Chicken Chaap, a renowned chicken dish, is a staple in Kolkata, West Bengal, and Bangladesh. This savory delight has its roots in the Mughal culinary tradition, offering a unique and indulgent taste experience.
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- Debjani's Note
- Chicken Chaap or Chaap Bhaja? Fried or curried?
- Tips to cook perfect Kolkata-Style Chicken Chaap!
- Chicken Chaap!
- Kolkata's Chicken Chaap! A Mughlai dish?
- Kolkata Chicken Chaap - Cooking hack
- Recipe Step-by-step with pictures - Kolkata-Style Chicken Chaap
- Here's how you cook Chicken Chaap!
- Recipe Card
- Chicken Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Related Recipes
- Pairing Chicken Chaap
- Have you tried the Chicken Chaap Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar?
- Here's the Chicken Chaap recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note
It was the evening before Eid, and both Mehebub and I had just returned from the office, exhausted after a long day. Nonetheless, we were eagerly anticipating spending quality time with our beloved Pasta. While my office was closed for the Eid holiday, Mehebub still had to go in. As I planned the Eid feast, I decided to prepare a simple yet delicious meal, settling on Chicken Chaap, Butter Garlic Naan, and Firni. Cooking has always been a rejuvenating activity for me, especially during these long workdays where I've been putting in 15-16 hours lately.
The Chicken Chaap, in particular, is a dish that Mehebub believes I cook to perfection. Though I'm not overly concerned with achieving culinary perfection, the recipe I follow does tend to deliver results quite similar to what one would find at a restaurant in Kolkata. I have fond memories of searching for such recipes during my time in Bihar and Gurgaon, as authentic Kolkata-style dishes were not readily available in those regions.
Chicken Chaap or Chaap Bhaja? Fried or curried?
I've never been a fan of the texture of the Chicken Chaap that you find outside Kolkata (and I'm not talking about the version from Bangladesh). This particular dish is quite different from a typical curry. I remember having an insightful discussion with my father that really helped me understand the unique texture.
Apparently, back in my father's college days, they used to refer to Chicken Chaap as "Chaap Bhaja" as well. In fact, I even found a reference to this in Prajnasundari Devi's book. My father specifically recommended that I observe the cooking process at a small Mughlai joint nearby that has an open kitchen. The owner of the Guest Snack Bar, located at the Surya Sen Street intersection, is known to my father, so he allowed me to watch the preparation.
Tips to cook perfect Kolkata-Style Chicken Chaap!
I learned that the key to this dish is frying the chicken with a special cut. That's why they also call it Chaap Bhaja - it's all about that distinctive preparation. The restaurant owner explained that in Kolkata, Chicken Chaap always features a special cut that includes both the body and leg parts of the chicken, typically around 300 grams. Essentially, you start with a whole chicken and end up with two properly portioned Chaap pieces.
Using the whole "chicken" in the same way, he was saying that Chaap cooked with the entire bird (weighing around 250-300g) was just as popular. In fact, I recall enjoying the same dish long ago as part of a wedding feast.
Chicken Chaap!
A chicken delicacy coupled with Biryani, loved and savored by the meat-eating bongs (and others); Chicken Chaap certainly is one of the famous chicken sides available in almost all the Mughlai food joints in Kolkata. As a matter of fact, Chatu, aka Sattu, aka gram flour, plays an important role in cooking this dish.
Kolkata's Chicken Chaap! A Mughlai dish?
Kolkata's cuisine is deeply influenced by the Mughal culinary traditions, which originated in the royal kitchens of Northern India. While these dishes have spread across the country, Kolkata has put its own unique spin on them. One such example is the beloved Chicken Chaap.
Kolkata Chicken Chaap - Cooking hack
Chicken Chaap is commonly found in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal, as well as in Bangladesh, with only minor variations in the recipe. The key feature of Chicken Chanp is the way the chicken is fried in a thick, flavorful marinade. The resulting gravy has a unique texture, achieved through the use of "Chatu" or gram flour. Additionally, the judicious use of local spices and slow cooking are essential to the dish's distinctive taste.
Recipe Step-by-step with pictures - Kolkata-Style Chicken Chaap
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This chicken chaap recipe uses a special cut of chicken, combining the drumstick and thigh into a single piece. First, wash and thoroughly dry the chicken, then make small cuts with a knife.
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In a bowl, combine hung curd, onion paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, melon seed paste, gram flour - sattu, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, sugar, and one teaspoon of oil.
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Evenly coat the chicken pieces with this mixture. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for eight hours. Before cooking, add salt to the chicken and mix it well.
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Remove the chicken from the marinade, and in a deep pan, heat oil. Fry the chicken pieces one at a time over low heat, cooking each side for about five minutes until done.
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Afterward, add ghee to the pan with the leftover oil and heat it thoroughly. Then, add cinnamon stick, clove, mace, green cardamom, and black cardamom to temper the oil.
