Name: Chicken Chargha - Steamed and Fried Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Indian/Pakistani
Ingredients: 1 x 1.5kg (3 lb) whole chicken, skinned; 1 tsp salt; Juice of one lemon; FOR THE MARINADE; 1/4 tsp ground mace (optional); 3 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped; 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) ginger, thinly sliced; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp red dried chilli flakes, homemade (see page 00) or shop bought; 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chaat masala, plus more to sprinkle over the chicken before serving; 1 tsp amchoor powder (dried mango powder); ½ tsp black pepper; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 250g Greek yoghurt, whisked

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Chicken Chargha is both steamed and fried for the ultimate fried chicken experience.

You might have tried chicken chargha at a good takeaway or two without even knowing it.

Chicken chargha is stems from Lahore, Pakistan and is a delicious way to prepare and serve a whole fried chicken.

Them chicken is first marinated, then steamed to cook through and then finished off by frying.

The result is super juicy chicken meat that is also crispy and flavourful. One thing that sets the flavour apart from other Pakistani fried chicken recipes is the use of chaat masala, both in the marinade and also sprinkled over the finished chicken chargha.

What is chaat masala?

Chaat masala is an essential ingredient for chicken chargha. It is really just a spice masala that has a strong flavour of black salt.

You can make your own or purchase it at Asian grocers and online.

If you can't get it or don't like the flavour and aroma of black salt, you could leave it out.

It won't be an authentic chicken chargha without it but this recipe will still be very good.

Working ahead...

It is important to work ahead when making chicken chargha because the chicken needs to marinate.

You can marinate the meat for as few as 5 hours but letting it marinate for 24 to 48 hours is best.

If you like, you could also steam the chicken a couple of hours before actually frying it.

Steaming the chicken chargha...

I don't personally own a steamer that is big enough to steam a whole chicken. If you do, then great!

In my case, I had to made a steamer buy placing a couple of upside down metal bowls at the bottom of a pan and then placed a metal table protector on top. Then I placed the chicken on a metal plate and place it in the pan on top.

Anything will work. Bricks for example.

steamer for chicken — my homemade steamer.

Alternative method for cooking chicken chargha

Although steaming and frying is the most popular way of cooking chicken chargha, you could also make tandoori chicken chargha.

I do this often on the barbecue.

To do this, follow the instructions below, marinating and steaming the chicken chargha as described. Then, throw it on a hot grill to char the exterior.

Step by step photos...

sliced chicken — Make shallow slits all over the skinned chicken. Then place in a bowl.

Chicken in first marinade — Rub the lemon juice and salt all over the chicken and set aside while you make the second marinade.

Ingredient for second marinade — Place the ingredient for the second marinade in a food processor and blend to a paste.

Blending marinade — You can add more lemon juice or water to the marinade if needed to blend.

Chicken placed in steamer — Marinate for 5 to 48 hours. When ready to cook, place the chicken in your steamer.

Steamed chicken chargha — After 20 to 25 minutes, the chicken will be cooked through and look like this.

Frying chicken — Fry the chicken breast side up for 5 to 7 minutes.

Frying chicken chargha — Carefully turn over and fry for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Tandoori whole chicken
Tandoori chicken tikka
Piri piri chicken