PAKISTANI LAHORI CHARGHA
It is more pronounced as “ch-er ghaa” in the Punjabi accent. It is super easy to make and has little active time. If you have a good plan, you can make Lahori Chargha with the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- Chicken You can use 1 kg to 1.25 kg of a skinless whole chicken to make Chicken Chargha. Small birds cook up more quickly than larger ones.
- Cornflour If we want a crispy crust, we add some cornflour to the chicken. You can use any flour, like brown rice or even whole wheat flour.
- Kashmiri Chili You can use this ingredient specially for color in the recipe.
- Egg The egg helps the spice marinade stick to the chicken.
- Garam Masala The spice blend is known as garam masala, a mixture of a few different spices
- Chaat masala Chaat masala is an essential part of Indian cuisine. If you add this ingredient to your diet, it will add a lot of flavor to your food.
- Yellow color This is again an optional ingredient. You can skip it or use a very little red or orange color instead.
- Red chili flakes You can use red chili flakes with red chili powder to make the recipe spicy.
- Vinegar You can use distilled vinegar in the recipe, but you can use lemon juice.
- Common Pakistani spices Turmeric, cumin, and coriander are other common spices are important in this recipe.
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE IT?
- Lahori chargha is a deep-fried chicken, marinated overnight in a spicy and tangy mixture, and then cooked. Deep-frying is followed by steaming, which is the authentic way. Chicken that has been marinated and cooked in a tandoor is called tandoori chargha.
- After washing your chicken, put it in the colander for a few minutes to help drain the excess water.
- Place the letter “V” shape cuts in the chicken breast. To make the cuts about an inch apart, hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to the bone.
- Similarly, you can poke the chicken in any spot that’s not too small, as long as you don’t puncture it. You can also prick the chicken with a fork if the bird is really large.
- Here are some of the spices that can make Indian dishes even more mouth-watering. Some spicy you can add in mixture of chicken chargha are red chili flakes, turmeric, black pepper, chaat masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, and salt.
- Add an egg, oil, and vinegar to make a paste. It’s now time for the chargha marinade. This is an easy, versatile dish that’s perfect for any meal or snack.
- The right way to marinate a whole chicken is to wear gloves or at least apply a little oil on your hands.
- Put it on your hands and rub it all over the chicken. Slice your finger into the cut, so the marinade reaches the bone and beneath the flesh. Take care to be gentle so you don’t break the skin and tie the legs of the chicken with a cotton thread.
- The first thing you want to do is soak your chicken for 4 hours on the counter, or even overnight in the fridge.
- After placing the chicken in the steamer, make sure the water level is at least ½ inch below the steaming plate. (I put a metal colander in a large pot filled with little water.) Place the lid and steam the chicken for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- To be sure that it is done cooking, test the middle of the chicken to see if it is done. This method of preparing a whole chicken will prevent any juices from running out when you cut it up.
- Just before serving, fill a non-stick skillet with 2-3 inches of oil. Heat oil and place chicken very carefully in the oil, avoiding splutters. Cook the chicken until it’s tender but not completely cooked, and then increase the heat to high. Make sure that the chicken cook thoroughly, raise the heat to high, and cook the chicken for another 2 minutes on each side. Turn and remove the chicken with help of two tongs.
- Prepare a platter of deep-fried Lahori Chargha stuffed with potato and veggies, served with garlic dip and naan. Serve with fresh green chutney. This is a must-try traditional Lahori dish, especially in the winter.