Murgir jhol aka robibarer murgir jhol is a simple and comforting chicken curry prepared using regular ingredients. It is a pure Bengali delicacy and is one of the most popular chicken dishes, which is regularly prepared on weekends in Bengali households. In this preparation, fresh-cut chicken pieces are marinated and then cooked in lightly spicy onion tomato gravy with some potato chunks. The consistency of murgir lal jhol gravy is runny and is mostly relished with steamed rice or roti.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Murgir Jhol (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is murgir jhol?
Murgir jhol is a classic chicken curry recipe which is regularly prepared on Sundays in Bengali houses to make it interesting and delectable. It is a Bengali name and the name describes the recipe itself. The word ‘Murgi’ means ‘Chicken’ and the word ‘Jhol’ means ‘Curry with runny gravy’.
Whenever I talk about murgir lal jhol, it always makes me feel nostalgic. Whenever I think about the tempting Bengali chicken curry, I always feel lucky to be a Bengali. During our childhood days, any holiday or Sunday would mean chicken or mutton for lunch. Most of the time, either it is murgir jhol or kochi pathar jhol. Both are so comforting and delectable dishes and my all-time favourite as well. Nowadays, people have become more health conscious and trying to avoid red meat. So the demand for chicken curry has increased a lot. Most people prefer chicken for a regular feast and mutton on special occasions.
I still remember how my dad used to bring fresh-cut chicken from the market on Sundays and went to the terrace to clean it. After that, my mom used to start the preparation for murgir lal jhol and used to slow cook it with a handsome amount of time in the kadai. She never uses a pressure cooker for the recipe. The whole house used to smell divine right from the morning. We used to impatiently wait for lunch and get hungry earlier than the normal lunch time. I know many of you have the same childhood story as me.
Murgir jhol aka robibarer murgir jhol is very simple and easy to make. It requires very limited ingredients to prepare the dish and all the ingredients are easily available in any Indian kitchen pantry. The difficulty level of cooking this recipe is low and it could be a perfect dish for beginners or novices.
Ingredients for murgir jhol
Chicken: The primary ingredient of the recipe. I have used bone-in medium-size chicken pieces for the recipe.
Potato: The addition of potato chunks are the specialities of the Bengali chicken curry.
Onion, Ginger-garlic & tomato: Like any other chicken recipe, the addition of onion, garlic, ginger and tomato is compulsory to get a rich, flavoured and delicious curry.
Yogurt: It is one of the essential components to marinate the chicken. It helps the chicken pieces to get tender and gives a creamy texture to the gravy.
Whole spices: Add whole spices like bay leaf, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cumin seeds into the oil for tempering. These spices induce a nice aroma into the oil. So, try to take advantage of all of these whole spices.
Ground spices: Other than whole spices, I have used ground spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and Bengali garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices help to develop a nice flavour and taste in the dish.
Sugar & Salt: For the basic taste of the dish.
Cooking oil: You can use any cooking oil for the recipe. But I personally prefer mustard oil for the recipe.
Water: It is added to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
Murgir jhol with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to help you to meet perfection during the time of preparing the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then you would surely get the perfect result.
Tips to prepare perfect murgir jhol
- Always marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour for better flavour, taste and texture. You can even marinate it overnight.
- Always use homemade fresh ginger-garlic paste for the recipe rather than readymade ones for a more intense flavour.
- Use thinly sliced onion for the recipe. Onion paste or diced onion won’t give you the perfect texture.
- Caramelize the thinly sliced onion for better taste and colour of the gravy.
- Always cook the Bengali chicken curry in mustard oil. It will give you a better taste and flavour.
- Don’t skip the whole spices. It induces a nice aroma into the oil.
- Don’t skip potato chunks from the recipe. It enhances the taste of the dish.
- Murgir jhol is slightly runny in texture. So add water for the gravy accordingly.
- Add Bengali garam masala at the end of cooking to enhance the taste and flavour of the murgir lal jhol.
How to make bengali chicken curry?
To prepare the Bengali chicken curry, first, peel and cut the vegetables for the curry and keep them aside.
Take a jar of a grinder and add around 14 peeled large garlic cloves, 2-inch diced ginger and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Then add the tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Wash the chicken pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. Then add ¼ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, ¼ cup onion paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon mustard oil and 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken pieces. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Cover it and keep it aside for at least 1 hour.
Peel the potatoes and cut each medium-sized potato into two pieces. Wash them and add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown in colour. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 1-2 dry red chillies, 4 cloves, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 5 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Now, add ½ tablespoon sugar into the pan and stir it continuously over low flame. Allow the sugar to melt. Then immediately, add the sliced onion and give a quick stir. Cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.
Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and mix it well. Cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
Add the tomato paste to the pan and give a nice mix. Add salt and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium-low flame until the masala releases oil.
In the meantime, take a bowl and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and some water into it. Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes.
Now, add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over medium-high flame for 10 minutes.
