The Afghani chicken recipe stands out as one of the most popular dishes in Afghan cuisine, enjoyed by many around the globe.
Here, I am making Afghan murgh by marinating the legs in yogurt, simmering them, and then pan-frying and roasting to achieve a golden texture, followed by a charcoal infusion for an ideal BBQ flavor reminiscent of Tikka. Trust me, it was a delightful dish to present at a family gathering, particularly when paired with Afghani chutney or rice.
Afghan-style chicken can be made in numerous ways, and this recipe is my customized version that won over my dinner table. The kids devoured it in no time. The perfect blend of spices, marination, simmering, roasting, and the tantalizing smoky aroma of BBQ set it apart and made it a family favorite.
Watch Video:
Jump to:
About Afghani Chicken
The exquisite aroma and delightful taste of Afghan cuisine make it a true delicacy. If your taste buds are fond of Persian and Indian flavors, then Afghan food is definitely something you should try.
Traditionally, there are many ways to prepare Afghan chicken, but in this case, I'm making a dry chicken dish that only requires a few spices, making it simple enough for beginners who want to create something special for their family. I included green chilies to spice up the chicken, but typically, Afghan food isn't known for being too hot or spicy. This recipe can be served as a main dish or as an appetizer, giving you flexibility in how you present it.
Why Do I ❤ This Recipe
I absolutely adore this recipe because it's incredibly straightforward and perfect for a quick dinner.
I've also given it a go with boneless chicken and drumsticks. Honestly, you can't compare them since both turn out so delicious with amazing flavor.
In this recipe, the chicken is marinated with a handful of spices, chili, and yogurt, then cooked slowly in a pan before being roasted to achieve those golden chicken pieces.
I'm totally hooked for a few reasons:
- It's ideal for family dinners.
- Kids are going to love this dish.
- It requires less oil.
- And it only takes half an hour to prepare.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken - 6 Leg pieces (3 to 4 ounces)
Garlic Cloves - 3
Ginger - 3x3 inches piece
Green Chilies - 2
Yoghurt - ½ Cup
Black Pepper Powder - ½ Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric - ⅓ Tsp
Fenugreek Leaves (Qasuri Methi) - 1 Tsp
Coal piece for smoky aroma
How to Make Afghani Chicken
Prepare Chicken Marinade
In a blender, combine ginger, garlic, and green chilies to create a paste. Transfer the paste to a deep bowl and incorporate yogurt, salt, black pepper, and turmeric powder. Additionally, add dried fenugreek leaves to enhance the aroma and flavor of the chicken. Stir everything thoroughly and allow the chicken to marinate for one hour.
Simmer on Slow Heat
Heat a pan and add the oil, then cook the marinated chicken over high heat for 5 minutes. After that, reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and let it cook for approximately 20 minutes.
Roasting
After 20 minutes, once the chicken becomes tender, add a small amount of oil to the pan and roast it on high heat until it achieves a perfectly roasted texture. Tip: Alternatively, you can broil the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes to achieve a delightful roasted texture.
Charcoal Smoke
To impart a barbecue flavor, position a lit piece of coal on aluminum foil and place it over the chicken. Drizzle some oil on top to enhance the smokiness, then cover the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the smoky aroma to permeate the chicken, giving it that delicious barbecue taste.
Now the Afghani Chicken is ready to serve!
How to Serve Afghani Chicken
Afghani chicken recipe dry can be serve in a variety of ways as an appetizer or side dish.
Serving Idea#1: Make a combo with garlic butter rice, drizzle honey garlic sauce or might be hot honey sauce (spicy version), sautéed chickpeas
Serving Idea#2: Another idea is to make a big platter with butter naan, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and creamy garlic mashed potatoes to serve on a side.
Serving Idea#3: This one is exotic but delicious; dinner roll, yellow turmeric rice, oven fries, and daqoos.
Serving Idea#4: Best to serve with Afghan naan bread, chutney and afghani rice.
Expert Tips
- Use any cut of chicken to make the same recipe.
- Don't over cook the chicken on slow heat.
- Shallow fry the chicken on medium heat or simply broil to get a perfect roasted color.
- This recipe is easily customize to add more variations in spices and herbs.
- You can add more value to chicken by adding roasted veggies.
- If you want to make this chicken with gravy then separately cook the chicken marinade in little oil then add roasted chicken pieces in gravy.
- Kasuri methi is optional! It will add a herbaceous aroma and taste in chicken.
Must try this Afghan Breakfast:
Afghani eggs/shakshuka
This recipe will surely win your family heart.
You Might Like This
Shish Tawook | Gola Kabab | Chicken Boti Kabab | Bihari Kabab
🥣 Love this Afghani Chicken Recipe?
⭐ Rate this recipe below
💬 Drop your questions in the comments
📲 Follow along on Instagram for more recipes.
Afghani Chicken Recipe (Pan Fried Leg Roast )
Ingredients
- 6 legs Chicken
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 3x3 inches Ginger piece
- 2 Green Chilies
- ½ cup Yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
- Salt – To Taste
- ⅓ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Leaves (dried) Kasuri Methi – 1 Tsp
Instructions
Marinade the Chicken
- In a blender, make a paste using ginger, garlic, and green chilies.
- Transfer the paste to a bowl and incorporate yogurt, salt, black pepper, and turmeric.
- Additionally, mix in crushed fenugreek leaves (Qasuri Methi).
- Stir everything thoroughly.
- Make a cut mark on the chicken.
- Now, proceed to marinate the chicken.
- Cover it and let it rest for at least 1 hour. You may also choose to marinate it overnight.
Simmer on Slow Heat
- Now in a pan, pour oil and heat it up.
- Fry the marinated chicken pieces in a pan also pour the marination mixture.
- Initially cook on high heat for 2 minutes then turn the heat to low and cover it for 20 minutes to make the chicken tender.
Pan Roasting
- After 20 minutes, once the chicken becomes tender, add a small amount of oil to the pan and roast it on high heat until it achieves a perfectly roasted texture.
- Serve with Afghani chutney as an appetizer or with rice.
Charcoal Smoke For BBQ Aroma
- To impart a barbecue flavor, position a lit piece of coal on aluminum foil and place it over the chicken. Drizzle some oil on top to enhance the smokiness, then cover the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the smoky aroma to permeate the chicken, giving it that delicious barbecue taste.
Video
Notes
- Any cut of chicken can be used to prepare this recipe.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken while it simmers.
- Shallow fry the chicken over medium heat or simply broil it to achieve a beautifully roasted color.
- This recipe is easily customizable, allowing for various spices and herbs to be added.
- You can enhance the chicken's flavor by incorporating roasted vegetables.
- If you prefer to make this dish as a chicken curry, skip the roasting step and just simmer and cook on high heat until the oil separates from the sides of the pan.
- Kasuri methi is optional! It will impart a delightful herbaceous aroma and flavor to the chicken.
Gail craig
Where do I use the cloves?
Hinz
To make ginger and garlic paste..