander stalks and green chillies with a little water.
- Blend the reserved fried onions with a little water to make a smooth paste.
- Using a clay pot with a tight lid, add the chicken, masala powder, chilli powder, ground turmeric and garam masala. Toss the chicken well to cover it with the spices.
- Now add the onion paste, cashew nut paste, ginger-garlic paste and coriander-chilli paste, and mix gently, but well.
- Add the curry leaves and yoghurt, then mix well, as above. Put the lid on the pot and refrigerate overnight.
to cook
- Preheat oven to 175 °C. Remove chicken from refrigerator one hour before cooking – do not take it out sooner, as chicken kept at room temperature can kill people.
- Stir the chicken well, but gently. Crumble or pour the ghee over the top of the chicken, then seal the pot with baking paper or aluminium foil. Place the lid on the pot and put it into the preheated oven. Cook for one hour.
- After one hour, remove from the oven, but do not open the lid. Let the dish stand for another 15 minutes.
to serve
- After 15 minutes open the lid and remove the foil. Add the lime juice and gently mix. Sprinkle with the mint and coriander leaves.
notes
If you don't have a clay pot, a baking dish would suffice.
Traditionally, this is cooked in a clay pot with a tight-fitting lid sealed with dough. If this is what you want to do, make a dough using about one cup of plain flour and some water, roll it into a long sausage shape and use that to seal the pot. To serve, you would bring the sealed pot to the table, break the seal and finish the dish in front of your guests. Pure dinner theatre.
Bone-in chicken can be also used for this recipe. Increase the weight of chicken to over a kilogram. The rest of the ingredients remain the same. Increase the cooking time of the chicken by at least 15 minutes.
private notes
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nutrition
Serving: 250 g | Calories: 687 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 38 g | Fat: 50 g | Saturated Fat: 16 g | Cholesterol: 224 mg | Sodium: 868 mg | Potassium: 841 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 1230 IU | Vitamin C: 75.6 mg | Calcium: 164 mg | Iron: 4.4 mg
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Printed on 22 July 2026
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