Indian cooking / Dishes / Trami Kokur Safed

Trami Kokur Safed

Chicken in White Sauce

Non-vegetarian●●●Origin Jammu and KashmirPrep 20 minutesCook 35 minutes

A fragrant Kashmiri chicken dish braised gently in spiced milk until the liquid evaporates, leaving the meat tender and coated in a delicate, aromatic sauce flavoured with fennel and warming spices.

Poaching spices

22 gStirred into the diluted milk (step 2)

Ground fennel seed · Saunf Powder

11 g5 teaspoons

spice

Ground ginger · Saunth

3.6 g2 teaspoons

spice

Clove · Laung

0.7 g10 cloves

spice

Cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon) · Dalchini

6 g5 pieces

spice

Keep the whole cloves and cinnamon stick together with the ground fennel and ginger.

Everything else

Ghee or vegetable oil · Ghee ya telplus extra for deep-frying

40 g3 tablespoons

oil/fat

Chicken · Murghcut into 10–12 pieces

1000 g

poultry

Milk · Doodh

1034 g1 l

dairy

Salt · Namak

to taste

salt

Method

Pour enough ghee or vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok for deep-frying and heat to 180°C (350°F). Lower the 1000 g chicken pieces into the hot fat and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until pale golden, then lift out and drain on paper towels.
In a broad, heavy-bottomed pot, combine 1034 g milk with 250 g water. Add the poaching spices, 40.5 g ghee or vegetable oil, and salt to taste. Bring to a rolling boil and cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the fried chicken to the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes until the liquid reduces away entirely and the meat is thoroughly cooked.

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Ghee or vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use equal weight; handles high tempering heat well and keeps flavours neutral.
Butter
Use equal weight; cook over gentle heat to prevent browning the milk solids too quickly.

Chicken

Turkey thigh
Use 100% of the weight, cut into equivalent bone-in or boneless pieces. Simmer for an extra 5 to 10 minutes; flavour and texture are very similar.
Lamb
Use 100% of the weight. Cut into bite-sized pieces and extend simmering time by 35 to 50 minutes, adding extra liquid to allow the meat to tenderise.

Milk

Whole milk
Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.
Single cream
Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.
Plain yogurt
Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Ground fennel seed

Fennel seed
Grind whole seeds finely; use equal weight (1:1). Provides a fresh, sweet, aniseed aroma that is slightly stronger than pre-ground powder.
Aniseed
Grind finely; use 75% to 80% of the weight. Has a sharper, sweeter liquorice taste with less of fennel's herbal earthiness.
Star anise
Grind whole star anise finely; use 30% to 40% of the weight. Very potent aniseed flavour that easily overpowers a dish if not used sparingly.

Ground ginger

Ginger paste
Use 300% to 400% of the weight (e.g. 3–4 g paste for 1 g ground). Fry in oil alongside onions; provides a juicy, pungent kick rather than a dry, baking-spice heat.
Fresh ginger
Peel and grate finely; use 300% to 400% of the weight. Add to the hot oil early; delivers bright, peppery warmth rather than the mellow, woody heat of dry ginger.
Ground mace
Use 50% of the weight. Imparts a warm, spicy undertone in rich gravies, but lacks ginger's fiery, sharp zest.

Clove

Ground cloves
Use 1 g ground for 4 g whole (or 1 small pinch per 2 to 3 whole cloves). Add with spice powders; disperses intense warmth quickly, so use with restraint.
Allspice berries
Use 100% of the weight whole in tempering. Imparts a warm, clove-like aromatic profile combined with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Black cardamom pod
Use 1 pod for 3 to 4 cloves in whole tempering. Shares a camphor-like warmth and medicinal depth, though it introduces a distinct smoky undertone.

Cassia bark

Ceylon cinnamon
True cinnamon: thinner, papery quills, milder and sweeter. Use about 1.5 times the weight, and taste.
Ground cinnamon (cassia)
Use about a third of the weight (0.5 g ground for a 2.5 cm piece), stirred in with the ground spices rather than fried whole, since the powder burns quickly.
Cassia buds
Use 60-70% of the weight; stronger and more peppery, so taste before adding more.

Similar dishes

Trami Kokur

Saffron Chicken

Trami Kokur is spicier and more floral from the chilli and saffron, lacking the creamy, mild sweetness of this milk-braised dish.

Same: Trami Kokur also braises chicken in ghee with ground fennel seed, cinnamon stick, and clove until the liquid reduces to coat the meat.
Different: Trami Kokur incorporates boiled onion paste, chilli powder, and saffron, but leaves out the milk and ground ginger used in this dish.

Thanda Qorma

Cold Chicken Korma

Thanda Qorma is more savoury, pungent, and spicy from the garlic, black pepper, and chillies, lacking the sweet dairy richness and aniseed aroma of this dish.

Same: Both dishes braise bone-in chicken in ghee with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger until the liquid reduces to coat the meat.
Different: Thanda Qorma omits the milk and ground fennel seed, adding onions, garlic, green cardamom, black peppercorns, and green chillies, and is chilled before serving.

Murg Roganjosh

Chicken in a Rich Scarlet Sauce

Murg Roganjosh is tangier, mildly fiery, and pungent from the mustard oil, contrasting with the mild, sweet, and milky profile of this dish.

Same: Both dishes braise chicken with Kashmiri aromatics including ground ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
Different: Murg Roganjosh simmers the meat in yogurt and a large amount of mustard oil with Kashmiri chilli, cardamoms, and asafoetida, whereas this dish cooks chicken down in milk with ghee and fennel.

Chicken Ishtoo

Indian-Style Chicken Stew

Chicken Ishtoo is a light, mildly spiced broth with green chilli heat and whole-spice aroma, while this dish is milk-coated and fennel-scented with a richer, less brothy finish.

Same: Chicken Ishtoo shares tender braised chicken, cinnamon, clove, and salt with this dish.
Different: Chicken Ishtoo uses vegetable oil, onion, fresh ginger, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilli, bay leaf, and green cardamom, while this dish uses ghee or oil, milk, ground fennel, and ground ginger and cooks until the milk evaporates.