Mughlai Whole chicken cooked in the Instant Pot, pressure cooked for just 15 minutes…
Murgh Musallam is a popular Mughlai dish, whole chicken cooked in ground almond and poppy seeds gravy. Saffron is added to the gravy, makes this dish extremely scrumptious. This is a rich, flavorful and delicious whole chicken recipe.
In the Instant Pot, this can be cooked effortlessly, pressure cooked for 15 minutes. The chicken was perfectly cooked, tasted very flavorful & the gravy lip-smackingly delicious.
Egg Stuffed Murgh Musallam, cooked over stovetop: Recipe Click here
Cooking Video
Instant Pot Whole Chicken or Murg Musallam Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Thasneen
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients
For marinating Whole chicken
- Whole Chicken- 3 lb or 1.5 kg
- Kashmiri Chili powder- 1½ tbsp
- Salt- 1½ tsp
- Water- 2 tbsp
- Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
For making paste
- Almonds- 20
- Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
- Water- ¼ cup
For making Gravy
- Ghee or oil- 2 tbsp
- Whole cardamom- 4
- Whole cinnamon- 2-inch slice
- Dried Bay leaves- 2
- Onion, chopped- 2
- Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
- Tomatoes, chopped- 2
- Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
- Chili powder- 1 tsp
- Cumin powder- ½ tsp
- Coriander powder- 2 tsp
- Salt- ½ tsp
- Yogurt, beaten- 1 cup
- Saffron strands- 8 to 10 strands
- Cilantro, chopped- ¼ cup
Instructions
- Drizzle 3 tbsp lemon juice over the whole chicken, rinse it thoroughly under running water.
- Pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.
- In a small bowl, combine Kashmiri Chili powder, salt along with 1½ tbsp water and lemon juice. Spread this all over the whole chicken and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Note: Instead of whole chicken, chicken legs or bone-in pieces can be used.
- Soak whole almonds in hot water for 5 minutes or add ¼ cup water to the whole almonds and microwave for a minute. Peel off the skin.
- Into a blender- add almonds, poppy seeds, cumin seeds and water, grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Cooking whole chicken
- Turn on the Instant Pot. Select Saute setting, temperature should be Medium. Let display turn to HOT.
- Add ghee or oil. Add whole cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped onions, season with ½ tsp salt and combine well.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, saute for 2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, combine well.
- Add the ground almond/poppyseed/cumin seeds mixture, combine well.
- Add the saffron strands, combine well.
- Beat the yogurt well taken in a bowl using a spoon. This way yogurt won't curdle while cooking.
- Add the yogurt to the pot, combine well.
- Ensure the bottom of the pot hasn't turned brown.
- Taste the gravy, if needed add more salt.
- Place the marinated whole chicken over the gravy, keep the breast side down. Pour some gravy over the chicken.
- Close the pot with the lid, turn the knob to Sealing if using Instant Pot Duo model.
- Cancel Saute setting.
- Select Pressue cook setting. Set time to 15 minutes, at high pressure
- After 15 minutes of pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- After that do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid, combine the gravy well, garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Transfer the whole chicken on a platter, pour some gravy over the chicken.
- Serve the remaining gravy in a separate bowl.
- The gravy tastes lip smackingly delicious.
- Enjoy with roti, naan, chapati, basmati rice, ghee rice or fried rice. It's yummylicious.
Notes
Instead of whole chicken, chicken legs or bone-in peices can be added.
