Whole chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, steamed until tender, then deep-fried for a shatteringly crisp skin. A Lahore specialty, served at weddings and Eid celebrations.
Chargha is a celebration dish of Lahore, the culinary capital of Punjab and Pakistan. A whole chicken is marinated overnight in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, red chili and lemon, then steamed until the meat is falling off the bone, and finally deep-fried to produce a shatteringly crisp, deeply spiced skin. The two-stage cooking (steam then fry) is the technique: steaming cooks the chicken through and tenderises it, while frying creates the golden, crackling crust. Served whole on a platter at weddings, Eid and family celebrations, chargha is eaten with naan and a squeeze of lemon, and it is one of the dishes that defines Punjabi-Pakistani festive cooking.
The skin shatters like glass, deeply spiced with chili and garam masala, giving way to impossibly tender, juicy meat that falls from the bone. The contrast of the crackling crust and the steamed-soft meat is the whole dish.
The two-stage technique is steam then fry. The chicken is marinated overnight in yogurt and spices, the yogurt's lactic acid tenderising the meat while the spices penetrate. It is then steamed for 30 to 40 minutes until the meat is cooked through and nearly falling off the bone. The steamed chicken is coated lightly in flour or cornflour and deep-fried at 180 degrees C for 5 to 7 minutes until the skin is deep golden and shatteringly crisp. The steaming ensures the inside is fully cooked and tender, so the brief frying only crisps the exterior without overcooking the meat. The result is a chicken with the texture of Peking duck (crisp skin, soft meat) but with the bold spices of Punjab.
Variations
Some add food colouring for a deeper red skin. A version with roasted spices in the marinade is richer.
On the Palate
Where Lahori Chargha sits in the Pakistani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
5 steps · 30 min
- 15 min
Marinate a 1.2kg whole chicken overnight in 200g yogurt, 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp red chili powder, salt and lemon juice.
- 28 min
Steam the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes until tender and nearly falling apart.
Watch outSteam the chicken until it's tender and nearly falling off the bone before frying — the fry only crisps the skin, it won't cook the inside.
- 34 min
Coat the steamed chicken lightly in cornflour.
- 47 min
Deep-fry at 180 degrees C for 5 to 7 minutes until the skin is deep golden and shatteringly crisp.
Watch outFry just until the skin turns deep golden and shatter-crisp — a few seconds too long and the pre-cooked meat dries out.
- 54 min
Serve whole on a platter with naan and lemon wedges.
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