By Aditi Saraswat
August 19, 2026
A Kolkata favourite, Chicken Chaap is a rich Mughlai dish prepared with bone-in chicken, creamy nuts, poppy seeds and warming spices. Slow-cooked in ghee, the chicken turns tender while the nutty, lightly spiced gravy gets a deep, royal taste.
500 g bone-in chicken, preferably leg or thigh pieces ½ cup thick yoghurt 2 tbsp cashews 1 tbsp poppy seeds 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp coriander powder ½ tsp cumin powder ½ tsp garam masala 2 green cardamoms 1 small cinnamon stick 2 cloves 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp ghee 2 tbsp oil 1 tbsp kewra water Salt to taste ½ cup water, as needed
In a bowl, take yoghurt, cashew-poppy seed paste, ginger-garlic paste, spices and salt. Add chicken pieces to it and cover them nicely with the mixture.
Let this marination rest for at least 1 to 2 hours to help the chicken soak up the rich, aromatic flavours.
In a pan, heat ghee and oil, then add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Sauté these until they become aromatic.
Now, add the marinated chicken to this and cook until the masala is cooked nicely. Add water, cover and let it simmer on low flame.
Now, add kewra water and garam masala, cook for one more minute and serve hot with pulao or paratha.