Chicken Changezi is a rich North Indian chicken curry from Old Delhi, known for its spicy, smoky flavours and restaurant-style taste. My recipe brings you authentic Old Delhi flavours at home with a slow-cooked bhuna masala that gives the curry its signature danedaar (grainy) texture. Perfect for special occasions or a weeknight dinner.
Chicken Changezi curry is made with bone-in chicken cooked in a thick tomato-based gravy with yogurt and cashew or almond paste. Serve it with naan, roti, or paratha for a comforting meal. Serve with naan, roti, or paratha.
Changezi is often cooked on a large tawa in Old Delhi-style eateries/dhaba. Chicken Changezi is known as a festive and special-occasion dish and is considered one of the most loved creamy chicken curries in North India.
The slow-cooked bhuna masala gives this Mughlai curry its signature danedaar (grainy) texture and delicious flavour. It tastes just like Old Delhi restaurant-style curry, but is easy to make at home. Try my Chicken Korma for a milder, creamier curry.
Quick Look: Old Delhi Style Chicken Changezi
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🔥 Calories: ~417 kcal per serving
- 🧅 Key Ingredients: Bone-in chicken, tomatoes, onions, yogurt, cashews, whole spices, kasuri methi
- 🍳 Cook Method: Marinate chicken → fry onions and cashews → bhuno masala → cook chicken in thick gravy on stovetop
- 🌶 Spice Level: Medium to hot
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Rich, spicy, mildly tangy, Mughlai-style
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy-Medium, great for weekend meals
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Disclaimer: AI summaries may contain errors. Please check the original Chicken Changezi recipe for accurate steps.
About this Recipe
I first tasted street-style Chicken Changezi in Old Delhi and instantly fell in love with the creamy, spicy, and slightly tangy gravy.
When I tried making it at home, the taste was good, but the texture was not perfect. After a few tries, I found a simple trick to get that perfect danedaar texture. Sharing that same method here so you can make restaurant-style Changezi Chicken easily at home.
Chicken Changezi is very different from butter chicken, which has a smooth and slightly sweet gravy. Changezi has a thicker, grainy texture because of the slow-cooked bhuna masala.
The Changezi sauce has similarities to bhuna chicken, where the masala is cooked until the oil separates, giving a deep and rich flavour. At the same time, the creamy base reminds you slightly of Hyderabadi chicken korma, but Changezi is more tangy and rich in taste.
😎Fun Fact: This Chicken Changezi recipe is believed to be named after Genghis Khan (Changez Khan in India). Though he never visited India, Central Asian cooking styles brought by Mongols and later the Mughals influenced dishes around Delhi. Over time, these techniques evolved into the rich and creamy Chicken Changezi we know today.
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How to make Chicken Changezi (with Step-by-Step Photos)
The secret of a good Changezi curry is the bhuna masala that is roasted well until oil separates, which gives Changezi its restaurant-style flavour and signature danedar texture. Here's how to make the curry.
Preparations for the curry
Step 1: In a mixer, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Add 1-2 teaspoon water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside. (image 1)
Step 2: Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, curd/yogurt, 2 teaspoon of the prepared ginger-garlic-green chili paste, and lemon juice. (image 2)
Tip: For the best Changezi curry flavor, don't rush the marination. Let the chicken sit in yogurt and spices for at least 2 hours (in the refrigerator). This makes the chicken tender and full of flavour.
Step 3: Whisk the curd/yogurt well and keep it aside. It is important for this recipe that the curd or yogurt you use is well-whisked and at room temperature.
Step 4: Blend fresh tomatoes and keep the paste aside. We will use it to make the changezi curry.
Step 5: In a heavy-bottomed pan, add ½ cup of oil and heat it over medium heat. Add onions and fry until the onions are soft and translucent. Now add cashews and fry until the onions turn light golden. Remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving the extra oil in the pan.
Step 6: Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Make sure the pieces don't overlap. Fry the chicken until it is golden on all sides. The chicken does not need to be cooked at this stage. It will get cooked in the curry later. Switch off the heat.
Making the changezi sauce
Step 7: In the pan, add whole spices. Let them sauté in the residual heat for 30 seconds. Now add tomato paste and ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and mix well. Switch on the heat.
Step 8: Meanwhile, blend the fried onions and cashews, adding a little water (from step 6). Add this to the curry. Keep stirring so that the gravy doesn't stick to the pan.
Step 9: Add whisked yogurt and combine. Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and bhuno the masala. Cook until the curry starts to release oil from the sides. If needed, add 1-2 more teaspoons of oil.
Step 10: Add hot water to adjust the consistency of the curry.
Step 11: Add the chicken back to the pan with some green chilies. Combine and cook. Adjust the consistency to your liking. The curry is a bit thick, so do not add more water, or you will dilute the flavours.
