AI-generated image
Morgh-e torsh
Morgh-e torsh (مرغ ترش): Gilani chicken braised with herbs, walnuts and sour plums
Morgh-e torsh is everyday Sunday cooking in Rasht and the villages of Gilan, where gardens overflow with herbs and the cooking leans sour rather than sweet. Chicken pieces are browned, then braised with a mountain of chopped coriander, parsley, mint and garlic chives, ground walnuts and sour plums, finished with verjuice or lemon until the sauce turns a deep olive green. It is eaten with kateh, the simple Caspian rice. A common mistake is adding the herbs raw to the pot; fry them first until dark and fragrant, or the sauce tastes grassy. Chef's tip: a beaten egg stirred in at the very end is how many Gilani grandmothers thicken and enrich the sauce.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat half the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skin removed in batches for 6 minutes until golden on all sides. Lift out.
12 minStep 2: Lower the heat, add the rest of the 2 tbsp sunflower oil and fry 1 onion for 8 minutes until golden. Add 6 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ground turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
9 minStep 3: Add the 9 oz mixed fresh coriander, parsley, mint and garlic chives and fry, stirring often, for 10 minutes until they darken and smell sweet rather than raw.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz walnuts for 2 minutes, then return the chicken with 10 dried sour plums (alu bukhara) or prunes, 1 ¾ cups water, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F by the bone.
35 minStep 5: Add 4 tbsp verjuice or lemon juice and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and a film of oil rises to the top. Taste: it should be clearly sour, softened by the plums.
5 minStep 6: If using, stir in the 1 egg off the heat for a minute until the sauce turns silky. Serve with plain rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does morgh-e torsh take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Chicken kdra with almonds
Kdra takes its name from the tall copper pot it was cooked in, and in Fez it is a festive dish for weddings and family gatherings rather than an everyday tagine. The sauce is the point: kilos of onion melted down with smen, saffron, white pepper and cinnamon until it turns pale gold and creamy, with no tomato or paprika at all. Soft chickpeas and almonds simmered until tender go into it, and the whole thing is scooped up with bread. Expect a mellow, perfumed, buttery richness rather than heat. Chef's tip: soak and simmer the blanched almonds with the chicken; they lose their crunch and become creamy like the chickpeas, which is how Fassi cooks like them.
Moroccan
Mar i muntanya
Sea and mountain: the cooks of the Empordà, between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, have long put chicken and seafood in one pot, and this version with prawns is the one most families make for a celebration lunch. The sauce is a dark sofrito finished with a picada of almonds, hazelnuts, garlic and a little dark chocolate, which adds depth rather than sweetness. It uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Chef's tip: cook the prawns only briefly at the start and return them at the end, so they stay juicy while the chicken braises.
Spanish
Chicken tikka masala
Marinating the chicken in spiced yoghurt keeps it tender, and a few minutes under a hot grill gives it the smoky char of a tandoor. The sauce is rich but not heavy, finished with a little cream and dried fenugreek leaves.
Indian