Murgh Chole (Chicken and Chickpea Curry)

Murgh Chole (Chicken and Chickpea Curry)

According to Punjabi lore, this heavily spiced chicken and chickpea dish was born during Emperor Shah Jahan’s imprisonment, when his cooks were challenged to create luxurious meals from humble chickpeas. Traditionally made with bone-in chicken, this streamlined version calls for boneless chicken thighs, browned then simmered with chickpeas in a complex tomato-onion base with ginger, garlic and green chiles. A few simple ingredients here result in a hearty, one-pot dish that delivers layers of flavor in just 30 minutes. The spritz of lemon and scatter of cilantro at the end add freshness. Serve it with rice, roti or by itself. 

Yield: 4 servings

¼ cup ghee, vegetable oil or canola oil

1 medium red or white onion, chopped 

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 

1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger 

1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 

3 plum tomatoes, chopped, or ⅔ cup canned crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 Thai green chiles, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

½ cup chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Lemon wedges, for serving 

Rice or roti (optional), for serving

In a medium pot, melt the ghee over high heat. Add the onion and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. 

Add the chicken and turn the heat up to high. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid from the pot has evaporated and the chicken starts to brown, about 12  minutes. Stir in the chile powder, garam masala and turmeric. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the tomatoes, green chiles and salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down a bit, about 5 minutes. 

Add the chickpeas and stock, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot. Simmer for a few minutes, until the chickpeas are warmed through and the liquid has slightly thickened into a gravy. 

Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges, along with rice or roti if desired. 

TIP: This dish is super tasty and comes together rather quickly. I added some honey to balance the tomatoes a bit, served with a dollop of yogurt instead of lemon wedges. I’ll definitely make this one again.