This Lahori-style Chargha Chicken recipe is Pakistan’s take on fried chicken, where the chicken is first steamed, then fried to golden-fried perfection!
Who can ever say no to fried chicken?
If you’re looking for a new way to discover fried chicken, this Lahori Chargha is it!
Chargha means chicken in Pashto – but this Lahori-style chicken is now popular in many parts of Pakistan.
The chicken is first marinated with a few spices, then steamed just until it is cooked, and finally fried until golden brown.
Sprinkle on some tangy chaat masala before serving, and you have your new favorite chicken dish!
In this Post:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients you need
- How to make Lahori Chicken Chargha?
- Tips for Recipe
- What to serve with Lahori Chargha?
- More Weeknight Chicken Recipes
Why you’ll love this recipe
Traditionally, Lahori Chargha is made using a whole skinless chicken that is first steamed, then fried.
We’ve made this recipe slightly easier using boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips that are steamed, then fried. This allows for a shorter marinating and quicker cook time.
You’ll love this recipe:
- made with chicken breast, that’s easily available
- marinated for just one hour
- simple list of spices, with not too much heat
- tender juicy chicken steamed to infuse the flavors, then fried crispy golden.
- perfect weeknight recipe for those fried chicken cravings!
This Lahori Chicken Chargha recipe is a great weeknight recipe and the perfect replacement for chicken tenders!
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more simple and delicious chicken recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Tandoori Chicken: Pakistani BBQ Chicken
- Chicken 65: Fried Chicken in Chili Garlic Sauce
- Chicken Seekh Kabab: Soft and Juicy Kababs
- Chicken Malai Boti
Ingredients & Notes
- Chicken breast – we used skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips for this recipe. Traditionally a whole chicken is used for Lahori Chargha.
- Egg and Cornflour (Cornstarch) – are the base of the chicken batter.
- Kashmiri Chili powder – this chili powder is known for its bright red color, and is not very spicy. You can substitute this with paprika in a pinch.
- Kachri powder – this is a popular meat tenderizer that also has a slightly tangy taste. You can replace it with amchoor (dry mango) powder or omit it, but it might change the taste of the recipe.
- Rest of the Spices – Crushed Red chili, Ajwain, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Cumin, Coriander,
- Chaat Masala – sprinkle this on before serving. Chaat masala is a special spice blend used in many Chaat or street food dishes. It is tangy, a little spicy, and super addictive. You can make your own or use a store-bought version!
- Oil to fry – we recommend any neutral oil that can be used for frying. Vegetable or canola oil are popular options.
How to make Lahori Chicken Chargha?
Cut the chicken into strips and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Add egg, dry spices, Cornflour (or cornstarch) to a bowl and mix well.
Add the chicken strips and keep them aside for at least an hour.
When ready to cook, add water to a medium pot and bring the water to a boil.
Lower the heat and set a steamer or sieve on top. Add the chicken strips and cook covered for 10-15 minutes.
Time may vary depending on the size of the chicken strips; the thinner the pieces, the less time required to cook.
Once the chicken is almost done, take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, add oil and heat it on medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the chicken strips. Fry until the chicken is a golden color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken.
Drain any excess oil and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Sprinkle with chaat Masala powder to get a tangy flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Lahori Chargha is typically made with a whole skinless chicken. You can scale up the spice blend in the recipe for the whole chicken and increase the time to marinate.
- We recommend marinating the chicken for at least an hour, but you can go up to 4-5 hours.
- When steaming the chicken, err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking, else you might get a dry chicken.
- When frying the chicken, make sure that you don’t crowd the chicken in the pot. Work in batches if needed.
What to serve with Lahori Chargha?
Make sure to sprinkle on some chaat masala before serving this chicken for a tangy, addictive taste.
This chicken recipe pairs well with so many different sides as such paratha and naan.
You’ll want to serve some hot sauce, raita or green chutney as a dip for the chicken.
Here are a few side dishes that pair well with chicken chargha:
- Laal Aloo: Spicy, Tangy Potatoes
- Kachumber Raita
- Corn Bhel: Easy Corn Chaat Salad
- Vegetable Pulao: Pakistani Vegetable Rice Recipe
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy chicken recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Chicken Pulao
- Palak Chicken: Chicken and Spinach Curry
- Chicken Jalfrezi: Stir-Fry with Chicken and Bell Peppers
- Chicken Shashlik Gravy
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Lahori Charga Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 piece Chicken breast
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Cornflour Cornstarch
- ½ -1 teaspoon Crushed Red chilli
- ½ teaspoon Ajwain
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Kachri powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 Teaspoon Kashmiri Chili powder
- Chaat Masala for garnish
- Salt as per taste
- Oil for Fry
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into strips and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- Add egg, dry spices, Cornflour (or cornstarch) to a bowl and mix well.
- Add the chicken strips and keep them aside for at least an hour.
- When ready to cook, add water to a medium pot and bring the water to a boil.
- Lower the heat and set a steamer or sieve on top. Add the chicken strips and cook covered for 10-15 minutes.
- Time may vary depending on the size of the chicken strips; the thinner the pieces, the less time required to cook.
- Once the chicken is almost done, take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, add oil and heat it on medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken strips. Fry until the chicken is a golden color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken.
- Drain any excess oil and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle with chaat Masala powder to get a tangy flavor
- Serve the chicken with raita or tamarind chutney.