Sometimes, out of nowhere, I get this inexplicable craving for something very, very, very spicy. When that happens, I am usually thinking about the hot sauce that comes with the famous chicken and rice bowl at the 53rd and 6th Halal food cart in Manhattan. Recently, I had a late night at work and by the time I was ready to leave, I was hungry and desperate for something spicy. Most restaurants were closed by then, so I decided to take the matter into my own hands and made Murgh Qeema, which is basically Ground Chicken. I had my basic spices, yogurt and tomatoes and onions at hand so I decided to just cook the meat in those. That’s what I love about ground meat – it’s super easy to cook, and you can make so much with it. I have had it in spaghetti, on pizza, in a sandwich, mixed with rice… it’s all delicious stuff.
You can adjust the spice level for this dish to your liking and play around with spices. You can also add veggies, such as potatoes, and/or peas etc. The last step with the yogurt, helps make the spice level more bearable. Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you — it’s a super easy dish. I had it with basmati rice, but it also goes well with naan or paratha.
Ingredients:
Ground Chicken – 1 lb.
Onion – 1 Large, Sliced
Tomatoes – 2 Medium, Diced
Green Chilies – Thin & Long, 2
Garlic – Minced, 1 TBSPN
Ginger paste – ½ TBSPN
Ground Coriander Powder– 1 ½ TSPN
Ground Cumin Powder – 1 TPSN
Garam Masala – 1 TSPN
Ground Clove Powder – 1/2 TSPN
Mace – ½ TSPN
Black Pepper – 1 TSPN
Cinnamon – ¼ TSPN
Turmeric – ½ TSPN
Salt – 1 TSPN
Ground Red Chili Pepper – 1 TBSPN (1 TBSPN is very spicy, so if you want medium strength, go for half)
Yogurt – Lightly Whipped – 3 1/3 TBSPN
Cooking Oil – 2 TBSPN
Cilantro – to garnish with
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the onions, stir frying them till they are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir fry for another 3 to 5 minutes, till the onions are golden. Next, add the tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger. Mix well.
- Add the spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, clove, turmeric, mace, black pepper, red chili pepper, cinnamon, salt, garam masala), and stir fry the mixture for about 2 minutes.
- Add the ground chicken, and mix well to incorporate the spices into the meat – stirring frequently for the next 15 minutes.
- Add the yogurt, stir well until the meat absorbs most of the liquid – about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot over rice, or with bread.
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