Shatkora Chicken is a Sylheti specialty — chicken simmered with shatkora, a bitter citrus fruit unique to the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The shatkora's bitter-tart rind infuses the curry with a complex, aromatic bitterness that balances the richness of the meat. This dish is authentically and exclusively Bangladeshi, unknown outside Sylhet.
Shatkora (Citrus macroptera) is a bitter citrus fruit that grows exclusively in the Sylhet region of northeastern Bangladesh. It is the defining ingredient of Sylheti cuisine, used in beef (Shatkora Mangsho, already in the database) and chicken curries. The rind (not the flesh) is used — it is sliced and simmered with the meat, releasing a bitter, aromatic, slightly tart flavor that is unlike any other citrus. The dish is completely unknown outside Sylhet and the Sylheti diaspora; it is one of the most regionally specific dishes in all of Bangladeshi cuisine.
A bowl of golden chicken curry with pieces of green-orange shatkora rind visible throughout. The first taste is rich and savory; then the shatkora's bitterness blooms at the back of the tongue — complex, citrusy, slightly numbing. It's an acquired taste that becomes addictive. Eat it with rice; the bitterness cuts through the richness perfectly.
The shatkora rind must be sliced thin (about 3mm) and simmered with the meat for at least 30 minutes — this softens the rind and releases its bitter oils into the curry. The flesh is discarded (it's too sour). Mustard oil is traditional for Sylheti cooking. The chicken is browned first, then the shatkora and spices are added, and the whole is simmered until the chicken is tender and the bitterness has permeated the gravy.
Variations
Some use beef instead of chicken; some add coconut milk; the amount of shatkora varies by bitterness preference.
On the Palate
Where Shatkora Chicken sits in the Bangladeshi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 35 min active + 40 min waiting
- 15 min
Slice the rind of 1 shatkora fruit (about 100 g) into thin strips.
- 25 min
Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a pot; brown 800 g chicken pieces 5 minutes; remove.
Watch outBrown the chicken well before it comes out — that seared surface is where the curry's depth starts.
- 35 min
Add 1 sliced onion; cook 5 minutes; add 1 tbsp garlic paste and 1 tbsp ginger paste.
- 42 min
Add 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp salt.
- 53 min
Return the chicken; add the shatkora rind.
- 635 min
Add 300 ml water; simmer covered 35 minutes.
Watch outSimmer until the shatkora rind turns soft and the oil rises and separates on top — that oil slick means the bitterness has cooked into the gravy.
- 72 min
The shatkora should be soft and the oil should separate.
- 81 min
Serve hot with rice.