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. Next, add the remaining marinade and cook it without adding water, stirring constantly over high heat for about three minutes.
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Finally, add the fried chicken and continue cooking on low heat, leaving the pan uncovered. Cook from both sides for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is tender but still holds its shape. Be careful not to overcook it.
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Next, stir in the saffron-infused milk and kewra water.
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Once the sauce thickens and oil appears around the edges, turn off the heat.
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Finally, serve the hot Chicken Chaap (also known as Chicken Chanp) with Biryani or Indian bread.
Here's how you cook Chicken Chaap!
Recipe Card
Chicken Chaap | Kolkata-Style Chicken Chanp
Chicken Chaap aka Chicken Chanp is a famous chicken side widely available in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh. This is a Mughal-influenced rich chicken delicacy.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Chicken Chunk around 1 kg, one whole chicken cut into 4 pieces
For Marination:
- 500 g Hung Curd
- 5 tablespoon Onion Paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
- 1.5 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 1 tablespoon Char Magaz / Mellon seed paste
- 1.5 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- 3 tablespoon Chatu/ Sattu/ Gram Flour
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
Tempering:
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 6 Clove
- 1 Mace aka Javitri
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
Other:
- ½ cup Saffron soaked Milk optional
- 1 teaspoon Keora Water
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 5 tablespoon Oil I have used Mustard Oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry chicken chunks.
- Make slits using a knife.
- Now, in a bowl, mix Hung Curd, Onion Paste, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Red Chili Powder, Mellon seed paste, Gram flour, Garam Masala Powder, Turmeric Powder, Sugar, and 1 teaspoon of Oil as well.
- Coat the chicken chunks with this mixture properly and cover the bowl with cling film or lid and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- At the time of cooking, add salt to the chicken and mix thoroughly.
- Remove chicken pieces from the marinade for frying.
- Heat the oil in a deep-bottom pan and start frying chicken pieces one by one, keeping the flame low on both sides.
- It will take around 5 minutes to fry per piece.
- Once done, add Ghee to the pan having the remaining oil, and heat properly.
- Temper the oil with Cinnamon Stick, Clove, Mace, Green Cardamom, and Black Cardamom.
- Add the remaining marinade and start "broiling" the same without adding water.
- Keep the flame on the higher side and stir continuously for around 3 minutes.
- Add fried chicken and start cooking on low flame without covering the pan.
- Cook from both side for around 5 minutes or until chicken soften but will remain in shape. Do not overcook the chicken.
- Add Saffron soaked milk and kewra water and give a thorough mix.
- Switch the flame off once the gravy thickens and oil comes out from the edges.
- Serve Chicken Chaap aka Chicken Chanp hot with Biryani or Indian bread.
Notes
- You may substitute mustard oil with vegetable oil.
- The entire dish can be cooked in ghee if Calorie is not what you are considering.
Sugar is optional; however, balances the flavors. - Adjust salt and chili powder as per taste.
Nutrition
Chicken Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Aam Kasundi Murgi, also known as Bengali Style Chicken in Mango Mustard Sauce
- Doi Murgi or Kolkata style Doi Chicken
- Desi Murgir Dum or Bengali Country Chicken Curry
- Bangladeshi Chicken Roast or Biyebarir Chicken Roast or বাংলাদেশী বিয়েবাড়ির চিকেন রোস্ট
- Robibarer Murgir Jhol from my Mother's Kitchen or Bengali Chicken Curry
Related Recipes
Pairing Chicken Chaap
Have you tried the Chicken Chaap Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar?
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Chicken Chaap recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
Probashi Bangali says
Hello,
On steps 8 and 9 the instructions are:
8. Heat the oil in a deep bottom pan and start frying chicken pieces one by one keeping the flame low from both sides.
9. It will take around 5 minutes to fry per piece.
Only cooking each chicken piece for 5 minutes at low temperatures seems like it will be too little time to cook the chicken properly. Please confirm that timing is correct.
Thank you.
Debjani says
Hi there! Ideally it takes not more than 20 minutes to cook chicken completely. For a curry recipe such as this one we are not only frying the chicken but also cooking it in the gravy. Please refer to step number 15 for the same. Hope it will help. Also, a small suggestion. Go through the entire process first to understand the intricacies if possible. Happy cooking 🙂 .
Probashi Bangali says
Hello,
That is the other part. On step 15 is that 5 minutes each side or 5 minutes total for both sides? If you would please clarify that it would help.
Thank you.
Probashi Bangali says
Hello,
Yes, about that on step 15 is it 5 minutes per side or total of 5 minutes for both sides? If you will please clarify that, that would be helpful.
Thank you.
Debjani says
Hi. Fry for 5 minutes in total cook for 10 minutes (5 each side). That should be enough. If needed cook for some more time but restrict to 20 minutes in total. I will also update the recipe as well.
Probashi Bangali says
Thanks. That will help others.