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. It is perfect for special occasions or even a weeknight dinner.
This curry is made with bone-in chicken cooked in a thick tomato-based gravy with yogurt and cashew or almond paste. The slow-cooked bhuna masala gives the curry its rich flavour and signature grainy texture. Serve with naan, roti, or paratha.
Why You'll Love Old Delhi Style Chicken Changezi
This Mughlai curry has a rich bhuna masala that gives it a signature danedaar (grainy) texture and deep flavour. It tastes just like Old Delhi restaurant-style curry, but you can easily make it at home.
About this Recipe
I first tasted Chicken Changezi at a restaurant 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 missing. 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.
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.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Old Delhi Style Chicken Changezi
- About this Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to make Chicken Changezi (with Step-by-Step Photos)
- Making the changezi sauce
- Street Style Chicken Changezi VS Butter Chicken
- My Tips for Perfect Danedar Chicken Changezi
- Recipe FAQs
- More Indian Chicken Curry Recipes to Try!
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
Common ingredients include fried onions, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, kasuri methi, and oil or ghee for richness. For a detailed list of ingredients, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
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 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.
Street Style Chicken Changezi VS Butter Chicken
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.
It also 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 bold in taste.
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.
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)
Video
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 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
- For the best Chicken Changezi, 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.
- Cook the masala 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.
- Do not cut down the quantity of oil mentioned in the recipe. You will need that quantity. Otherwise, the oil will not release from the sides while cooking the curry.
- Keep stirring the curry at regular intervals. When you add cashews to make the curry base, it sticks to the bottom of the pan. So keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Always add hot water while adjusting consistency. It keeps the chicken soft and helps maintain the signature danedar texture of the curry.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sumana
I tried it, it's delicious.
Preeti
Thanks