Chicken Chaap

Name: Chicken Chaap
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: bengali
Ingredients: 800 g chicken (bone-in leg and thigh pieces, skin removed); 3 pcs onion (medium, thinly sliced); 0.75 cup yogurt (plain, whisked); 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 tbsp cashews (soaked and ground to a paste); 1 tbsp melon seeds (soaked and ground to a paste); 1 tbsp poppy seeds (soaked and ground to a paste); 2 tbsp ghee; 1 tbsp oil; 2 pcs bay leaf; 4 pcs green cardamom; 4 pcs cloves; 1 inch cinnamon (broken); 6 pcs black peppercorns; 0.5 tsp red chili powder; 1 pinch turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 pinch cumin powder; 0.5 tsp garam masala; 0.5 tsp sugar; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp kewra water; 1 cup water

RATING

4.6/5(137)

TASTE SCORE

9/10

Rich, aromatic chicken chaap with a silky onion-yogurt gravy, warm whole spices, and a gentle sweetness from fried onions. This Kolkata favorite is slow-cooked until the chicken turns tender and deeply flavorful.

PREP

20m

COOK

45m

SERVES

1 KATORI

518 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 8 STEPS

prep · ~15 min
Prepare the fried onion and seed paste.
1.Heat the oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a wide pan over medium heat.
2.Add the sliced onion and fry until deep golden and crisp at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
3.Set aside half the fried onion for later.
4.Blend the remaining fried onion with cashews, melon seeds, poppy seeds, and a few spoonfuls of water into a smooth paste.
TIPKeep the heat medium so the onion browns evenly and does not turn bitter.
mix · ~20 min
Marinate the chicken.
Mix the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, sugar, and salt. Add the onion-seed paste and coat well. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
saute · ~1 min
Bloom the whole spices in ghee.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp ghee in the same pan. Add bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and black peppercorns. Cook for 30 to 40 seconds until fragrant.
saute · ~11 min
Cook the marinated chicken.
1.Add the marinated chicken to the pan in a single layer.
2.Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the pieces once.
3.Scrape in all the marinade and cook until it thickens slightly and smells cooked, 4 to 5 minutes more.
simmer · ~25 min
Slow-cook the chaap.
Pour in the water, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy turns rich and thick. Turn the pieces once or twice so they cook evenly.
TIPChicken chaap should have a clingy gravy, not a thin curry. Uncover for the last few minutes if needed.
garnish · ~1 min
Finish with garam masala, kewra water, and fried onion.
Sprinkle in the garam masala, drizzle over the kewra water, and scatter the reserved fried onion on top. Cook uncovered for 1 minute.
rest · ~5 min
Rest the chicken chaap for 5 minutes.
serve
Serve hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Fry the onions to a deep golden brown, not just soft, because their sweetness defines the chaap gravy.
2
Whisk the yogurt well before marinating so it blends smoothly and is less likely to split in the pan.
3
Let the marinated chicken sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking for more even simmering.
4
Cook the marinade until the raw yogurt-ginger-garlic smell disappears before adding water.
5
Keep the final gravy thick and clingy; uncover at the end only if it looks too loose.
6
Add kewra water right at the finish and sparingly, since too much can overpower the warm spice profile.
7
Chicken chaap tastes even better after a short rest, when the fried onion and whole spice aromas settle into the gravy.