Parsi · Indian Cuisine
Salli Murgi
Parsi chicken curry with dried apricot, finished with cream and a crown of crispy potato straws
Salli murgi earns its name from the potato straws (salli) that are piled on top just before serving. These thin-cut, deep-fried potato shreds provide a crunch that no other garnish can replicate and a visual drama that marks this as a festive dish. Below them, the chicken curry is rich, slightly sweet from the dried apricots, and rounded with cream. A combination that places this squarely in the Parsi tradition of sweet-savoury balance.
The salli must be made fresh and added at the last moment; they soften within minutes of contact with the hot curry and lose the crunch that is the whole point. This is a dish about timing as much as flavour.
At a Glance
Yield
Serves 4
Prep
25 minutes
Cook
40 minutes
Total
1 hour 5 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients
- 1 lbboneless chicken, cut into large pieces
- 3½ ozonions (about ½–1 onion), sliced
- 1green chilli, sliced
- 1¾ tbspgarlic, crushed
- ⅓ cupfresh ginger, minced
- ¾ tspturmeric
- 1⅛ tspred chilli powder
- 1 tspcumin powder
- ⅞ tspcinnamon powder
- ⅓ tspwhite pepper
- 5½ oztomatoes (about 1–1½ tomatoes), blended smooth
- 2 tbspneutral oil
- ¼ cupwater
- 1⅔ tspsalt
- ½ tspsugar
- 1 ozdried apricots, halved (optional but traditional)
- ⅔ tspgaram masala
- 1¾ fl ozcream
- 1⅔ cupfresh coriander, chopped
- 1 lbpotatoes (about 3–3½ potatoes), peeled and very finely shredded (on a julienne grater or mandoline)
- —Salt
- —Oil for deep-frying
Method
- 1
Cook the curry base. Heat oil in a kadhai over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chilli (1), garlic (10 g), ginger (30 g), turmeric (2 g), red chilli powder (2 g), white pepper (1 g), cumin (2 g), and cinnamon (2 g). Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
- 2
Add tomatoes (150 g). Add the blended tomato. Cook until oil separates, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add 60 ml water, and blend to a smooth paste. Return to the pan.
- 3
Cook the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken in a wok or wide pan in a little oil for 5 minutes. Add the blended onion-tomato masala, salt (10 g), sugar (2 g), and enough water (60 ml) to barely cover. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the gravy has thickened.
- 4
Finish. Add the dried apricots (if using) and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the cream (50 ml) and garam masala (2 g). Garnish with coriander (30 g). Keep warm.
- 5
Make the salli. Rinse the shredded potato thoroughly in cold water until water runs clear. Pat completely dry with a kitchen towel. This is essential for crispy results. Heat oil in a kadhai to 180°C. Fry the potato straws in small batches until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Drain and immediately season with salt.
- 6
Serve. Top each portion of chicken with a generous tangle of salli at the table.
Why This Works
Drying the shredded potato thoroughly before frying removes surface moisture, which otherwise steams rather than fries the potato, producing a soggy result. A completely dry potato hits the hot oil with immediate, direct contact, producing a fast, even crisp.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with rice or soft bread. The curry is rich enough to need plain accompaniment. The salli must go on at the last second; serve with extra salli on the side.
Storage & Reheating
Curry keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Make salli fresh each time.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 512kcal (26%)|Total Carbohydrates: 30.8g (11%)|Protein: 42.5g (85%)|Total Fat: 23.9g (31%)|Saturated Fat: 5.3g (27%)|Cholesterol: 114mg (38%)|Sodium: 2599mg (113%)|Dietary Fiber: 4.2g (15%)|Total Sugars: 3g
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