Kolkata Chicken Chaap Recipe is essentially slow-cooked chicken leg that is marinated overnight, for the chicken to take in all the flavors. It is then cooked in a rich & luscious onion, ginger-garlic, cashews, and poppy seeds gravy.
It is a dish from Mughal cuisine that requires slow roasting of the chicken in ghee slathered with a rich marinade consisting of cashew nuts, melon seeds, and poppy seeds among others.
It is a Classic Delight for Indian food lovers. This unique combination of juicy and moist chicken pieces and rich and thick gravy. Any Indian festival will go dull if it doesn’t include Biryani and Chaap on its menu.
You can easily prepare this Kolkata restaurant-style popular Bengali chicken chaap recipe at home. You need a little patience while making this recipe as his recipe requires a bit longer time to prepare, marinate, and cook.
Ingredients For chicken Chaap
- 3 pc chicken legs ( 500g )
- 3/4 cup Curd/Yogurt
- 1 tsp Grated ginger
- 1½ tsp Crushed garlic
- 2 Bay leaves (tej patta)
- 1 Dry Red Chilli
- 1-inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
- 2 Medium-Sized Onions
- 2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 3 tablespoons Poppy seeds
- Kewra Water, a few drops
- Ghee, or butter as required for cooking
- Salt, to taste
- 1 pinch Sugar
Instructions For Chicken Chaap
Preparation:
- Wash and clean the chicken pieces and pat them dry with a kitchen cloth.
- Soak the poppy seed in 1/5 cup warm water for 30 mins, covered. Drain the water and make a fine paste of it. Keep it aside for later use.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the curd, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, garam masala powder, a touch of salt, and a pinch of sugar with a hand whisk or a fork until evenly blended.
- Pour this marinade all over the chicken, and mix well.
- Add a spoonful of ghee to it and coat the chicken, this will keep the chicken soft and juicy after being cooked.
- Allow it to rest for 4 hrs – 6 hrs in the refrigerator. You can marinate the chicken overnight to get the best results when the recipe is done.
- Remove the chicken and let it come to room temperature.
- In a wide Kadai or handi add about 2 tablespoons of ghee on medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, temper with bay leaf, whole red chili, and cinnamon stick and stir for a little while.
- Now shake off all marinade and add chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry them on medium heat.
- Slow cook for about 15- 20 minutes flipping the legs from time to time. Don’t let the chicken pieces turn brown.
- Once the leg is almost cooked, add the remaining marinade and cook for about 10 more minutes for all the raw smell of onion and ginger garlic to disappear.
- Add poppy seed paste and mix well so that all pieces get coated with the paste.
- Cook for another 20-30 minutes and till the spices are dried and the dish comes together and smells divine. Add 1 or 2 drops of kewra water, stir, and switch off.
- If your gravy has dried up and the chicken is still undone sprinkle some warm water in between. And if the chicken is done and it is watery increase the flame to evaporate.
- Now Kolkata restaurant-style chicken Chaap is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Biryani: Serve chicken chaap with fragrant biryani for a complete meal. You can use any biryani recipe of your choice, but the classic chicken biryani or vegetable biryani would be an excellent accompaniment to the rich and flavorful chicken chaap.
- Rice: Chicken chaap can also be served with plain steamed rice or jeera rice. The mild and aromatic flavor of the rice pairs well with the spicy and creamy chicken chaap.
- Naan or Paratha: You can also serve chicken chaap with fresh naan bread or paratha for a hearty meal. The soft and fluffy naan bread or flaky paratha complements the rich and creamy chicken chaap perfectly.
- Salad and Raita: To balance the spiciness of the chicken chaap, serve it with a refreshing salad and cool raita. A simple cucumber-tomato-onion salad or a mixed greens salad with lemon vinaigrette would be an excellent choice. For raita, you can use plain yogurt with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and mint leaves.
Tips and variation
- Marination: Marinate the chicken for at least 3-4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator for tender and flavorful meat. The marinade should include yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, and a pinch of saffron.
- Cooking: Cook the chicken on low flame for a longer time to ensure that it is cooked through and the meat is tender. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Spices: Use whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to give the chicken chaap a fragrant and aromatic flavor. You can also use a spice blend like garam masala for added flavor.
- Creamy texture: To get a creamy and rich texture, add cashew nut paste or cream to the chicken chaap towards the end of cooking. This will also help to thicken the sauce.
- Garnishing: Garnish the chicken chaap with fried onions, chopped coriander leaves, and sliced green chilies for added flavor and texture.
