Chicken Recipes: Five Easy and Tasty Dishes to Try at Home

Chicken is one of the most versatile and popular meats in the world. It can be cooked in various ways, with different spices and sauces, to create dishes that suit every taste and occasion. This article introduces you to five easy and tasty chicken recipes you can try at home. These recipes are:

• Murgh Musallam : A whole chicken stuffed with eggs and spices cooked in rich gravy.
• Chicken Karahi : A spicy and tangy chicken curry cooked in a wok or karahi with tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies.
• Salt and Pepper Chicken : A simple, crispy fried chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, and spring onions.
• Chicken Over Rice : A hearty and satisfying dish of tender chicken pieces, cooked in a flavorful broth, served over rice.
• Palak Chicken : A healthy, creamy chicken curry cooked with spinach, yoghurt, and spices.

Murgh Musallam

Murgh Musallam is a Mughlai dish that literally means “whole chicken”. Murgh Musallam is a festive dish that is usually prepared for special occasions. The chicken is stuffed with boiled eggs and a mixture of spices then coated with a paste of almonds, cashews, poppy seeds, and saffron. The chicken is then cooked in a rich gravy of onions, tomatoes, yoghurt, and spices. The result is a succulent and aromatic chicken that is sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), cleaned and washed
• 4 boiled eggs, peeled
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves

For the stuffing:

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon of garlic paste
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves

For the paste:

• 1/4 cup of almonds
• 1/4 cup of cashews
• 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup of warm milk

Instructions

1. To make the stuffing, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, and coriander leaves. Cook for a few minutes until well combined. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
2. To make the paste, soak almonds, cashews, poppy seeds, and saffron in warm milk for about 15 minutes. Then, grind them into a smooth paste using a blender or a food processor.
3. To prepare the chicken, make small slits on the skin and flesh of the chicken. Stuff two eggs inside the cavity of the chicken. Then, fill the remaining space with the stuffing mixture. Tie the legs and wings of the chicken with a string or a thread. Rub the paste all over the chicken and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
4. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat to cook the chicken. Add bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon sticks, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and garam masala. Fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Then, carefully place the chicken in the pot and fry on all sides until golden brown.
5. Add water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
6. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Cut the remaining two eggs into halves and arrange them around the chicken. Serve hot with naan bread or rice.

Chicken Karahi

Chicken Karahi is a popular dish in Pakistan and India named after the wok or karahi in which it is cooked. Chicken Karahi is a spicy and tangy chicken curry with tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and various spices. Chicken Karahi is usually cooked on high heat to create a thick, flavorful sauce that coats the chicken pieces. Chicken Karahi is best enjoyed with roti, naan, or paratha.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of oil
• 1 kg of chicken, cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of ginger, julienned
• 2 tablespoons of garlic, chopped
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a wok or karahi over high heat. Add chicken pieces and fry for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp. Sprinkle salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and black pepper over the chicken and toss well. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. In the same wok or karahi, add tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are soft and the onions are caramelized.
3. In a small skillet, dry roast cumin, coriander, and fenugreek seeds for a few minutes until fragrant. Then, grind them into coarse powder using a mortar, pestle, or spice grinder.
4. Add the roasted spice powder to the tomato-onion mixture and mix well. Then add the chicken pieces and toss to coat them with the sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce thickens.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, naan, or paratha.

Salt and Pepper Chicken

Salt and Pepper Chicken is a simple, crispy fried chicken dish popular in Chinese cuisine. Salt and Pepper Chicken is made with chicken wings or drumsticks coated with cornstarch and seasoned with salt, pepper, and five-spice powder. The chicken is then deep-fried until golden and crisp. Salt and Pepper Chicken is served with spring onions and more salt and pepper for extra flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of chicken wings or drumsticks
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of five-spice powder
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• Oil for deep-frying
• 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken wings or drumsticks and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut off any excess fat or skin if desired.
2. Combine salt, pepper, five-spice powder, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well.
3. Coat the chicken pieces with the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess.
4. Heat oil in a large pot or deep-fryer over high heat. Carefully drop the chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry for about 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
5. Sprinkle some more salt and pepper over the chicken if needed. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot or cold.

Chicken Over Rice

Chicken Over Rice is a hearty and satisfying dish that is popular in many cuisines around the world. Chicken Over Rice is made with tender chicken pieces cooked in a flavorful broth with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. The chicken is then served over rice cooked in the same broth to absorb all the delicious flavours.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 kg of chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in and skin-on
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 6 cups of chicken stock or water
• 2 cups of long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) or gas mark 4.
2. In a large oven-proof skillet or pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to the skillet or pot and cook for about 10 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper 
3. In the same skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until soft and translucent.
4. Add chicken stock or water and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. 
5. Add rice and stir well. Arrange chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture. Cover the skillet or pot with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender. 
6. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the chicken and rice and serve hot with a green salad or bread.

Palak Chicken

Palak Chicken is a healthy, creamy chicken curry made with spinach, yoghurt, and spices. Palak Chicken is a popular dish in Indian cuisine known as Saag Chicken or Spinach Chicken. The spinach gives the curry a vibrant green colour and a rich texture, while the yoghurt adds a tangy and smooth flavour. The chicken is cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and a blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and fenugreek. Palak Chicken is best served with rice, roti, or naan.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of oil
• 1 kg of chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi)
• 2 cups of spinach, blanched and pureed
• 1 cup of yoghurt, whisked
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to the skillet or pot and cook for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. In the same skillet or pot over medium-high heat, add onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden.
3. Add spinach puree and yoghurt and mix well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat them with the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes or until heated through.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, roti, or naan.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article about chicken recipes. If you try these dishes at home, let me know how they turned out in the comments below. Bon appetit!