Murgh Lababdar Recipe with step by step photos: Rich, creamy, and full of flavors this royal Mughlai chicken is prepared with onion, tomato, yogurt, cashews, cream, spices, and chicken. Perfect to be served on weekends and special occasions.
Chicken Lababdar or murgh lababdar is a popular Mughlai dish, often found on the menu of many Indian restaurants. Lababdar basically means ‘tickling taste buds’. True to its name, this dish is sure to leave someone wanting more.
Substitute chicken with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), potato, mushroom, or any vegetables to make a vegetarian version of this recipe.
Learn to make this drool-worthy recipe easily at the comfort of your home.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – Preferably thigh and leg bone-in pieces. As they are more juicy and flavorful.
- Whole spices for tempering – bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and black pepper
- Ground spices – red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, roasted Kasuri methi powder
- For spice paste – onion, garlic, ginger, cashew nuts
- Oil or ghee
- Salt
- Tomato puree – If not available, boil a tomato until the skin breaks. Remove from water and allow it to cool down. Next, remove the skin and grind to make the puree.\
- Kasuri methi powder – Dry roast Kasuri methi for a minute. Transfer to a plate. Once slightly cools down, crush with your hand to make a powder.
- Curd/yogurt – Fresh & thick
- Fresh cream
Step By Step Preparations
- Heat water in a pot. Once the water starts boiling add chopped onion, garlic, chopped ginger, and cashew nuts. Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium flame.
- Then remove from the flame, drain the water and set aside to cool down.
- Once cooled, blend them together into a silky smooth paste and keep aside. If required add 1-2 tbsp water but not much.
- Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry them to remove any excess water.
- Then smear some salt and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Once the oil turns hot, add chicken pieces.
- Saute over a medium to high flame for 6-7 minutes.
- Then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, whole black pepper, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, and star anise.
- Saute for a few seconds or until aromatic. Then add the masala paste and stir continuously until oil separates.
- Add red chili powder. Stir to mix.
- Add tomato puree. Stir and cook for 10-15 minutes or till oil separates. Make sure the masala doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Add cumin and coriander powder. Stir to mix.
- Add whisked curd or yogurt. To avoid splitting, remove from flame and constantly stir for a minute. Once done return it to the flame.
- Add salt as required. Stir and cook for a few minutes more or until oil starts appearing on top.
- At this point add chicken. Stir for 2-3 minutes over a high flame.
- Add ½ cup of warm water. Stir to mix.
- Simmer the flame, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked. Stir in between.
- Add garam masala powder and roasted Kasuri methi powder. Stir to mix.
- Turn off the flame and add cream if adding. Make sure to add the cream after switching off the flame to prevent it from splitting.
- Stir to mix. Cover the lid and allow to rest it for 5 minutes to combine all the flavors
- Chicken lababdar is ready to serve.
Tips
- To prevent curd from splitting, remove the pan from flame and stir the whisked curd rapidly for a minute. Then return the pan to the flame. You won’t get lumps.
- For a vegetarian option substitute chicken with paneer(Indian cottage cheese).
- Cashews could be replaced by almonds or you could use half almonds and half cashew nuts.
- For a more rich flavor and taste, do use ghee(clarified butter) and cream. You could use half ghee and half oil as well.
- To prevent the cream from splitting, make sure to add the cream after switching off the flame.
Serving Suggestions
This shahi chicken lababdar recipe is best served with biryani, plain basmati rice, jeera rice, roti, naan, or paratha.
Storage
To enjoy the real flavor and aroma, do not store this curry more than 1-2 days in a refrigerator. In addition, the gravy can be made ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving fry the chicken and cook with the gravy until done.
Some similar chicken recipes you can check
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Murgh Lababdar | Chicken Lababdar
Chicken Lababdar: Rich, creamy, and full of flavors this Mughlai chicken is prepared by simmering chicken in a yogurt-based gravy.
Servings3 people
INGREDIENTS ( 1 CUP = 240 ML )
- 500 grams large chicken pieces (bone-in) or 1.1 lbs
- 4 tbsp oil or ghee
- Salt as required
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
- 5 whole cashew nuts
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 6-7 whole black pepper
- 1 star anise optional
- 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 tbsp curd or yogurt whisked
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp roasted kasuri methi powder
- 2 tbsp cream optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Making the Spice Paste
- Heat water in a pot. Once the water starts boiling add chopped onion, garlic, chopped ginger, and cashew nuts. Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium flame.
- Then remove from the flame, drain the water and set aside to cool down.
- Once cooled, blend them together into a silky smooth paste and keep aside. If required add 1-2 tbsp water but not much.
Frying the Chicken
- Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry them to remove any excess water.
- Then smear some salt and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Once the oil turns hot, add chicken pieces.
- Saute over a medium to high flame for 6-7 minutes.
- Then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Making Chicken Lababdar
- Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, whole black pepper, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, and star anise.
- Saute for a few seconds or until aromatic. Then add the masala paste and stir continuously until oil separates.
- Add red chili powder. Stir to mix.
- Add tomato puree. Stir and cook for 10-15 minutes or until oil separates. Make sure the masala doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Add cumin and coriander powder. Stir to mix.
- Add whisked curd or yogurt. To avoid splitting, remove from flame and constantly stir for a minute. Once done return to the flame.
- Add salt as required. Stir and cook for a few minutes more or until oil starts appearing on top.
- At this point, add chicken. Stir for 2-3 minutes over a high flame.
- Add ½ cup of warm water. Stir to mix.
- Simmer the flame, cover and cook until chicken is cooked. Stir in between.
- Add garam masala powder and roasted Kasuri methi powder. Stir to mix
- Turn off the flame and add cream if adding to prevent the cream from splitting.
- Stir to mix. Cover the lid and allow to rest it for 5 minutes to combine all the flavors
- Mughlai chicken lababdar is ready to serve. Serve hot with plain basmati rice, naan, or paratha.
Notes
- To prevent curd from splitting, remove the pan from flame and stir the whisked curd rapidly for a minute. Then return the pan to the flame. You won’t get lumps.
- Cashews could be replaced by almonds or you could use half almonds and half cashew nuts.
- For a more rich flavor and taste, do use ghee(clarified butter) and cream. You could use half oil and half ghee as well.
- To prevent the cream from splitting, make sure to add the cream after switching off the flame.
- For a vegetarian version substitute chicken with paneer(Indian cottage cheese).
- Storage: To enjoy the real flavor and aroma, do not store more than 1-2 days in a refrigerator. In addition, the gravy could be made ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving fry the chicken and cook with the gravy until done.
- Serving Suggestions: This chicken lababdar recipe is best served with plain basmati rice, jeera rice, roti, naan, or paratha.
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