Chicken chaap

Chicken chaap is one of the Mughlai delicacies which became popular in Bengal during the rule of Nawabs in Bengal. It has been an intricate part of the food popular during the Bengali festivals like Durga puja. The Biryani and chicken chaap are the most cherished food combination served as part of the traditional Mughlai cuisine in the restaurants of Kolkata. This delicious dish can also be served with Naan or Rumali roti.

During my childhood and teen days in Kolkata, I haven’t observed this dish being cooked at home, mostly may be because it is a Mughlai dish, and in the kitchen of people following Hinduism, chicken was not a popular ingredient. Mutton or lamb meat was mostly preferred at home. Another theory may be chicken chaap was so readily available in the restaurants of Kolkata, it is not necessary to prepare it at home. There are restaurants like Shiraz, Nizam and Arsalan who are popular for delicious chicken chaap in their menu.

Ingredients

Main Ingredient

• Chicken 6 full Leg pieces

Marination

• 1 big onion
• 8 to 10 medium garlic cloves
• 2 inch ginger peeled
• 2 red chilies
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 to 6 green cardamom
• 3 to 4 cloves
• 1 Mace
• 1/2 nutmeg grated
• 1/2 cup hung curd
• 4 to 5 green chilies
• 2 tbsp sattu (roasted gram flour)
• Salt as per taste

Gravy

• 10 to 12 cashew nuts (soaked in water)
• 3 tbsp of poppy seeds (soaked in water)
• 1 cup milk

Aromatics

• 4 to 5 strands of saffron
• 1 tbsp kewra water

Fat

• 1 cup mustard oil
• 4 tbsp of clarified butter or ghee

Preparations

Marinate

• Make a fine paste of the marination
• Make 2 to 3 cuts on the chicken legs
• Marinate the chicken legs for 4 to 5 hours
• Soak the saffron strands in warm milk and keep it ready

Fry

• Heat mustard oil in an iron wok and fry the chicken legs on medium heat
• Fry both the sided after flipping till they are light brown.
• Preferably fry one or two at a time.
• Don’t overcrowd the wok.

Gravy

• Heat ghee or clarified butter in a pan
• Add the remaining marinate and fry
• Make a paste of cashew nuts, poppy seeds.
• Add the paste in the pan and fry
• Add the chicken pieces and mix
• Cover cook on slow flame
• Add milk in small quantity , stir and cover cook
• Add kewra essence.

Print

Chicken chaap | chicken chaap kolkata style

Chicken chaap is a Mughalai recipe popularised by the Nawabs in Bengal. In this recipe marinated chicken pieces are shallow fried and then cooked in a nutty creamy aromatic gravy.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Bengali cuisine, Indian cuisine, Mughlai

Keyword arsalan chicken chaap recipe, bengali chicken chaap, chicken chaap fry, chicken chaap ingredients, chicken chaap kolkata, chicken chaap masala, chicken recipes, chicken recipes for dinner

Prep Time 5 hours

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 6 hours

Author indrani

Ingredients

Ingredients

Main Ingredient

• Chicken 6 full Leg pieces

Marination

• 1 big onion
• 8 to 10 medium garlic cloves
• 2 inch ginger peeled
• 2 red chilies
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 to 6 green cardamom
• 3 to 4 cloves
• 1 Mace
• 1/2 nutmeg grated
• 1/2 cup hung curd
• 4 to 5 green chilies
• 2 tbsp sattu roasted gram flour
• Salt as per taste

Gravy

• 10 to 12 cashew nuts soaked in water
• 3 tbsp of poppy seeds soaked in water
• 1 cup milk

Aromatics

• 4 to 5 strands of saffron
• 1 tbsp kewra water

Fat

• 1 cup mustard oil
• 4 tbsp of clarified butter or ghee

Instructions

Preparations

Marinate

1. Make a fine paste of the marination
2. Make 2 to 3 cuts on the chicken legs
3. Marinate the chicken legs for 4 to 5 hours
4. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk and keep it ready

Fry

1. Heat mustard oil in an iron wok and fry the chicken legs on medium heat
2. Fry both the sided after flipping till they are light brown.
3. Preferably fry one or two at a time.
4. Don’t overcrowd the wok.

Gravy

1. Heat ghee or clarified butter in a pan
2. Add the remaining marinate and fry
3. Make a paste of cashew nuts, poppy seeds.
4. Add the paste in the pan and fry
5. Add the chicken pieces and mix
6. Cover cook on slow flame
7. Add milk in small quantity , stir and cover cook
8. Add kewra essence.

Recipe Video