3.9/5 rating (27 votes)

Pistachio chicken

Mild chicken in a creamy pistachio sauce

  • Heat Mild
  • Serves 4
  • Dietary Info CONTAINS-NUTS
  • Prep 10 mins
  • Marinade 20 mins
  • Cook 30 mins
Pistachio chicken

Beautifully tender pieces of chicken delicately spiced and cooked in an almond sauce.

Hari says

I tried this beautiful little dish in Mumbai recently and had to recreate it at home. Pista murgh or pistachio chicken in someways is very similar to a korma but it's made with pistachos that give the sauce a delicate sweetness and a unique green tinge which I think is devine. 

As with all mild dishes if you prefer a bit more of a punch then just dial up the chillies but this is a great dish for all the family and for those who love a saucy curry.

Super simple to cook so I can't wait to hear what you think about the dish.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • 600g chicken thighs, cut into chunks
  • 100g Pistachios, blanched
  • 1 medium onion, chopped finely
  • 7cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 green chillies 6 garlic cloves
  • ½ small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
  • 200g yoghurt ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 2 cloves
  • 15 black peppercorns
  • 4 green cardamoms, cracked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 inch cassia bark
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Fresh cream for garnish
  • Fresh coriander to garnish</li>

Method

  1. Boil enough water to cover the pistachios, add them and blanch for about 5 minutes.
  2. Drain and put them into cold water so they stay green.
  3. Squish them in your fingers to remove the skins. Discard the skin and place the pistachios in a bowl for later.
  4. Put the chicken in a large bowl and add yoghurt, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
  5. Heat ghee and add cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamoms, bay leaf and cassia and sauté until fragrant. Add minced onion and and cook to soften for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Add ginger, green chillies, garlic and sauté until soft. Stir in the pistachios and stil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a while.
  7. Remove the bay leaf and cassia bark. Pour into a large jug and add a handful of fresh coriander leaves and about 130 ml of water and with a stick blender and blitz to a fine purée.
  8. In the same pan heat a tbsp of ghee and add cumin seeds until they sizzle and put the cassia and bay back to the pan. Add the marinated chicken and sauté on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  9. Pour in the blended pistachio paste with some salt and mix well. Cover the pan and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
  10. Transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh cream, coriander and slivers of pistachios.

Served with

Serve with just some plain basmati rice - this requires nothing more.

 

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100

Nutritional information

Typical values* per Serving
Calories266
Fat (g)7
of which saturates (g)1
Carbohydrates (g)13
of which sugars (g)2
Fibre (g)6
Protein (g)31
Salt (mg)11
*Based upon calculated values, supplied by myfitnesspal.com. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated.

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