Chicken in South Asian Cuisine
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Chicken Parts
Most homestyle curry recipes are made using a whole, skinless chicken that’s pre-cut into small pieces, sometimes called a curry cut. While not widely available in U.S. supermarkets, bone-in, skinless chicken is the most popular chicken cut at Halal meat markets. You can also use cut up leg quarters (a blend of bone-in thighs & drumsticks) for many curries and rice dishes. The second most popular chicken parts are boneless chicken breast or thighs, which are especially popular at restaurants and in Indo-Chinese cuisine. Some recipes will use a whole chicken or leg quarters (like Tandoori Chicken or Peri Peri Chicken). Pakistani and Indian chickens are generally smaller, and Halal meat markets tend to have smaller-sized chickens. They weigh around 2.5 lb per chicken as opposed to the 3-4 lb chickens you’ll see at supermarkets.
Skinless vs Skin-on Chicken
In Indian and Pakistani cooking, there is no concept of skin-on chicken. Chicken is almost always consumed without the skin.
Chicken Snacks & Sides
Simple Bone-in Chicken Recipe
Ovens weren’t the norm in South Asia, so most chicken recipes are made on the stovetop. A stand-in for the oven was a Tandoor, which yielded chicken kabab recipes like Chicken Malai Boti, Chicken Tikka, and of course, Tandoori Chicken.
Chicken Curry Recipes
It’s a wonder how many creative ways you can cook chicken in a curry. Here are some of the most popular chicken curries in South Asian cuisine.
Indo-Chinese Recipes
Chicken is the meat of choice for the majority of Indo-Chinese dishes.
Baked Chicken Recipes
Though not traditional, these fusion recipes make use of ovens while delivering on South Asian flavors.
Rice Recipes
What’s better than chicken served with rice? Chicken and rice infused together! Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
