Chicken Chaap is a very traditional and delicious Mughlai Preparation and widely found to be prepared in almost all the famous restaurants in Kolkata. It is a rich aromatic preparation of chicken where the large chicken pieces are marinated for a long period of time and then cooked in spicy and rich gravy of poppy seeds paste.It tastes best when accompanied by Biryani but it can also be served with naan , paratha or roti. Since quite long time I was looking for an authentic chicken chaap recipe so that I can make it at home. Then one of my food blogger friend Rumela ( author and owner the blog page ,named Mix And Stir) shared a beautiful recipe of this . Then following her process I tried it out. Though the process is bit lengthy and demands a lot of ingredients but the flavor and the taste that come out at the end of cooking it is worth it.My heart core thanks to Rumela for helping me to learn such a wonderful preparation . I would like to request you to keep visiting her pages regularly for more and more exciting and exclusive recipes.
Here comes the entire process Chicken Chaap.
Ingredients:
- Chicken:900 gm to 1 kg.
- For TheMarinade:
- Hung Curd/Greek yogurt : 3/4 th to 1 cup( if you don't have Greek yogurt at your home make it instantly. Take the normal unsweetened yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 30 minutes to 1 hour until all the water drains out from it)
- Onion: 2 large ( thin slice)
- Ginger :1 tsp.(Paste)
- Garlic: 2 tbsp.(Paste)
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 2/3 tbsp.
- Red Chili Powder:1/2 tsp or according to your tolerance
- Coriander Powder:1 tsp.
- Salt : As per taste
- Sugar:1/4 th tsp.
- For Making the Paste:
- Poppy Seeds : 2 tbsp.
- Whole Cashews: 15 pieces or less as per your choice
- Water: 1/2 Cup
- The Dry Ingredients to be Roasted and Ground:
- Cardamoms: 4
- Cinnamon Stick: 1 "
- Clove:4/5
- Mace( Javitri) :3/4 blades
- Star Anise:1
- Other Ingredients:
- Ghee ( Clarified Butter): 2 tbsp
- Oil:4/5 tbsp.
- Kewra Water: 3/4 drops
Process:
- Soak the poppy seeds and the cashews in 1 cup of water for 15 -30 minutes. Then make a smooth paste of it. You may require little more water while making the paste.Keep it aside.
- Dry roast the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, mace and the star anise until aromatic and then cool it for sometime. Now grind them to make a smooth powder. Keep it separately.
- Take the chicken pieces in a large bowl .Then wash it in warm water and pat dry using tissue or kitchen towel. Mix the chicken pieces thoroughly with all the ingredients mentioned in Marinade List and refrigerate it for 5/6 hours.
- Now add little oil in a pan and add the onion slices . Fry it until the onion becomes light brown in color. Cool it and then make a fine paste of the fried onion slices and keep separately.
- Now take a deep bottomed vessel and heat the oil along with the ghee( clarified butter) .Add the chicken pieces and fry them on high flame for 2/3 minutes .Now add the marinade mixture and stir continuously. Then make the flame little low. On medium flame cook the chicken pieces covered until oil starts to come out from sides. Stir occasionally.After few minutes ,check whether the chicken pieces becomes tender or not. If it is done then uncover the pan and add 1 tsp of ground spice powder and give a very nice stir. Add the kewra water also at this time.But be very careful while adding this kewra water as it has a very strong flavor . Add only 2/3 drops . Stir and check the seasoning. Add sugar or salt if required.
- Your Chicken Chaap now is ready. Serve it with Naan , paratha, Tandoori roti or Biryani.
Enjoy Your Food...!
