Chicken Chargha

If you love kebabs then you will definitely love this dish. It isn’t the usual kebab but will definitely please your palate. Chicken Chargha is a popular recipe from the city of Lahore. It is a unique recipe in which the whole chicken is cooked along with a distinct blend of aromatic ingredients and spices. The uniqueness of the recipe is the method of cooking employed for preparing the dish. It is both steamed and then fried. The result is a dish that has an appetizing and piquant flavour. It is also popularly known as Lahori style roast chicken. Serve it as a starter or with naan. All you need is a good yoghurt dip or sauce and you are set for an amazing meal.

 

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken – 1 (make deep cuts)

• Garlic water – ¼ cup (* recipe below)

• salt – to taste

• Cumin powder – 3 tsp

• Chat masala – 1 ½ tsp

• Coriander powder – 2 tsp

• Vinegar – 2 tbsp

• Orange colour – as you need

• Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp

• yogurt – 125g

• Ground ginger – 1 tsp

 

Method:

• Wash chicken, give deep cuts and apply vinegar

• Put in strainer and leave in fridge for 2 hours.

• Then put all remaining spices in yogurt and mix well then apply on chicken

• Leave for half an hour in fridge.

• Now wrap chicken in foil and steam for 1 and half an hour.

• Now, heat oil, and put the remaining liquid (in the foil) along with chicken in a pan and cook on high heat until the concoction dries up.

• Serve with raita.

 

Garlic Water:

• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic

• 1/4 cup water

Method

• Mince 1 1/2 tbsp garlic and mix with 1/4 cup water.

• Let it stand for 5 minutes. Rub the mixture with your hands, through a fine muslin cloth, and collect the extract.

• Use as required.

 

Raita:

• Mint – 1 bunch

• Green chillies – 6

• cook pepper – few

• Fried cumin seeds – 2 tsp

• salt – to taste

• yogurt – as you need

• Grind all spices and mix in yogurt and serve with chicken.