Angara Murg is a traditional chicken dish originating from India. I have cooked this spicy and dry appetizer with chicken leg pieces that have been marinated in a special Angara marinade.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Chicken Drumstick (Leg Pieces) – 10 pieces (around One kg). Medium to Large size.
  • Onion (Pyaz) – 5 medium size. Finely chopped.
  • Tomatoes – 3 medium size.  Finely chopped.
  • Black Peppercorn (Kaali Miri) – 1 tsp.
  • Cinnamon Stick (Dal Chini) – One and half inch.
  • Cloves (Lawang) – 8 pieces.
  • Mace (Javitri) – 2 small pieces.
  • Star Anise (Chakri Phool) – One piece.
  • Bay Leaves (Tej Patta) – 2 medium pieces.
  • Ginger / Garlic (Adrak / Lassun) paste – 2 tbs. Ginger Garlic taken in equal quantity.
  • Mustard Oil (Sarson ka Tel) – 3/4th Cup.
  • Yoghurt (Dahi) – 2 Cup.  Whisked properly.
  • Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi) powder – 3/4th  tsp.
  • Coriander (Dhaniya) powder – 2 tbs.
  • Turmeric (haldi) powder – Half tsp.
  • Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi) – 5 pieces.
  • Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) – 1 piece.
  • Cumin (Jeera) seeds – 1 tsp.
  • Almond (Badaam) coarse powder – 4 tbs.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Cumin (Jeera) powder – 3/4th  tsp.
  • Deghi Red Chili (Laal Mirchi) powder – 5 tbs.
  • Asafoetida (Hing) powder – Half tsp.
  • Charcoal (Koyla) piece – One small size.
  • Clarified Butter (Ghee) – One tbs.
  • Coriander (Dhaniya) Leaves – Half Cup. Finely chopped.

Method:

  • Take a deep Kadai.  Add mustard oil and heat it up until it starts to smoke.  This removes the pungency of the mustard oil.  Then turn off the flame and allow the oil temperature to come down.
  • Add cumin seeds, chopped onion and mix it well. 
  • One the onion becomes light pink, add salt to taste and mix it well.
  • Fry the onions on high flame until it becomes light golden brown.  Keep stirring it.
  • Add chopped tomatoes in to the kadai and mix it well.  Fry the tomatoes until it cooks half way.  Donot fry the tomatoes until it becomes mashie. After adding tomatoes, reduce the flame to medium.
  • In the meanwhile, take a large mixing bowl.  Add whisked yoghurt in it.
  • Add ginger garlic paste, deghi chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, asafoetida powder, dry fenugreek leaves powder, almond powder, turmeric powder, bay leaves, black peppercorn, star anise, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, green cardamom, mace, 6 cloves and spread these ingredients on the yoghurt.  Leave it as it is, donot mix it.
  • Continue frying the tomatoes on high flame for couple of minute.  The chunk of tomatoes should be there to get a bite of it in this dish.
  • Turn off the flame.
  • Add hot fried onion and tomato mixture on the yoghurt (mixing bowl) and spread it.  Mix it properly until all the ingredients combine well.  The marinade is ready.
  • Add the chicken drumstick in to this marinade. Mix it well until the marinade is properly coated on the chicken leg pieces.
  • Marinate the chicken for at least one hour at room temperature.
  • Transfer this marinated chicken drumsticks to the same deep kadai.  Place this kadai on the flame.  Reduce the flame to lowest possible setting.  Cover the kadai with a tight lid.  Place a weight on the lid.  Let the chicken cook in its own dum (steam) for at least 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to perfection.  Keep stirring from time to time to prevent it from sticking or burning at bottom of kadai. Donot add water to it.
  • Place the charcoal on another flame and burn it until it becomes red hot.  Then turn of the flame.
  • After the Murg (chicken) has cooked to perfection, open the kadai lid, make a well in middle and place a small utensil in it.
  • Carefully lift the hot charcoal and place it in the small utensil.  Add remaining cloves.  Add one tbs of ghee and you will see smoke coming out. 
  • Immediately cover the kadai with a lid and place the weight on it.  Cook this for another 5 minutes on low flame.
  • Angar (Fire) from bottom and hot charcoal smoke in the kadai makes this dish “Angara Murg”.
  • Turn off the flame.  Carefully remove the charcoal utensil.  Add chopped coriander leaves.  Mix it well.
  • Angara Murg is ready to be served along with roti, chappati or naan.  This dish can also be eaten as starters.
  • Happy Eating.