Chicken Maharani
A rich chicken curry built on curd-marinated chicken and freshly roasted whole spices.
Ingredients · tap to tick off
- Boneless chicken: 500g (Chicken thigh is juicier, breast is leaner.)
- Curd: ½ cup
- Ginger-garlic paste: 2tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Black pepper powder: ½ tsp
- Lemon juice: 1 tsp
- Onion: 2 medium, sliced
- Cashews: 10–12 pieces
- Green chilli: 1–2
- Water: as needed for blending
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 small piece of mace
- 5 green cardamom
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp clove
- A small piece of cinnamon
Contains, from the ingredient list: Dairy, Tree nuts. Always check product labels and swap to suit your needs.
Method
In a bowl, add chicken, curd, ginger-garlic paste, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
Mix well and rest for 30 minutes.
Dry roast all the whole spices over low heat until aromatic, then grind it.
In a pan, add 1 tsp oil and sliced onions, cashews, and green chilli with a little water.
Cover and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the onions turn soft.
Cool it and blend into a smooth paste.(This gives the creamy Maharani-style gravy without using too much cream.
Heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee in a pan. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium flame for 5–6 minutes.
Add the onion-cashew paste , spice mix, and mix well.
Cover and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
Add kasuri methi, fresh cream, and a tiny pinch of sugar if needed.
Mix and cook for only 1 minute on low flame.
Your Chicken Maharani is ready.
Published 18 Jul 2026 · Antara’s kitchen notes
