Murgh Ké Phool

Chicken Flowers

SERVES 4–6

Murgh ké phool or chicken flowers—I can’t believe I had completely forgotten about this dish! I ate it in Hong Kong many years ago and loved it. But then I never tried making it and, sometime later, just forgot about it.

One day, I was in Sikkim doing research for my Himalayan cookbook. There, at a food festival, I suddenly encountered this delightful dish again—this time with Indian flavours. My friend Mugdha Savkar was with me and the two of us went crazy over them.

Those little meatballs with rice sticking on to them on all sides looked adorable—like tiny white porcupines. Thereafter, I made the dish several times and it always gives me a thrill to serve it at a party.

The appearance of these steamed porcupine meatballs will make your guests go crazy over them, just as Mugdha and I did when we first saw them.

INGREDIENTS

400 g fine chicken mince, triple-ground

2 tsp ginger, finely grated

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 stalk spring onion greens, finely chopped

1 tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp black pepper powder or to taste

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 cup basmati or long-grained rice

METHOD

Wash rice and soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside for 15 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken mince with ginger, garlic, spring onion, garam masala powder, pepper and salt and mix very thoroughly. Divide mixture into lemon-sized portions and roll into balls. Heat water in a steamer over high heat. Spread the rice on a plate. Roll each meatball in the rice to cover it evenly. Place in the steamer and steam for 10–12 minutes till chicken and rice are just cooked. Serve hot with tomato chutney (p. 231).