Step 12: Cover and cook it for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked. Chicken Changezi is ready to serve. Keep it covered for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with roti/naan.
My Tips for Perfect Danedar Chicken Changezi
- Cook the masala (bhuno) until the oil separates: Don't rush this step. Let the onion, tomato, and cashew masala cook properly until the oil starts separating on the sides. This is what creates the grainy texture.
- Use hot water only: Always add hot water while adjusting consistency. It keeps the chicken soft and helps maintain the signature danedar texture of the curry.
- Balance the spices: This curry has a rich masala, but balance is important. Don't add too much of any one spice. Taste and adjust the spices so the gravy stays flavourful without becoming too spicy or overpowering.
- Let the Changezi curry simmer gently: Once you add the fried chicken back to the gravy, let it simmer for a few minutes. Slow cooking helps the gravy thicken and develop that rich, grainy finish.
Recipe FAQs
The grainy (danedaar) texture comes from properly roasting (bhuno) the masala. Cook the onion, tomato, and cashew paste until the oil starts to separate from the sides. If you rush this step or add too much water, the gravy will turn smooth instead of grainy.
Serve it with roti/garlic naan. You can also serve it with steamed rice.
You can store changezi chicken curry in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and the flavour often improves as it rests. It also freezes well for longer storage. To reheat, warm it slowly in a pan until heated through on low heat, and sprinkle some water as the curry thickens after a while.
Yes, you can skip cashews or replace them with almonds or melon seeds (magaz). But you need to add any nut paste or add cream at the end. Cashews give richness and help with texture. Also, make sure to bhuno the masala well.
Yes, you can use boneless chicken. But bone-in chicken gives better flavour and keeps the meat juicy. If using boneless, be careful not to overcook it.
Recipe Card
Chicken Changezi Recipe (Old Delhi Restaurant Style)
Equipment
- a heavy-bottomed pan
Ingredients
For ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 10-12 garlic cloves
- 1- inch ginger
- 6 green chilies
For the marination
- 700- gram bone-in chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon curd
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For Changezi curry
- 6 tomatoes
- ½ cup oil, divided
- 3 medium-sized onions
- 5-6 cashews
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 1- inch cinnamon
- ¼ cup curd
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- 1-2 green chili
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice add as per taste
Instructions
Preparations for making the curry
- In a mixer, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
- Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, curd/yogurt, 2 teaspoons of the prepared ginger-garlic-green chili paste, and lemon juice.
- Whisk the curd/yogurt well and keep it aside. It is important for this recipe that the curd or yogurt you use is well-whisked and at room temperature.
- Blend fresh tomatoes and keep the paste aside. We will use it to make the changezi curry. Slice the onions and keep it aside.
Cooking Chicken Changezi
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add ½ cup of oil and heat it over medium heat. Add onions and fry until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Now add cashews and fry until the onions turn light golden (not dark brown). Remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving the extra oil in the pan.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Make sure the chicken pieces don't overlap. Fry the chicken until it is golden on all sides. The chicken does not need to be cooked at this stage. It will get cooked in the curry later. Switch off the heat.
- In the pan, add whole spices. Let them sauté in the residual heat for 30 seconds. Now add tomato paste and ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and mix well. Switch on the heat.
- Meanwhile, blend the fried onions and cashews adding little water. Add this to the curry. Keep stirring so that the gravy doesn't stick to the pan.
- Add whisked yogurt and combine. Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and roast (bhuno) the masala. Cook until the curry starts to release oil from the sides. If needed, add 1-2 more teaspoons of oil. Make sure oil releases from the sides. Add hot water to adjust the curry consistency.
- Add the chicken back to the pan with some green chilies. Combine and cook. Adjust the consistency to your liking. The curry is a bit thick, so do not add more water or you will dilute the flavours.
- Cover and cook it for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked. Chicken Changezi is ready to serve. Keep it covered for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with roti/naan.
Notes
- Marinate longer: Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator for tender, flavourful chicken.
- Bhuno the masala well: Cook the onion, tomato, and cashew masala until the oil separates from the sides. This gives the Changezi curry its signature grainy texture.
- Do not reduce oil: Use the quantity of oil mentioned in the recipe. It helps the masala cook properly and release oil.
- Keep stirring: Cashew-based gravy can stick to the pan, so stir at regular intervals.
- Use hot water: Add hot water only while adjusting consistency. It keeps the chicken soft and maintains the danedaar changezi sauce texture.
- Balance the spices: Avoid adding too much of one spice. Taste and adjust for a rich, balanced flavour.
- Simmer the chicken: After adding the fried chicken back, let it simmer for a few minutes for a rich, thick gravy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sumana
I tried it, it's delicious.
Preeti
Thanks