- Serving: Serve the chicken chaap hot with biryani, rice, naan, or paratha for a complete meal. You can also serve it with salad and raita to balance the spiciness of the dish.
VARIATION
- Boneless Chicken Chaap: You can use boneless chicken pieces instead of bone-in chicken for a quicker and easier version of chicken chaap.
- Mutton Chaap: Replace chicken with mutton and cook it in the same way to make delicious mutton chaap.
- Paneer Chaap: For vegetarians, you can use paneer cubes instead of chicken and follow the same recipe for paneer chaap.
- Grilled Chicken Chaap: Marinate the chicken as per the recipe and grill the chicken on a grill pan or in the oven for a healthier version of chicken chaap.
- Egg Chaap: Hard-boiled eggs can be added to the chicken chaap to make a unique and delicious egg chaap.
- Potato Chaap: Boiled and mashed potatoes can be added to the chicken chaap to make a vegetarian version of chaap that is both flavorful and nutritious.
FAQs
1 What is the origin of chicken chaap?
Chicken chaap is believed to have originated in the Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow, India. It was then introduced to Kolkata by the Awadhi chefs who settled there during British colonial rule.
2 What are the ingredients for chicken chaap?
The main ingredients are chicken, yogurt, cream, ginger-garlic paste, onion, tomato, spices (like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves), and saffron.
3 How do you marinate chicken for chicken chaap?
To marinate chicken, mix together yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, and a pinch of saffron. Coat the chicken pieces with this marinade and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
4 What is the best way to cook chicken chaap?
Cook chicken chaap on low flame for a longer time to ensure that it is cooked through and the meat is tender. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5 What can I serve with chicken chaap?
It is usually served with biryani, rice, naan, or paratha. You can also serve it with salad and raita to balance the spiciness of the dish.
Nutrition
| Calories | 603kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 23.3gm |
| proteins | 82.5g |
| sodium | 286mg |
| potassium | 336mg |
| sugar | 13.5g |
| Vitamin A | 1045IU |
| Vitamin C | 15mg |
| Fat | 17.5g |
| Iron | 1.3mg |
Chicken Chaap Recipe (Kolkata Style) - A Royal Delight from Kolkata's Culinary Heritage
Kolkata Chicken Chaap Recipe is essentially slow-cooked chicken leg that is marinated overnight, for the chicken to take in all the flavors. It is then cooked in a rich & luscious onion, ginger-garlic, cashews, and poppy seeds gravy.
Ingredients
- 3 pc chicken legs ( 500g )
- 3/4 cup Curd/Yogurt
- 1 tsp Grated ginger
- 1½ tsp Crushed garlic
- 2 Bay leaves (tej patta)
- 1 Dry Red Chilli
- 1-inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
- 2 Medium-Sized Onions
- 2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 3 tablespoons Poppy seeds
- Kewra Water, a few drops
- Ghee, or butter as required for cooking
- Salt, to taste
- 1 pinch Sugar
Instructions
- Wash and clean the chicken pieces and pat them dry with a kitchen cloth.
- Soak the poppy seed in 1/5 cup warm water for 30 mins, covered. Drain the water and make a fine paste of it. Keep it aside for later use.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the curd, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, garam masala powder, a touch of salt, and a pinch of sugar with a hand whisk or a fork until evenly blended.
- Pour this marinade all over the chicken, and mix well.
- Add a spoonful of ghee to it and coat the chicken, this will keep the chicken soft and juicy after being cooked.
- Allow it to rest for 4 hrs – 6 hrs in the refrigerator. You can marinate the chicken overnight to get the best results when the recipe is done.
- Remove the chicken and let it come to room temperature.
- In a wide Kadai or handi add about 2 tablespoons of ghee on medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, temper with bay leaf, whole red chili, and cinnamon stick and stir for a little while.
- Now shake off all marinade and add chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry them on medium heat.
- Slow cook for about 15- 20 minutes flipping the legs from time to time. Don’t let the chicken pieces turn brown.
- Once the leg is almost cooked, add the remaining marinade and cook for about 10 more minutes for all the raw smell of onion and ginger garlic to disappear.
- Add poppy seed paste and mix well so that all pieces get coated with the paste.
- Cook for another 20-30 minutes and till the spices are dried and the dish comes together and smells divine. Add 1 or 2 drops of kewra water, stir, and switch off.
- If your gravy has dried up and the chicken is still undone sprinkle some warm water in between. And if the chicken is done and it is watery increase the flame to evaporate.
- Now Kolkata restaurant-style chicken Chaap is ready to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 603Total Fat: 17.5g
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