Chicken Moilee – East Indian Chicken Recipe

The Moilee is a traditional recipe, mostly made by the East Indian Community of Mumbai, Thane, Vasai and the Raigad District. Actually, Duck is the preferred meat for Moilee, but since it is difficult to get in today’s time, chicken has turned out to be the next best choice. Duck moilee is usually served at an East Indian Wedding or Christmas or Easter. I learned this recipe many many years ago from my Late husband, Anthony Dsouza. He was good at making this dish, besides some other dishes too. He was very particular about the quality of the East Indian Bottle masala that was used in making this particular dish. This is one of the tasty Indian chicken curry gravy recipes. You can try this chicken curry recipe for dinner.

Today, I will show to you how to prepare the Traditional East Indian – Chicken Moilee.

In this recipe, I prefer to use chicken instead of duck, So please note the ingredients. 

Chicken Moilee Recipe.

The marination and the pre-frying process of the chicken & potatoes.

•  Cut the 1kg whole chicken into medium sized pieces. Wash thoroughly and then drain off the excess water by keeping it in a perforated colander.
• Now place this chicken in a bowl.
• Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
• Apply the juice of 1 full Lemon to the chicken.
• Add a bit of salt to the chicken.
• Mix it nicely and leave it to marinate for 15 minutes.
• At that same time, cut and slice 2 big potatoes. Peel off the skin or leave it on, depending on your preference.
• Cut the potato into round thick slices about ½ cm thick.
• Apply salt and turmeric to these potato slices and let it get absorbed for about 10 minutes.
• Take a frying pan. To it add 1 cup of oil and then shallow fry the chicken in batches.
• In the same pan shallow fry the sliced potatoes until they become light golden brown on both sides.

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Ingredients required for the Moilee gravy.

•  4 Onions fine sliced.
• 2 green chillies cut thin lengthwise.
• 1 tablespoon ginger cut into thin julienne.
• 2 tablespoon Garlic cut into thin julienne. 
  
• 2 tablespoon East Indian Bottle Masala.  
  
• 2 tablespoon Cashewnut paste(optional), but I add It.
• ½  lemon juice.
• 3 to 4 green cardamom.
• 4 cloves.
• 2 Bay leaves.
• 1 Inch stick Cinnamon.  
  
• 3 Tablespoon oil.

 Method Of Preparation :

• On a medium heat, place a heavy bottom vessel.  
  
• Add 3 tablespoon of oil.  
  
• Add the Green Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon and Bay Leafs. 
  
• Saute for about 1 minute until the flavor erupts. Then add the Onions and fry them until light golden brown. Then add the green chilies and fry them until soft for a couple of seconds.
• Now add the Garlic & Ginger Julienne – saute and fry until it softens and the oil separates.
•  Add the cashewnut paste and then fry for few seconds. Then add the Bottle Masala and fry well for a couple of seconds, constantly stirring, inorder to make sure that the masala does not stick to the bottom or burn.
•  Add ½ cup of water if you have to, inorder to keep the flavor and color of the masala intact.
• Lastly add the fried chicken and mix well so as to evenly spread out the masala to all corners of the chicken.
• Add just 1 to 2 cups of water, not more, as it is important to keep the Moilee in medium thick consistency. At this point check out the salt and add additional salt if need be, as per your requirement.
• Increase the heat and bring this dish to full boil. Cook with a closed lid until the chicken catches up with the masala and gravy and is thoroughly cooked. `
•  Squeeze an additional ½ lemon juice into the gravy.
•  Once you are done, taste the same.
• Then layer the top of the chicken Moilee with the fried sliced potatoes.
• Lower the heat and simmer the dish for about 1 minute.
• Garnish it with freshly chopped green coriander leaves.

This Chicken Moilee Is best enjoyed with fugias / handmade East Indian rice Rotis. Some also prefer it with jeera or plain rice. We hope you have loved this Indian chicken curry recipe.

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