
Parsi Chutney Ma Murgi
A Parsi chicken curry made with a tart green mango, mint and coconut chutney stirred into a tangy onion sauce. It tastes bright, herbal and gently spicy, with tender chicken and soft pieces of mango.
Ingredients
Method
- Blend 180 g mango, 50 g coriander leaves and stems, 25 g mint, 6 g garlic, 50 g coconut and 99.4 g water to a smooth paste. Scrape out and set aside.
- Without washing the blender, grind the remaining 6 g garlic and 10 g ginger root with a splash of water to a paste. Set aside.
- Heat 40.5 g vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 150 g white onion and fry for 10–12 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for 1 minute.
- Add 4 g green bird's-eye chilli and 750 g skinless chicken on the bone and fry for 2–3 minutes.
- Season with salt to taste, add 199 g water, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Add the green chutney mixture, 25 g lime juice and most of the 120 g diced mango. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring well.
- Stir in the rest of the 120 g diced mango and serve warm.
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Garlic

Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Fresh ginger

Ginger pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

White onion

Brown onionUse the same weight; it is the closest everyday match, with a slightly deeper sweetness when fried.
Red onionUse the same weight; it is sharper and will tint the dish pink, so cook a little longer for sweetness.
ShallotUse the same weight; it is milder and sweeter, so reduce frying time slightly to avoid burning.

Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Skinless chicken on the bone

Skinless bone-in chickenUse the same weight; same ingredient and cooking time.
Skinless bone-in chicken thigh and drumstickUse the same weight; smaller pieces cook 5–10 minutes faster.
Bone-in chickenUse the same weight; remove the skin before cooking. Same result.

Water

StockUse the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.
MilkUse the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.
Coconut waterUse the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Ripe mango

Canned mango pulpUse the same weight for purées and curries; adjust sugar and lime juice to taste.
PapayaUse the same weight; softer and less aromatic, so add lime juice and a little sugar.
PineappleUse the same weight for chutneys; sharper and more fibrous, so adjust sugar.

Lime

LemonUse the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.
Lemon juiceUse about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Coriander leaves

Coriander (cilantro) or basilUse the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.
Basil leavesUse the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.
Coriander pasteUse 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Mint

Dried mintUse about 30% of the weight of fresh mint. Rub between your palms to crush before stirring in; the flavour will be more intensely herbal and less bright.
Coriander leafUse equal weight, finely chopped. Adds fresh citrusy green notes, but lacks the cooling menthol lift.

Coconut

Fresh coconutUse equal weight freshly grated or diced. Delivers the identical sweet, milky taste and juicy texture.
Desiccated coconutUse 60% of the weight and soak in hot water or milk for 15 minutes before using. The finished dish will be slightly sweeter and less fibrous.
Dried coconutFinely grate and use 50% of the weight, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes. Yields a firmer chew and a denser, oilier coconut aroma.
Similar dishes

- Same: Aam Ka Gola shares mango, lime and ginger with this dish, and both use a sour mango for brightness.
- Different: Aam Ka Gola is a frozen slushie with canned mango pulp and tequila, while this dish is a cooked chicken curry with onion, garlic, bird's-eye chilli, coconut, coriander, mint and pieces of mango.

- Same: Khatta Murgh and this dish are both bone-in chicken curries soured with unripe mango and built on onion, ginger, garlic, green bird’s-eye chilli and vegetable oil.
- Different: Khatta Murgh uses turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, sugar and a final garam masala, with no coconut, mint, lime or separate chutney, while this dish stirs a green mango, mint and coconut chutney into the onion sauce.

- Same: Kairi Murg shares with this dish chicken, onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic, oil, salt, and tart raw mango as the souring fruit.
- Different: Kairi Murg lacks coconut, mint, lime, and a separate chutney, and it uses turmeric and chilli powder with browned onions rather than stirring a mint-coconut-mango chutney into the sauce.

- Same: Rajasthani Khade Masale Ka Murgh shares with this dish skinless chicken on the bone, onion, garlic, ginger, green bird's-eye chilli, vegetable oil and salt.
- Different: Rajasthani Khade Masale Ka Murgh uses tomato and whole spices such as cassia bark, bay leaf, black peppercorn, black cardamom, cumin seed and clove and is cooked dry, while this dish lacks tomato and whole spices and adds green mango, lime, mint, coriander and coconut as a chutney in a watery onion sauce.
































