5 Flavourful Desi Chicken Recipes From Different States Of India

A die-hard chicken fan knows how difficult the task of selecting the best variation of their favourite meat is. A list of chicken dishes on a restaurant's menu is enough to give them a hard time. Meanwhile, all their inner chef wants to know is the recipe of that lip-smacking chicken dish. Well, if you are one of those who would want to try their hand at making the best Indian chicken recipes, you are in for a special treat here.

We will give you a brief step-by-step peek into five popular chicken recipes that you can impress your guests with or satiate your cravings with. So, let's dive straight into the world of chicken recipes for dinner—or any other meal for that matter.

1. Chicken shawarma by Chef Pankaj Bhadouria

Let's start with this recipe from the first MasterChef of India, Pankaj Bhadoria. Scroll down to read the quick chicken recipe of the all-time favourite dish: chicken shawarma.

Ingredients:

4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

300 gm chicken breast

½ cup curd

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp chopped garlic

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red chilli flakes

Salt to taste

½ cup sliced onions

1 pita bread

Cherry tomatoes as required

Cucumber slices as required

Pickled carrots as required

Pickled beetroot as required

Lettuce leaves as required

Method:

1. Take a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, cumin powder, coriander powder, cinnamon powder, cayenne pepper powder, black pepper powder, lemon juice, and salt.
2. Now, add the chicken breast to the marinade and keep it overnight or for at least four hours. 
3. In another bowl, add thick curd, lemon juice, chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of red chilli flakes, and salt. Whisk the mixture thoroughly.
4. Heat a grill pan and add the marinated chicken to it. Meanwhile, add chopped onions to the leftover marinade and mix it well.
5. Now, add the marinated onions to the chicken pan. Cook the chicken for 5-7 mins and occasionally turn it over.
6. Once cooked, move the chicken and onion slices to a plate and rest.
7. Later, slice the chicken into pieces.
8. Warm the pita bread slightly on the pan.
9. Take a plate, put the heated pita on a plate. Place the sliced chicken, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, pickled carrots, pickled beetroot, and fresh lettuce leaves on it.
10. Wrap the shawarma in butter paper and serve it.

2. Chicken Chettinad by chef Ajay Chopra

After the mildly spicy, aromatic, and mouth-watering chicken shawarma, let's try a chicken gravy recipe. And, for this, we are going to give you chef Ajay Chopra's chicken Chettinad recipe.

Ingredients:

For the dry masala

1 tsp methi seeds

2 tsp peppercorns

4-5 green cardamom

3-4 star anise

1 tsp saunf

2 tsp jeera

2-3 tsp coriander seeds

A handful of black stone flowers (dagad phool)

1 sprig of curry leaves

1-inch cinnamon stick

For the curry

500 gm chicken with bones

3-4 tbsp coconut oil

2-3 cloves

2-3 green cardamom

2-3 black cardamom

1-inch cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

7-8 onion shallots

1 sprig of curry leaves

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Salt as required

3-4 chopped tomatoes

1 cup tamarind pulp

1 cup coconut milk

curry leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Heat a pan and roast methi seeds, peppercorns, green cardamom, star anise, saunf, jeera and coriander seeds, black stone flower, curry leaves and cinnamon stick. Let them cool down, and grind into a powder.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, roughly sliced onion shallots, curry leaves, and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a few seconds.
3. Now, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and saute the mixture again. 
4. Add the curry leaves, raw chicken pieces, dry Chettinad masala, and mix well.
5. Add water, chopped tomatoes, and mix them thoroughly. Cover the pan with a lid and let the chicken cook.
6. Add coconut milk, tamarind pulp, and steam the gravy.
7. In the final step, garnish the chicken Chettinad with curry leaves and serve this spice-loaded dish hot!

Quick-fact: The dish is named after a place called Chettinad in Tamil Nadu.

3. Butter chicken by chef Ajay Chopra

Ajay Chopra is the MVP for chicken lovers and the recipe of this iconic chicken dish is proof of it. Here is a sneak peek into his butter chicken recipe—a melange of sweet, spicy, and sour.

