Chicken Barra

Ingredients

• 500g chicken
• ½ cup thick curd
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 green chillies, crushed
• 1 large onion, fried and blended into a paste
• 1 tbsp oil (marinade)
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp oil (gravy)
• 2–3 tbsp leftover marinade
• 1 tsp green chilli paste
• 100 ml milk
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• A pinch of chaat masala
• Salt, as needed (gravy)
• Onion rings, as shown (garnish)
• Fresh coriander, as shown (garnish)

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken: take the chicken in a bowl and add curd, all the spices, ginger-garlic paste, crushed green chillies, onion paste, oil, and salt. Mix everything nicely and refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours (5–6 hours for deeper flavour).
2. Air fry / shallow fry: preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Arrange the marinated chicken on the rack and air fry for 15–18 minutes, turning halfway, until golden, slightly charred, and fully cooked. (Or shallow fry and grill on the gas for the smoky flavour.)
3. Make the creamy gravy: heat oil in a pan and add the reserved marinade. Cook thoroughly, then mix in the green chilli paste and chaat masala. Pour in the milk, stir well, and finish with fresh cream. Simmer until creamy.
4. Add the air-fried chicken to the gravy and toss until every piece is coated with the creamy masala. Finish with fresh coriander and onion rings. Serve hot with butter naan, rumali roti, or biryani.

The reel

via @flavours_of_tadka

Tips

• Pat the chicken dry so it browns instead of steaming.
• Cook it through, then rest a few minutes so the juices stay in the meat.
• If the masala is done before the meat, take the pan off the heat rather than boiling it dry.

Questions