Murgh Mussallam - Chicken in a Yogurt Based Sauce

So Sana asked for a fun, yummy, exciting and NEW desi recipe. Well, this recipe is all that and more importantly, it's unique. The best thing about it is that although it's 'desi', it does not involve a ton of the traditional spices in bulk which we normally use. However, despite that, the flavor is amazingly rich and just absolutely full of flavor. I think one of the most impressive thing about a dish with flavor is if its been crafted using simple ingredients.

The following recipe is sure to to be a delightful change for your regular desi tastebuds. But also, it is a recipe that's very appropriate for hosting non desis. I definitely recommend adding this to your menu if you ever happen to host a diverse crowd :)

I got this recipe from a desi website. Keep in mind that when desi sites list their ingredient quantities, they are doing so with chickens from desi land in mind. It's laughable, but really, the size of the average chicken or goat over here is much larger. That's why it's best to kind of do your own estimation and increase as you see fit.

Chicken cut into pieces, 1 kg (I use a whole chicken most of the time)

Juice from 1 lemon (I use about 2 big ones)

Ghee, 1 tbsp (I use vegetable and olive oil  mixed, but more than 1 tbsp and more like a few, since its for frying onions)

Onions, sliced, 1 cup (I used an additional 1/4 cup maybe)

Ginger, 1" piece, chopped (I used a bit more)

Yogurt, 1 cup (I use a bit more, since the yogurt makes the 'gravy' part of this dish. It's veryyy hearty and yummy, so you want more of it!)

Almonds, ground, about 12 (I use a bit more)

Raisins, 10-12 (I use those plus cranberries too. They add SUPER yummy taste)

Garam masala 1 tsp (definitely need more than that, about 1 tbsp)

Saffron, few strands

Additional ingredients I use: potatoes, carrots, peas

Lemons cut into wedges, onion slices, and chopped green coriander to garnish

Method: 

Marinate chicken in lemon juice and set aside for 2 hrs. Heat the oil, add onions and ginger, and saute till brown. Remove from heat and cool. In a food processor, grind onion/ginger mixture into a smooth paste. Then blend in the yogurt and almonds into this paste. The paste should be hearty/thick enough to make a decent amount of 'gravy' for the chicken. In the oil leftover from the onions, saute the chicken lightly. Then add the yogurt/onion/etc mixture and cook covered with a heavy lid. After about 20 minutes, add raisins;cranberries, garam masala, and saffron. At  this point I add potatoes, carrots and peas as well. You might want to do this a bit earlier if you think the potatoes are big in size and may take longer to cook. Then cook until chicken/veggies are done. Garnish with lemons, onions and coriander.