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    Home » Pakistani / Indian food

    Published: Dec 26, 2019 · Modified: Nov 20, 2022 by Wajiha

    Lahori Chargha Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you are a desi or… love the spicy Pakistani/Indian food, I assure you, this Lahori Chargha recipe is made for you.

    Chargha means Chicken in Pushto and Lahori chargha originates from the city of Lahore in Pakistan. Its made with whole chicken with skin removed and deep cuts added, marinated in some very aromatic spices. And then steamed plus fried to cook. You sprinkle lots of chat masala and lemon on top of it, dip it in some mint chutney and smack your lips with every bite.

    This has been one my faaaaaavourite chicken recipes to make for dawats (get togethers) and seeing that we live here in Jeddah, I haven’t even found a place which serves authentic Lahori Chargha so I end up always making it at home. But honestly, its so basic, I don’t mind really mind either.

    You can of course change the method of final cooking to your liking (baking or airfrying) But the traditional way is to steam and fry. Also F.Y.I a good chargha is soooo hard to photograph, I can’t even begin to tell you. So please bare with the pictures that I could come up with.

    lahori chargha (steam fried chicken) on a bed of salad leaves on a blue background with fries popping from the side

    How to make Pakistani Lahori Chargha step by step

    Preparing the chicken

    First things first. You gotta remove the skin of the chicken if it hasn’t been removed already. Second, wash it thoroughly and add deep horizontal cuts along its length and legs. To get rid of any chicken smell and blood, I like to treat my chicken with vinegar for 15 mins. And then I pat my chicken dry with a paper towel and get it ready to be marinated.

    full raw chicken with skin removed and cuts added in a bowl

    Marinating the Chargha

    The quantities for the spice mix in this recipe are ideal for a chicken that weighs about 1 to 2 kg ( 3 to 4 lbs). If you are using a bigger bird, increase all the spices and salt by 2 pinches.

    The marinade for this Lahori chargha is very basic, although you might need to ground some of your spices to create this marinade. It has salt, an egg, some lemon juice, yogurt, a little bit of food color, and a few ground Pakistani spices. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to form a smooth paste.

    TIP: Wear gloves to rub the marinade on the chicken to avoid your fingers from staining with the red color.
    spicy marinade mix in a green bowl with a spoon in it for the lahori chargha chicken

    Rub the Chargha spice mix thoroughly all over the chicken. Make sure you get all the deep cuts and edges etc. Be gentle and give your chicken the spa massage of its life! Also make sure to get the cavity as well.

    Full chicken (or chargha) marinated with spices in a bowl

    Cover the chicken and leave it in the fridge to marinate.

    Chicken, unlike beef or mutton is inherently tasteless. So in order for the marinade to work well, the longer you leave it, the better. I leave the chicken in the fridge to marinate overnight, but you can get away with 8 hours too.

    Cooking the Pakistani Lahori Chargha

    When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge at least 30 mins before and bring it down to room temperature. Tie the legs of the chicken together with a string and use a toothpick or a BBQ stick to attach the wings of the chicken to its body.

    Attaching the wings to the body of the chicken prevents the wings from overcooking and turning black while frying. The browning of the wings remains even and it doesn’t dry out either.

    Lahori chargha is steamed first and then deep fried to finish cooking. But you can chose alternate methods to finish cooking. If you have an instant pot or a food ninja, you can easily steam your chicken on the rack on it. The method I’ve chose here is super basic so you can make this happen without any fancy appliances too!

    Use a pot big enough to cover the chicken. Preferably, a thick bottomed pot, or if you only have regular pots, use a griddle or a tava below the pot to prevent direct heating from the stove. Cut 3 to 4 onions in halves or quarters and place them on the bottom of the pot with about 1/4 cup of oil.

    a steel pot on a girdle with onion halves and a little oil in it

    Place the chargha on top of the onions and cover with a lid. Turn on the heat at full flame for about 5 mins and then reduce to medium low flame. Let the chicken cook for about 25 to 30 mins.

    Important: If your chicken weighs more than 2 kg, increase your time for steaming by 10 mins for every additional kg (e.g. 40 mins of steaming for a 3 kg chicken)
    Marinated full chicken placed in a steel pot / cauldron

    Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Your steamed Lahori Chargha would look something like this.

    Lahori chargha or PAkistani whole chicken steam cooked in a steel cauldron

    Bonus: The onions at the bottom of the pan would have released considerable amounts of water and has also cooked in the awesome spices. I’ve only added onions, but you can also add other ingredients at the bottom that you enjoy with your chicken (like some garlic for flavor, potatoes or green chilies etc)

    semi-cooked onions in oil in a steel cauldron

    Handle the chicken very carefully now as it is going to be tender. Add oil to a pot with enough depth to cover half of the chicken. Use a strong grip tong to place your chicken in hot oil and fry on both sides for 6 mins each.

    deep frying steamed chicken in a oil to make lahori chargha

    Dish the chicken out on a platter or on a bed of rice, and sprinkle some chat masala generously along with some lemon juice. Digggg in my friends!!

    lahori chargha (steam-fried chicken) on a bed of salad leaves and lemon on a blue background with fries showing from the top right side of the picture

    Alternates, Fixes and Remixes.