Ingredients: 

For makhani masala

2 roughly sliced onions

4 - 5 roughly sliced tomatoes

3 - 4 green chillies

2 - 3 dried red chillies

1 small piece mace

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

8 - 10 garlic cloves

2 - 3 cloves

2 - 3 green cardamom

2 big pieces of ginger

8 - 10 cashew nuts

250 ml water

For makhani gravy

3 - 4 tbsp oil

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 slabs butter

1 cup cream

1 tsp kasuri methi

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander for garnish

For the tadka

1 small cup chopped green chillies

1 small cup chopped garlic

Method:

1. Heat a pan, and add some tomatoes, onions, green chilies, dried red chilies, a small piece of mace, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, garlic, cloves, green cardamom, ginger piece, and cashews nuts. Saute.
2. Add water to boil the mixture. Keep cooking the onion-tomato masala until it becomes soft and mushy.
3. Now, allow the masala to cool. 
4. Remove the whole spices and pour the rest of the mixture in a blender. 
5. Make a fine paste of the onion-tomato masala
6. Strain the onion-tomato paste to give a smooth texture.
7. Now, heat oil in a pan and add the ginger-garlic paste and chilli paste to it. 
8. Add the makhani gravy to the pan and cook them.
9. Add chicken tikka / tandoori chicken pieces to the gravy.
10. Add butter along with cream and Kasuri methi. 
11. Add salt, sugar as per taste and garnish with fresh coriander.
12. Tip for beginners: Even if you love onion, do not put too much of it because it adds unnecessary sweetness to the gravy.

4. Chicken ghee roast by chef Ajay Chopra

The recipe of chicken ghee roast will surely transport you to Mangalore if you have ever tried this dish there. This dish, which is said to have originated in Kundapur, will soothe the heart of a spicy food lover.

Ingredients: 

For spice paste

1 small cup coriander seeds

1 small cup jeera

8 - 10 peppercorns

4 - 5 cloves

5 - 6 dried red chillies

1 small cup methi seeds

5 - 6 garlic pods

3 tbsp tamarind juice

For chicken marination

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp lemon juice

For ghee roast

500 gm chicken

4 - 5 tbsp ghee

1 sprig of curry leaves

2 - 3 cinnamon sticks

1 small cup chopped garlic

2 chopped onions

1 big piece of jaggery

Fresh coriander as required

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice, and ginger-garlic paste.
2. Heat a pan, and roast coriander seeds, jeera, peppercorns, cloves, dried red chillies, and methi seeds to make a dry spice mix.
3. Once the spice mix is cool, grind it with some garlic and tamarind juice, to make a fine paste.
4. Heat a pan and add some ghee, curry leaves, cinnamon sticks, garlic, onion, salt, and saute. 
5. Once the onions turn brown, add the spice paste to the pan and saute until cooked.
6. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and let it cook again.
7. Add jaggery to the chicken ghee roast and garnish with fresh coriander.

Quick-tip: Remove the seeds of chillies unless you want to raise the spice level of this tangy dish.

5. Kerala chicken stew by chef Ajay Chopra

How can we miss telling you about a chicken gravy recipe from God's own country, Kerala? Let's dive straight into one of chef Ajay Chopra's favourite chicken recipes.

Ingredients: 

500 gm chicken

3 - 4 tbsp coconut oil

4 - 5 cloves

10 - 12 peppercorns

3 - 4 dried red chillies

2 - 3 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

2 sliced onions

1-inch ginger, thinly sliced

3 - 4 green chillies

2 - 3 potatoes

3 - 4 carrots

1 cup chicken stock/water

1 cup roughly-cut French beans

1 cup coconut milk

For tempering

3 - 4 tbsp coconut oil

Curry leaves

1 tsp pepper powder

Method:

1. In a pan, heat coconut oil, and add cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, dried red chillies and bay leaves.
2. When the masalas start cracking, add sliced onions, salt, thinly sliced ginger, slit green chillies and curry leaves with the stem.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook with the masalas.
4. Add some sliced potatoes and carrots, and saute. Add some chicken stock or water, and cook. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, add some coconut milk and mix it well. 
6. After a while, add French beans, and mix them as well. Cover the lid and leave it to cook again.
7. In another pan, heat coconut oil and add curry leaves and pepper powder. Pour it over the chicken stew and mix it thoroughly.
8. Serve the chicken stew hot!