Chicken Chaap

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s Chicken Chaap is a Mughlai chicken side associated in her recipe with Kolkata, West Bengal and Bangladesh. Her selected version fries marinated chicken, then cooks it in the same thickened marinade and residual frying fat.

The chicken chunks are washed, patted dry and slit with a knife. Hung curd, supplied onion, ginger, garlic and melon-seed pastes, red chilli powder, sattu, garam masala, turmeric, optional sugar and a little mustard oil are mixed in a bowl.

The chicken is coated in this mixture and the bowl is covered with the selected lid for refrigeration. Salt is mixed in before cooking; the pieces are removed from the marinade and fried in mustard oil over low heat, then held for their return.

Ghee is added to the remaining oil in the same pan, followed by cinnamon, cloves, mace and green and black cardamom. The remaining marinade is cooked with continuous stirring, then the fried chicken returns and cooks uncovered, being turned until tender while retaining its shape.

Kewra water and, when used, saffron-soaked milk are mixed through. Once the gravy thickens and oil appears at its edges, the heat is turned off and the Chicken Chaap is served hot with the selected Indian bread accompaniment.