Easy Chicken Rogan Josh Recipe
Tender pieces of chicken slow cooked in a rich silky-smooth gravy full of aromatic spices! Chicken rogan josh is a healthier take on the classic rogan josh that uses red meat. This recipe will help you make closest-to-authentic rogan josh without having to hunt for specialty ingredients.
Author: Sheeba
Ingredients
Marinade
- 700 grams bone-in chicken (1.54 pounds)
- 1½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
- 1½ teaspoon fennel powder (divided)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Others
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1½ cups small shallots/pearl onions
- 10 dried Kashmiri red chillies
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 2 teaspoons mustard oil
- 1 pod black cardamom
- 2 pods green cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 blade mace
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- ¾ cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
STEP BY STEP IMAGES
Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!
Instructions
Marinate chicken
- Mix together: 1½ teaspoon chilli powder, 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder, 1 teaspoon 1½ teaspoon fennel powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the spice mix to 700 grams bone-in chicken and mix well. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. Marinating overnight gives the best results.
Soak saffron
- Mix ½ teaspoon saffron with 1 tablespoon of hot water in a small bowl.
Make red chilli paste
- Break 10 dried Kashmiri red chillies into halves. Soak them in about ½ cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Using gloves, squeeze the chillies to separate the seeds. Pick out the chillies and strain the water to remove the seeds.
- Blend the chillies with the water into a smooth paste.
Make shallot paste
- Roughly chop 1½ cups small shallots/pearl onions.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a pan or pot. Add the shallots and roast on medium-low flame. Stir until the shallots are browned uniformly.
- Cool and blend them into a smooth paste.
Cook chicken with spices
- Heat 2 teaspoons mustard oil in a deep pot until it starts smoking. Turn off the flame.
- Add 1 pod black cardamom, 2 pods green cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 1 blade mace and ½ teaspoon peppercorns.
- Turn on the stove and stir the spices for a couple of minutes.
- Add the marinated chicken and stir for about 5 minutes.
- Add ¾ cup yogurt to the chicken and stir. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring intermittently.
- Add the shallot paste and chilli paste prepared earlier. Mix until well incorporated without lumps.
- Add 1 cup of hot water to the chicken. Mix and cover with a lid.
- Reduce the flame to low and cook for about 15 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Add the remaining 1½ teaspoon fennel powder, ½ teaspoon pepper and soaked saffron with the water.
- Remove from heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: Use bone-in thighs, drumsticks or a mix of both. DO NOT use chicken breasts.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. This will allow it to come to room temperature.
- Checking for doneness: The cooking time for chicken will depend on the size and quality of your chicken. The best way to check is to let it cook for the first 15 minutes. Then check after 10 minutes. If it is not done, check every 5 minutes after that. Cook until the flesh almost falls apart.
- Shallots: You can use store-bought “pran” (Kashmiri shallot paste) if available. I prefer to make my own paste using pearl onions or shallots.
- Dry red chilies: Use only Kashmiri red chillies which provide color and flavor without the heat. If you can’t get them, make a paste with 1½ teaspoons of Kashmiri chilli powder and 2 tablespoons of hot water. The texture and flavor will differ slightly, but it would still taste good.
- Whole spices:
- Black cardamom: It is bigger and stronger in flavor. If unavailable, replace it with 2 pods of regular (green cardamom).
- Mace: It is a unique spice used in Kashmiri dishes. Nutmeg is the closest alternative. If you don’t have mace, skip it and use ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg along with the ground spices.
- Oil: I’ve used 2 types of oil here. Olive oil to roast the shallots and mustard oil for the authentic rogan josh flavor. You can replace it with olive oil, but the taste may not be the same.
- Shallot and chilli paste: Blend them as smooth as possible to get a silky-smooth rogan josh gravy.
- Scaling: This recipe for rogan josh chicken can be multiplied to serve more number of people.
- Storing: Chicken rogan josh stays fresh for about 3 days in the fridge. It is not suitable for freezing.
- More tricks and tips in the post above.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken Rogan Josh Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
250.4
% Daily Value*
Fat
10.9
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
2.7
g
17
%
Trans Fat
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1.9
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4.9
g
Cholesterol
105.7
mg
35
%
Sodium
727.6
mg
32
%
Potassium
570.9
mg
16
%
Carbohydrates
15.2
g
5
%
Fiber
3.9
g
16
%
Sugar
6.6
g
7
%
Protein
23.7
g
47
%
Vitamin A
856.9
IU
17
%
Vitamin C
7.9
mg
10
%
Calcium
118
mg
12
%
Iron
2.1
mg
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.