Murshidabad Chicken Rezala White Nawabi Curry

Ingredients

• 700 g chicken — bone-in pieces
• 1 cup yogurt — beaten very smooth
• 2 tbsp ginger paste, 2 tbsp garlic paste
• salt for marinating
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 2 large onions — made into a completely smooth paste
• 1 tsp white pepper powder (not black pepper — white pepper gives heat without colour)
• 1/4 tsp mace powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (freshly grated if possible)
• 6 green cardamom — crushed
• 6 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup khoya (mawa) — dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk (for creaminess)
• 1 tsp kewra water
• 1 tsp rose water
• salt to taste

Method

1. Marinate chicken: Combine chicken with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt. Marinate minimum 3 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Heat ghee: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Ghee is essential — the pale colour of rezala depends on it.
3. Add whole spices: Add crushed cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Sizzle 20 seconds.
4. Cook onion paste on low heat: Add the smooth onion paste. This is the critical technique — cook on medium-low heat stirring frequently for 12 to 15 minutes until the paste is cooked through and turns a very pale golden. Do not brown significantly — the pale colour is deliberate.
5. Add white pepper and warm spices: Add white pepper powder, mace and nutmeg. Stir on low heat 2 minutes.
6. Add the marinated chicken: Add chicken with all marinade. Cook on medium heat turning pieces for 8 minutes as the yogurt reduces.
7. Add dissolved khoya: Add the khoya dissolved in warm milk. Stir gently. The khoya enriches and thickens the white gravy.
8. Cook covered on lowest heat: Cover tightly. Cook on the absolute lowest heat for 35 to 40 minutes until chicken is completely tender. Check every 10 minutes — add 2 tbsp water if needed.
9. Add kewra and rose water: Add kewra water and rose water. Stir gently. Cook uncovered 3 minutes.
10. Serve: Serve with luchi or naan. The rezala should be pale, creamy and fragrant — not red or dark.
11. Note: Murshidabad Rezala is the white curry tradition specific to the former capital of the Bengal Nawabs — Murshidabad. While the Nawabi tradition of white curry (cooked without red chilli or turmeric) is shared with Lucknow and Hyderabad, the Murshidabad version uses khoya milk for creaminess and a more generous use of kewra water, reflecting the distinct court kitchen tradition that evolved at this court from the 18th century onwards.