Chicken Changezi Recipe (Restaurant Style)
I love rich, creamy Mughlai curries, and this Old Delhi favourite Chicken Changezi is something you must try at least once. Made with generous oil and slow-cooked masala, this Changezi chicken curry is perfect for special occasions when you want proper restaurant-style flavour at home.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 410kcal
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 chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1-2 teaspoon curd
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For Changezi curry
- 6 tomatoes
- ½ cup oil
- 3 medium-sized onions
- 5-6 cashews
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoon curd/yogurt
- 1-2 teaspoon oil
- 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 chicken changezi
- In a mixer, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Add 1-2 teaspoon water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
- 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.
- 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 Curry
- 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. They will get sautéed in the remaining 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 a minute 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.
Video
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.
- 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
Calories: 410kcal