Then take off the lid of the pan and mix it nicely. Again cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken releases water.
Add the fried potato chunks, 3-4 green chillies and stir them carefully. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
Add 4 cups hot water into the pan and give a stir. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
Then turn the flame low and cook it on low flame for another 10 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix.
Simmer the gravy on high flame for another 10-15 more seconds and check the salt of the gravy before switching off the flame. Add more if required and mix it well. Then switch off the flame. Now murgir jhol is ready to serve.
Many Indian chicken curry recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like
Chicken bharta
Chicken dak bunglow
Butter chicken
Karahi Chicken
Chicken Do pyaza
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the chicken
- 1 kg Chicken, bone-in medium pieces
- 2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic paste
- ¼ cup Onion paste
- ¼ cup Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon Mustard oil
For the Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 inches Ginger, diced
- 16 large cloves of Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Water
For the potatoes
- 5 medium Potatoes
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
For the spice paste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1½ teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons Water
Other ingredients for the murgir jhol
- 4 Onions, thinly sliced
- 3-4 green Chillies
- 2 large Tomatoes for paste
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 2-inch Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
- 5 Cardamoms (hari Elaichi)
- 1-2 Dry red chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon Mustard oil for cooking
- 4 cups hot Water for gravy
Instructions:
- Peel and cut the vegetables for the curry and keep them aside.
- Take a jar of a grinder and add around 16 peeled large garlic cloves, 2-inch diced ginger and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Add the tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Wash the chicken pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ¼ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, ¼ cup onion paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon mustard oil and 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken pieces. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Cover it and keep it aside for at least 1 hour.
- Peel the potatoes and cut each medium-sized potato into halves.
- Wash them and add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown in colour. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
- In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 1-2 dry red chillies, 4 cloves, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 5 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add ½ tablespoon sugar into the pan and stir it continuously over low flame. Allow the sugar to melt.
- Immediately, add the sliced onion and give a quick stir. Cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.
- Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and mix it well. Cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the tomato paste to the pan and give a nice mix.
- Add salt and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium-low flame until the masala releases oil.
- In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1½ teaspoons red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1½ teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons of water into it. Make a paste of the spices.
- Add the spice paste to the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Now, add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over medium-high flame for 10 minutes.
- Take off the lid of the pan and mix it nicely. Again cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken releases water.
- Add the fried potato chunks, 3-4 green chillies and stir them carefully. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
- Add 4 cups hot water into the pan and give a stir. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
- Turn the flame low and cook it on low flame for another 10 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix.
- Simmer the gravy on high flame for another 10-15 more seconds and check the salt of the gravy before switching off the flame. Add more if required and mix it well. Then switch off the flame. Now murgir jhol is ready to serve.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the murgir jhol into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Relish it with steamed rice or roti and enjoy the comforting delight.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the chicken
- 1 kg Chicken, bone-in medium pieces
- 2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic paste
- ¼ cup Onion paste
- ¼ cup Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon Mustard oil
For the Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 inches Ginger, diced
- 16 large cloves of Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Water
For the potatoes
- 5 medium Potatoes
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
For the spice paste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1½ teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons Water
Other ingredients for the murgir jhol
- 4 Onions, thinly sliced
- 3-4 green Chillies
- 2 large Tomatoes for paste
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 2-inch Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
- 5 Cardamoms (hari Elaichi)
- 1-2 Dry red chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon Mustard oil for cooking
- 4 cups hot Water for gravy
Instructions
- Peel and cut the vegetables for the curry and keep them aside.
- Take a jar of a grinder and add around 16 peeled large garlic cloves, 2-inch diced ginger and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Add the tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Wash the chicken pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ¼ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, ¼ cup onion paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon mustard oil and 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken pieces. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Cover it and keep it aside for at least 1 hour.
- Peel the potatoes and cut each medium-sized potato into halves.
- Wash them and add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown in colour. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
- In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices - 1 bay leaf, 1-2 dry red chillies, 4 cloves, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 5 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add ½ tablespoon sugar into the pan and stir it continuously over low flame. Allow the sugar to melt.
- Immediately, add the sliced onion and give a quick stir. Cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.
- Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and mix it well. Cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the tomato paste to the pan and give a nice mix.
- Add salt and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium-low flame until the masala releases oil.
- In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1½ teaspoons red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1½ teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons of water into it. Make a paste of the spices.
- Add the spice paste to the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Now, add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over medium-high flame for 10 minutes.
- Take off the lid of the pan and mix it nicely. Again cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken releases water.
- Add the fried potato chunks, 3-4 green chillies and stir them carefully. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
- Add 4 cups hot water into the pan and give a stir. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
- Turn the flame low and cook it on low flame for another 10 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix.
- Simmer the gravy on high flame for another 10-15 more seconds and check the salt of the gravy before switching off the flame. Add more if required and mix it well. Then switch off the flame. Now murgir jhol is ready to serve.
