Count on street foods and one will definitely name chaaps on their top five loved dishes. Chaaps, though introduced by the Mughals and Nawabs in Bengal, are popular all across the country and people are crazy about this single dish. Chicken Chaap is prepared in different variations in different cities and towns.
An unique style of preparing this dish comes from the lanes and streets of Amritsar, where they use minced chicken instead of chicken drumsticks and coat it well with Punjabi and Amritsari flavours.
The use of garam masala in this recipe makes it different from the Kolkata Style Chicken Chaap and is rich in flavours and nutrients of chicken and egg.
Amritsar served as a hub for travellers who brought their food and cooking methods because it was a key city on the Grand Trunk Road and the Silk Route. One of the most amazing instances is satpura, a delicacy resembling puff pastry that has been offered inside the walled city for years. Poori-chholey, another breakfast item popular in Amritsar, is a local delicacy unlike the satpura. It's not like the tiny pooris seen throughout the majority of India, nor is it like the Delhi bhatura. Amritsar's pooris are enormous, round like a balloon, and served with chholey.
The city's non-vegetarian cuisine is influenced by Peshawar and Lahore. After 1947, those who crossed the Radcliffe Line brought their cuisine with them, and Amritsar embraced it to make the fabled Tandoori Chicken, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Chicken Chaap and Mutton Chaap (deep-fried minced meat patties). And since then the craze for Chicken Chaap on the lanes and streets of Amritsar has been never ending.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups Chicken Mince
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped Garlic
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Green Chillies, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- Crushed Black Peppercorns to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup dried Breadcrumbs
- Oil for grilling
Method Of Preparation:
- Mix together chicken mince, garlic, onion, green chillies, garam masala powder, chaat masala, chilli powder, crushed peppercorns, salt and breadcrumbs in a bowl
- Divide the mixture into equal portions and wrap them around ice cream sticks
- Heat some oil in a grill non-stick pan. Place the chicken sticks on it and grill till evenly done from both the sides and the chicken is fully cooked
- Serve hot with green chutney, onion rings and lemon wedges
This drooling chicken recipe from Amritsar is full of flavours. There is crunch in each bite of chicken as it is well coated with breadcrumbs and the onions added in the minced chicken mixture adds an extra crunch to it. The aroma of spices makes it appetising and the use of chaat masala and chillies gives the dish a spicy-tangy flavour making it peppery and delicious. Since Punjabis are fond of strong spices, this recipe is spicy and full of flavours. One can easily find it around the nukkas of the city.