Winner Winner Lahori Murgh Dinner

Chicken dishes are the first love of most non-vegetarians. Be it fry or curry, dry or gravy, every chicken recipe is unique but equally loved. Rich in protein and heavenly in taste, one such recipe for chicken is Lahori Murgh. The recipe of Lahori Murgh, originating from the roots of Lahore (presently in Pakistan), earns praises and delightful sighs from the people tasting it.

Lahori Murgh, Image Source: Karth and Food Factory.

The world has no shortage of foodies, and non-vegetarian foodies have no shortage of variations of recipes when it comes to chicken. Even with changes in the ingredients or the ways of preparation, every chicken recipe somehow stays appetizing and savory. And combined with the difference in the process of making and change in the main ingredients, Lahori Murgh is one of the most popular chicken recipes. The name of the dish is straightforward and simple. Murgh means chicken, and Lahori implies its origins in Lahore (present-day Pakistan).

During the early era, before tomatoes made their way into the Indian kitchens, cooks would use curd to add sourness to the food. Still now, Mughalai cuisines prefer to use curd for sourness. And Lahore was the main capital for many Mughal rulers. After the Mughals, Lahore was the capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kingdom as well.

In short, Lahore has seen many cuisines over the centuries. As a result, some Lahori recipes serve a great example of the combination of different cuisines. And Lahori Murgh is one of them, as it is one of the few recipes that use curd as well as tomatoes for adding sourness. The curd represents the Mughalai taste and the tomato, the Punjabi.

Food is said to be a representation of the culture. Lahori Murgh represents the combination of nearly two great cultures and is easy to cook with simple ingredients such as oil, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, ghee, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, water, tomato, curd, water, etc.

To cook Lahori Murgh, black pepper cons, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, onion, and green cardamom are sauteed in oil in a kadhai. When the onion turns light brown, chicken marinated in salt is added and cooked until it gets golden brown. After that, the remaining ingredients–turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, ghee, and red chili powder are added to the kadhai. When chicken is more than half-cooked, tomato puree goes into it, and later when the puree is cooked properly, beat curd goes into it. Just like that, within half an hour, Lahori Murgh gets ready to serve with rice, naan, or kulcha.

Lahori Murgh Cholay. Image Source: Cookpad.

Any recipe has many variations, as cooks add their personal touch and preference to the dishes they make. Similarly, the recipe for Lahori Murgh has many variations, with or without onions, adding extra ingredients like chana, potato, etc., and making them into Lahori Murgh Chana, Lahori Murgh Tikka, etc. In each one of its versions, Lahori Murgh or Murgh Lahori is loved by chicken lovers and is served not only on dining tables at home but is also enjoyed as delicious street food in many areas of Punjab and Lahore.