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Masala chicken (masala murg)

Name: Masala chicken (masala murg)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 50g gram flour (also known as besan/chickpea flour); 70ml natural yogurt; ½ tsp black salt (kala namak); 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder to taste); 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves); ½ tsp garam masala; ½ tsp ground cumin; 4 boneless, skinless free-range chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces; 3 tbsp sunflower oil

By: Chetna Makan

Published: 19 Aug 21
Updated: 25 Mar 24

Chetna Makan’s easy masala chicken recipe (masala murg) is packed with flavour. Coat chicken thighs in gram flour and spices, then pan fry.

Recipe taken from Chetna’s 30-Minute Indian (£20, Mitchell Beazley), out now.

Easy
August 2021

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min

Chetna Makan’s easy masala chicken recipe (masala murg) is packed with flavour. Coat chicken thighs in gram flour and spices, then pan fry.

Recipe taken from Chetna’s 30-Minute Indian (£20, Mitchell Beazley), out now.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 223kcals
Fat: 11.9g (2g saturated)
Protein: 19.8g
Carbohydrates: 8.2g (1.7g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 1g

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Ingredients

50g gram flour (also known as besan/chickpea flour)
70ml natural yogurt
½ tsp black salt (kala namak)
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder to taste)
1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground cumin
4 boneless, skinless free-range chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces
3 tbsp sunflower oil

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Method

Heat a frying pan, add the flour and toast over a low heat for about 2 minutes or until it starts to change colour, stirring constantly.
Put the toasted flour in a bowl with the yogurt, salt and spices and mix well. Add the chicken and turn in the mixture to coat well (see Make Ahead).
Heat the oil in a pan. Carefully add the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook over a medium to low heat for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and cooked through.

Recipe from August 2021 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 223kcals
Fat: 11.9g (2g saturated)
Protein: 19.8g
Carbohydrates: 8.2g (1.7g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 1g

delicious. tips

Chetna says: This chicken dish is flavourful enough to serve on its own, although it’s also great with my ginger and chilli chutney (part of this recipe for sour and spicy potatoes).
Prepare to the end of step 2 up to 12 hours ahead. Store covered in the fridge until ready to cook.
Black salt (kala namak) is a kiln-fired rock salt with a savoury, slightly sulphurous quality. Black salt is a key ingredient in many chaat masala recipes, where it provides a distinctive umami note. Substitute Himalayan rock salt or fine sea salt if you need to.

Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) are commonly sold dried and crushed. They have a slightly sweet and nutty flavour that’s a little like a cross between celery and maple syrup. Finding a suitable substitute is tricky, but they’re versatile.