chicken changezi

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5 from 18 votes

chicken changezi - Indian hotel style

Rich. Creamy. Delicious. That's chicken changezi.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken changezi, Indian hotel style

Servings:

Calories: 771kcal

Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

The spice mix

2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/3 tsp kosher salt

The chicken marinade

4 chicken thighs boned and skinned. Cut into 3 pieces each
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp black pepper - butcher's grind (a little coarse)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp tandoori masala - a commercial mix (I know. It's hard for me to write those words) mostly for colour and a bit of tang.
1/3 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp plain yoghurt

the marinated chicken
3 tbsp canola oil - any neutral oil
1 black cardamom for a hint of smoky flavour
1 tbsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
the spice mix from above
1 green finger hot chili - aka jwala chili coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes - or makhani gravy (see note)
1 tbsp plain yoghurt - I like full fat Greek yoghurt for this
1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy - Recipe link in the notes. It's meant to be thick. The juices from the chicken will thin it and you can adjust it to taste at the end.
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
fried shallots to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Do your prep

Measure out your spices. Prep your chicken. Chop your green chili
Basically have everything on hand and ready to go

Coat the chicken

Combine the spices and yoghurt. Whisk to combine. If it is really thick add a little dribble of milk to loosen it up.
Add the yoghurt mixture to the chicken and mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. It's ready to go at this point. Letting it sit for few minutes won't hurt but it won't really make much difference either.

Fry the chicken

Set a large skillet over medium heat. For this step a non-stick skillet helps. I don't say that often but in this case pull it out.
Add the oil.
When the oil starts to shimmer add the chicken in an even layer.
Fry until lightly coloured. Maybe 3 or 4 minutes per side. Regulate your heat so the yoghurt doesn't burn.
You aren't trying to cook the chicken through. When it has a bit of colour remove from the pan and set aside.

Make the chicken changezi

Transfer the oil from frying the chicken into a clean skillet. This is now spiced oil. You want to get back to 3 tablespoons so if it looks low a little more oil won't hurt.
Heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the black cardamom. You should see little bubbles form. Cook for about 20-30 seconds.
Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Gently fry until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering. This step can get a bit messy so be ready.
Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. Cook for about 30 seconds. You want to fry your spices in the oil. There are fat soluble compounds in spices. This is how magic happens.
Add the yoghurt. Stir it well. Fry for about 30 seconds. I know frying yoghurt is a bit strange. Just trust me. The yoghurt needs to get cooked out.
Add the tomato puree and the green chilies. Fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes. You will need to add a bit of water or stock to keep it from getting too thick. But at least when that happens you'll know you're doing it right.
Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir well. You want everything mixed together. Bring to a simmer.
Add the cream and kasoori methi. Stir to combine.
Add the chicken thigh pieces in a single layer. Nestle them down into the sauce. Cover and cook about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, flip the chicken and replace the lid. Continue simmering until the chicken is done. You are shooting for an internal temperature of 170F. Should only be a couple minutes more.
Chicken changezi should be a saucy curry. Look at it in your pan. It's going to need a little extra liquid (water or no-sodium chicken stock) to get it there. Somewhere between 2-4 tablespoons. You want a consistency just slightly thicker than heavy cream.
Serve garnished with fried shallots if you like. It's not essential but it is a really nice touch.

Notes

You can use makhani gravy without the final cream and butter in place of the pureed tomatoes. Using the makhani gravy adds an extra dimension of flavour and the richness of the cashews. I'm allergic to cashews so I tend to leave them out. The pureed tomatoes make for a very nice changezi as well. Up to you. If you want to go the distance makhani gravy is a nice touch.

Make your Indian hotel curry gravy ahead of time. It does take time to make so think about doing it the day before. You can freeze one cup portions and pull them out when you need them. That's what I do.

For maximum flavour consider making your garlic ginger paste from scratch. I know I say this a lot but it makes such a difference.

1 cup is 237 ml. And check out the metric conversion feature I just added.

Nutrition