Whether you call it Murgh Cholay or Chana Chicken this full flavored dish is the heartier punchier version of a classic chicken curry. The addition of chickpeas adds flavour and texture that is both fun and yummy!
🔍 Quick Look: Murgh Cholay or Chana Chicken
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Key to Success: Make sure you saute the chicken well for the best flavour!
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I just made this today! It was super easy and came out delicious. The whole family loved it. - Nida
You know you love a dish when you make it despite your husbands complaints. When I first started cooking Murgh Cholay my husband would ask me what the chickpeas were doing in his Chicken ka Salan. Being delicious, that's what.
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- 🔍 Quick Look: Murgh Cholay or Chana Chicken
- Summarize and save this content on
- The Not-so-Secret to Good Murgh Cholay
- Ingredients
- How to make the tastiest Murgh Chana
- Cooking Murgh Cholay: things to watch for
- Murgh Cholay FAQs
- What goes with Murgh Cholay?
- More Chicken Dishes for your Meal Plan!
- Murgh Cholay or Chana Chicken
- Comments
The Not-so-Secret to Good Murgh Cholay
Getting this Chana Chicken recipe just right turned out to be trickier than anticipated. Turns out the problem I was having was that I was using similar ratios of spices for the murgh cholay that I would with a regular chicken salan and that just wasn't right.
You see the chickpeas really soak up flavour and so you need to create a strong spice base otherwise there just is not enough to go around. So don't be shy about the chili powder and the green chilies at the end. Just remember when we cook the green chilies a lot of the aggressive heat of the chilies cooks out anyway.
Ingredients
Or should I say all the ingredients except the chickpeas? Oops.
Chicken: bone in or boneless, you know the drills. Bone in has far better flavour, but boneless is very convenient and we can make both work.
Chickpeas: Okay this is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT. Here is why: different varieties of chickpeas available are often different sizes and textures. Buying and boiling your own smaller South Asian size chickpeas? Add them in at the end and simmer away. Buying the 'regular' canned ones? Try to source the ethnic brands which tend to be smaller and tastier.
Tip: If your canned chickpeas are tough then add the tiniest pinch of baking soda
How to make the tastiest Murgh Chana
- Step 1: Saute your cumin seeds and then onions until the onions are golden
- Step 2: Add your spice paste ingredients and cook until a chunky jammy texture
- Step 3: Saute the chicken to build colour
- Step 4: Add chickpeas and simmer till the chicken is cooked through
- Step 5: Adjust consistency, taste, adjust seasoning
- Step 6: Serve with roti or rice!
Cooking Murgh Cholay: things to watch for
Onions: when you are sauteeing them aim for golden edges, they will complement the flavour of the subsequent masala and tomatoes instead of competing with them.
Heat: It may be tempting to crank the heat up to expedite the process, but I urge you to stick with medium to medium high heat to avoid burning your ingredients.
Balancing: Tomatoes can vary in flavour, as can many of your other ingredients. This is why adjusting at the end is such an integral part of cooking, when you are done with the base, taste, adjust, and taste again to get the right balance.
Murgh Cholay FAQs
Yes, absolutely, I do find that chickpeas harden a little as they sit but that's nothing a stovetop reheat won't fix!
You can use chicken explicitly cut for curries (12 pieces), drumsticks, chicken thigh or chicken breast. Just please remember to make it skinless
Absolutely! We have done it with great success! You can find more hosting friendly dishes here.
Yes! Storebought ghees can sometimes have a sweet flavour so half oil half ghee may be best there!
What goes with Murgh Cholay?
It cannot be said enough that the beauty of most Pakistani food is that you can eat it on it's own or combined with other flavorful Pakistani dishes. Here are some ideas for you.
More Chicken Dishes for your Meal Plan!
Thank you for being here! Made this Murgh Cholay? I'd love to hear your comments - share them below and do leave a recipe rating! You can also tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog
Murgh Cholay or Chana Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken or 1.25-1.5 pounds chicken bone in
- 1 17-19 fl oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed through
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons red chilli powder
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 3 green chillies finely sliced
Instructions
- Take a stockpot sized pot and put it on medium high heat, wait a few minutes, and then add the oil. When the oil is hot then add in the onions and the cumin seeds & cook until the onions start to turn golden brown at the edges. Highly recommend adding one of your green chilies (diced) in at this point.
- Add the garlic and ginger pastes and saute for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Cover and keep it on medium high heat and then uncover, the tomatoes should have broken down and become jammy.
- Stir your chicken pieces in and saute until the colour changes.
- Now in goes a cup of hot water, the chickpeas, and a pinch of baking soda (for touch chickpeas), bring it to a boil, and then let it cook covered on low heat for another 25-30 minutes.
- When the chicken is tender then adjust consistency of your gravy by adding water then add the garam masala, the black pepper, the green chillies and cilantro. Cook for 2 minutes then taste and adjust seasoning.
Natasha says
This is a quick, kid friendly, and delicious week night recipe that can whipped up with mostly all ingredients in a desi pantry! Great with rice or hot rotlis. Thank you!
Sarah Mir says
Natasha this makes me want to happy dance!! thank you!