    Cooking alternatives.

    The steaming step remains constant in all cooking methods, but you can finish cooking by either baking or using an air fryer.

    For baking – Coat the steamed chicken generously with a layer of ghee. Bake at 200 C for 20 mins max. in middle rack of the oven. Open the grill on top as well. 10 mins on one side and then switch.

    Fixes

    • If you’ve fried your chicken and it still turns out undercooked (although unlikely) Just steam it for another 15 mins at medium high heat.
    • If your chicken feels underseasoned or the salt level seems low, pair with yogurt dip or rice and prepare them with a slightly high level of salt. Or you can also sprinkle some extra chat masala and salt on your chicken to compensate.

    Variations

    You can use the same method to cook smaller pieces of chicken. If you are using smaller chicken pieces or tikka cuts, you will only need to steam them for 15 mins max.

    Smoke the chicken – If you like the flavor of smoked chicken, you can add a piece of coal to give it a nice charred flavor while steaming.

    What to do with left overs?

    • Use for pizza toppings
    • Make pasta
    • Use the chicken to make open sandwiches
    • Use this chicken to create Chicken Fajita wraps
    • Use as a topping for desi chicken Nachos

    Easy Pakistani Lahori Chargha Recipe

    lahori chargha (steam fried chicken) on a bed of salad leaves on a blue background with fries popping from the side

    Lahori Chargha

    Popular South Asian steam-fried spicy whole chicken, De-skinned, and marinated in aromatic Pakistani/Indian spices.
    4.62 from 47 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: South Asian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 1 whole chicken
    Calories: 1683kcal
    Author: Wajiha

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole chicken of about 1.5 to 2 kg with skin removed and cuts added.
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tbsp of yogurt
    • 1 tbsp of garlic ginger paste
    • 1 tsp of turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp of red chili powder
    • 2 tsp of cumin powder
    • 1 tsp of whole spice powder garam masala
    • 3 tbsp of lemon
    • 1 tsp chat masala
    • 1 tsp green cardamom powder choti elaichi powder
    • 2 tsp salt
    • A pinch of nutmeg powder
    • A pinch of red food color
    • Oil for frying

    Instructions

    • 1. Skin a whole chicken and clean it. Add deep horizontal cuts along the chicken. Treat the chicken with 1/2 cup of vinegar and let it sit in the vinegar for 10 to 15 mins to get rid of all the smell.
    • 2. Throw away the vinegar and use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry.
    • 3. In a bowl, add all the ingredients for marinade and mix well.
    • 4. Coat the marinade all over the chicken evenly making sure you get all the cuts and nooks.
    • 5. Cover the chicken and let it sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
    • 6. Bring out the chicken and let it sit out for 30 mins before cooking. Tie the legs of the chicken together with a thread. And use toothpicks to pin the wings to the body.
    • 7. In a deep pot, add about 1/4 cup of oil and 3 to 4 onions cut up in halves. Preferably place a griddle below the pot or use a heavy bottom pot.
    • 8. Place your chicken on top of the onions. And cover the pot with a lid.
    • 9. Steam the chicken at high heat for 5 mins and then at medium to low heat for another 25 mins. (increase the time by 10 mins if your chicken weighs more than 4 lbs or 1.5 kg)
    • 10. Remove the chicken from the pot and deep fry it in hot oil for 6 mins on each side or until it looks crispy golden on each side. Make sure the oil level covers half of the chicken while you fry it.
    • 11. Dish out on a plate and sprinkle some more chat masala and lemon juice on top of it generously. Serve with Mint chutney and pulav rice.

    Notes

    Handle the chicken carefully while deep frying it. Use strong tongs to handle the chicken. And save your hands from oil spill too.
    Use gloves while marinating chicken to prevent hands from staining.
    Strain the left over oil and use it to make gravies and curries.
    Increase the spices and salt levels a bit if your chicken weighs more than 1.5 kg or 4 lbs

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1chickenCalories: 1683kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 143gFat: 116gSaturated Fat: 34gPolyunsaturated Fat: 25gMonounsaturated Fat: 48gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 577mgSodium: 5209mgPotassium: 1551mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1111IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 7mg
    Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sajjad huaasin says

      February 07, 2023 at 3:25 am

      very nice

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        February 19, 2023 at 9:03 am

        Thankyou!

        Reply
    2. Henna says

      June 14, 2022 at 8:08 am

      Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! I just roasted it and didn’t bother frying, and the spices were just fantastic!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        September 14, 2022 at 7:08 am

        yayyyyy!!!!

        Reply
    3. Irem says

      December 25, 2021 at 2:49 pm

      I would like to air fry it? Any suggestions so it does not dry out either?

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        January 11, 2022 at 8:39 am

        Hey there Irem! You can airfry it for sure. If you are steaming it first, you should be fine. Spray the chicken with oil after steaming and airfry only long enough for color since the chicken is already cooked through.

