Mughlai chicken curry with step-by-step photos and a video. Mughlai chicken is a popular North Indian restaurant-style gravy that is rich, thick, creamy and mildly spiced. Aromatic and indulgent, this curry pairs beautifully with roti, yogurt naan, quick jeera rice, or steamed rice.
In this post you will learn how to make Mughlai Chicken Curry using chicken, onions, cashews, almonds, ginger-garlic paste, spices and thick yogurt. The chicken is cooked slowly so it becomes tender while the gravy is enriched with a smooth paste of browned onions and nuts, resulting in a creamy, flavorful Mughlai dish.
Try these other Mughlai favourites on this site:
- Chicken Korma
- Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
- Hyderabadi Chicken Masala
- Chicken Pasanda
- Mughlai Paratha
- Hyderabadi Green Chicken
What is Mughlai chicken?
Mughlai chicken is a classic curry from Mughlai cuisine made with an onion, cashew and almond based gravy. Originating in the Mughal era, this cuisine blends Persian influences with Indian techniques and ingredients. Rich elements like nuts, dairy, saffron, aromatic spices and ghee were common in dishes developed for royal kitchens, giving Mughlai recipes their distinctive luxurious flavor and texture.
Why you need this recipe
- Quick & easy: Follow the step-by-step instructions to make a restaurant-style Mughlai chicken at home.
- Customizable: Many ingredients can be swapped to suit taste or availability.
- Make-ahead friendly: The curry stores in the refrigerator for 2 days and often tastes better the next day as flavors develop.
- Freezer friendly: Freeze portions for up to a month.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Bone-in pieces give best flavor, but thighs or boneless chicken also work.
- Onions: Red or yellow onions—important for the base and for making birista (fried onions).
- Thick yogurt/curd: Adds creaminess to the curry.
- Cashews & almonds: Soaked and blended to thicken and enrich the gravy; either nut can be used as needed.
- Ghee & oil: A little ghee adds aroma; use a neutral high-smoke-point oil for frying.
- Whole spices: Cloves, cinnamon, black and green cardamom, black peppercorns, bay leaf and a petal of mace for aroma.
- Spice powders: Turmeric, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder for color (optional) and a hotter red chili powder for heat.
- Chicken masala or garam masala: For finishing flavor.
- Ginger-garlic paste: Fresh or store-bought.
- Green chilies: Optional — added near the end for a restaurant-style touch.
- Kewra (keora) water: A few drops for floral aroma, optional.
- Coriander leaves: For garnish.
See the recipe card below for detailed measurements and full ingredient list.
How to make Mughlai chicken curry
Preparations
- Soak cashews and almonds in hot water for 15 minutes and set aside.
- Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder (for color), regular red chili powder (for heat), turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt. Marinate at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight for best results.
- To make birista (fried onions): heat ½ cup oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add thinly sliced onions in batches and fry, stirring frequently, until golden. Drain on paper and reserve. Store-bought birista can be used as a shortcut.
Making the curry
- In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 teaspoons ghee over low heat.
- Add the whole spices and sauté for a minute until they release their aroma.
- Add the marinated chicken, stir to combine, cover and cook on low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Divide the fried onions: keep 3/4 for the paste and set aside 1/4, crushed, to add later for texture.
- Blend the reserved 3/4 fried onions with the soaked nuts and a little water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
- When the chicken is cooked and oil begins to float on the gravy, add the onion-nut paste, the crushed fried onions, garam/chicken masala, green chilies and 2–3 drops of kewra water if using. Stir well.< /li>
- Check seasoning and adjust salt. Add small amounts of water only if needed to reach the desired thickness—Mughlai curry should remain relatively thick.
- Cover and simmer for 4–5 minutes on low heat, then remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander, stir gently and let the curry rest covered for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve hot with roti, naan or steamed rice.
Cooking tips
- Soak nuts to soften before grinding—this yields a silkier gravy.
- Marinate chicken at least 30 minutes; overnight refrigeration improves flavor.
- Slice onions thinly for faster, even frying when making birista.
- When frying onions, heat oil first, fry in batches and stir continuously; lower heat when they begin to brown to avoid burning.
- Use three-quarters of the fried onions in the paste and reserve one-quarter crushed to add texture at the end.
- Cook the marinated chicken gently on low heat for a tender, melt-in-the-mouth result.
- Let the curry rest before serving—flavors deepen with time and it often tastes even better the next day.
What to serve with Mughlai chicken
Serve with roti, naan, parathas, steamed rice, jeera rice, or a biryani for a complete meal.
Storage suggestions
- Cool to room temperature within two hours of cooking, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
- The gravy thickens when chilled; add a little water when reheating to loosen the consistency.
- Freeze portions for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add a splash of water and reheat until piping hot.
If you make this recipe, leave a comment and review the recipe card below.
Recipe Card
Mughlai Chicken Curry (Mughlai Chicken)
A rich, creamy North Indian style chicken curry with an onion and nut-based gravy. Aromatic and restaurant-style, perfect with roti, naan or rice.
4.84 from 6 votes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mughlai
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Preeti Nayak
Video
Equipment
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1 Heavy bottom pan or wok
Ingredients
To marinate the chicken:
- 700 gm chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
- ¾ cup thick curd/yogurt
- 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon spicy red chili powder
- Salt to taste
To fry onions (birista):
- ½ cup oil
- 4 medium-size onions, thinly sliced
To make the onion paste:
- fried onions (use ¾ of the fried onions)
- 7 cashews
- 7 almonds
Other ingredients:
- 2 teaspoon ghee
- 3 green chilies (optional)
- ½ teaspoon chicken masala or garam masala
- 2-3 drops kewra water (optional)
Whole spices:
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 15 black peppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 petal mace
Instructions
Preparations
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Soak cashews and almonds in hot water for 15 minutes and set aside.
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Marinate chicken with yogurt, spices and ginger-garlic paste for at least 30 minutes.
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Make birista by frying thinly sliced onions in hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain and reserve.
Making Mughlai Chicken Curry
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Heat oil and ghee, add whole spices and sauté until fragrant.
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Add marinated chicken, cover and cook on low heat for 15–20 minutes.
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Use ¾ of the fried onions to make a smooth paste with soaked nuts; crush the remaining ¼ and keep aside.
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Once chicken is cooked and oil rises to the surface, add the onion-nut paste, crushed fried onions, garam masala, green chilies and kewra if using. Stir and simmer 4–5 minutes.
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Adjust salt and consistency, remove from heat, garnish with coriander and let rest before serving.
Notes
- Soak the nuts: Softened nuts grind to a creamy paste that improves gravy texture.
- Marinating: Longer marination enhances flavor; refrigerate overnight if possible.
- Birista: Slice onions thin and fry in batches, lowering heat as they brown to avoid burning.
- Two-part birista use: Use most fried onions in the paste for smoothness and save some crushed onions to add texture at the end.
- Low-heat cooking: Cooking the chicken gently yields tender results.
- Resting time: Let the curry rest 30–60 minutes; flavors deepen and the dish often tastes better the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.