Spicy Chicken Bharta Recipe

If you are a regular visitor of my blog, by now you know that I’m a hard core Dhaba food fan. If you are here for the first time, I am proud to confess to you that I have had some of the best food in my life served to me at these roadside eateries, something the hoity toity restaurants can’t even get close to!

This Spicy Chicken Bharta recipe is one such delicious memory from one of my travels on the highway. Talk about fast food and the best in the business from international food chains can’t beat these Dhaba guys. Big woks and tawas, keep steaming and sizzling 24 hours, seven days a week. The highway never sleeps and their service never stops.

On this particular journey we had been starving for a while, finally we found this tiny shack of a place off the main road, under the shade of a few thick trees. We asked the waiter to bring whatever he could fastest. He suggested chicken bharta and we refused thinking it would take them at least half an hour to cook that. But he insisted that he’ll bring it in minutes. Then we saw magic happen, the cook begin to throw different ingredients at the speed of lightening onto a big skillet with one hand, while his other hand kept sautéing them like an efficient machine. Within fifteen minutes we had this delicious and spicy dish in our hands with piping hot rotis from clay oven. Of course we wiped the plates clean and ordered for more!
This recipe is to honour that lovely food experience.

1/2 kg chicken mince
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 green chilli peppers, chopped
2 black cardamoms
6-7 black pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli or Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
A small bunch coriander, chopped
Juice of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1/4 cup cream ( optional)
3 hard boiled eggs

Prepare and keep all the ingredients ready and close by because it’s going to be a quick cook. Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat. Add cardamoms, black peppercorns and bay leaf. Sauté for a minute.

Add ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric, chopped green chillies and onions. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and keep cooking till they are soft, another 2-3 minutes.

Add chicken mince, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cream ( if using any) , add chopped coriander and sliced eggs, squeeze a lemon to finish off. Serve hot with roti or paratha.

Serves 2