        Reply
    4. Muskanpakwaan says

      July 30, 2021 at 6:44 am

      You explained so well really satisfying

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        September 08, 2021 at 8:58 am

        Thankyou Love!

        Reply
    5. Fatima Khan says

      April 29, 2021 at 2:10 am

      Made this for iftaar for the family and it came out so goood!! Delicious and easyy!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        May 05, 2021 at 12:45 am

        omg this is such a perfect iftar food right?

        Reply
    6. maryam islam says

      March 23, 2021 at 9:39 pm

      can this be baked or roasted?

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 05, 2021 at 3:27 am

        ideally charghas are deep fried. But for health reasons, it can definitely be baked or roasted. I’d recommend baking it in the oven with a water bath underneath.

        Reply
        • Aafreen says

          April 15, 2021 at 6:39 am

          steps for water bath?

          Reply
          • Wajiha says

            May 05, 2021 at 12:48 am

            hey love! im sorry i dont understand the question? are there more details you’d like to know?

            Reply
    7. Will says

      February 01, 2021 at 10:32 pm

      Absolutely a great delicious dish. A local restaurant offers chicken charga and we’ve had it numerous times. I wanted to try it myself and following your receipe I successfully marinated and cooked this. It was delicious and I am in the process of marinating another tonight. Thank you Very much.
      Regards,
      William

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        February 09, 2021 at 3:30 am

        Hello Will,
        This is so good to hear! And the fact that your making it again already is just cherry on top of the cake! thank you for dropping by and pumping me up to write more!

        Reply
    8. Amir Burney says

      January 27, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Hello
      Fantastic recipe and very well presented. Certainly will be trying this.
      Regards
      Dr Amir Burney

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        February 01, 2021 at 7:41 am

        Hello Dr Amir!
        I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! your feedback means everything! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Asifa says

      October 12, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Tried this and the chicken turned out amazing! It was tender, juicy, and flavourful Thank you!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        October 13, 2020 at 7:06 am

        wooohoo! 🙂 victoryyyyy

        Reply
    10. Jibreel Bin Hussain says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:29 pm

      The easiest & tastiest recipe ever… The time i saw the recipe i was like yes i need to try this… living in US and craving for Authentic Desi food is always a challenge but with your recipes its so much easy for me to crave my self. 2 week and tried out 2 dishes and my kids and wife now want me to do a Lahori Turkey Charga on Thanks Giving ????Thank you for the recipe looking forward what i will be trying next week ☺️

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        August 18, 2020 at 10:10 am

        That is soo good to hear. A feeling of home away from home. That’s what food does 🙂

        Reply
    11. Kevin says

      May 15, 2020 at 3:18 am

      Made this tonight and it was awesome. Doubled the marinade because I had a largish chicken and used a temp probe to make sure I steamed it to 165F – it took a bit longer than listed and had to play with the fire a bit to get the right flame. Served with a home made naan (just do it – pan fried and fresh) a tomato/cucumber/onion salad and a spiced rice. Unbelievable dinner. Looked at a bunch of recipes and followed this because it made the most sense and the taste was perfect. My kid asked when we can have it again.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        May 15, 2020 at 5:21 pm

        Kevin Can’t thank you enough for such a detailed review of the recipe! It just made my day. A larger chicken would definitely need more marinade, good call on doubling the recipe there. LOts of love to your lil one and I hope you’ll make it again for your kid.

        Reply
    12. Nishant Grover says

      April 30, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      Nice recipe! For the vinegar treatment in Step 1, do you soak the chicken in vinegar? or simply apply a spoon or two of vinegar to the chicken?

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        May 01, 2020 at 2:13 am

        I used roughly about 1/4th cup of vinegar. Enough quantity to coat the chicken. But no i didnt soak it.

        Reply
    13. Beenish Zahoor says

      April 08, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      Heyyy I just tried this recipe and it turned our great ma Sha Allah… Everyone in my house loved it.. Even I was surprised that it turned out great because I just started cooking 2 months back… Thank you againnn

      Reply
    14. Beenish Zahoor says

      April 08, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      Tried this today… Turned out amazing ma Sha Allah… Everyone loved it… Even I was surprised that I could make this because I just started cooking 2 months back… Thank you soo much for the recipe ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 08, 2020 at 5:10 pm

        that is soooooo cool! iam so gladd you liked it! haha welcome to the world of cooking!

        Reply
    15. Anonymous says

      April 03, 2020 at 7:20 pm

      Very good

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 04, 2020 at 1:34 am

        thankyou!

        Reply
    16. Suman says

      February 17, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Definitely gonnna try this one

      Reply
    17. Food Lifes says

      January 24, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      very nice . looking testy

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        January 24, 2020 at 9:49 pm

        Thankyou!

        Reply
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    Hey there! I am Wajiha, the blogger and cook behind Butter over Bae.
    My friends had an intervention for me, to stop me from spamming them with all my kitchen experiments and food pictures. But, instead, I made this! And now I put up my food spam for the world!

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