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Pakistani · Punjabi

Lahori chargha

Non-vegetarian

چرغہ · chargha

Lahore's festive whole chicken: deeply scored, marinated in a tangy red masala, steamed until tender, then fried until the outside turns crisp and dark.

Lahori chargha is a Pakistani main course, ready in about 5 hours 5 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and cayenne / chilli powder. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Rest
4 h
Total
5 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
804

Ingredients

4 servings

Marinade

To fry

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix all the marinade ingredients to a thick paste and massage it deep into the cuts and cavity of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Keep raw chicken refrigerated while marinating.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Steam the chicken over boiling water, covered, until cooked through and tender. Let it drain and dry on a rack for a few minutes.

    Food safety: The thigh should reach 74 °C.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil to 180 °C in a wok (opens in a new tab). Lower the chicken in carefully and fry, spooning oil over the top, until deep red-brown and crisp.

    Food safety: Pat the chicken dry before frying and lower it away from you — wet marinade spits.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Drain and serve whole with lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges and onion (opens in a new tab) rings.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan · Commonly attributedMore food from Pakistan
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Marinated / cured, Steamed, Deep-fried
    Taste
    spicy (chilli heat), tangy, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration
    Cook more with
    Chicken pieces, skin-on · Cayenne / chilli powder · Yogurt · Lemon juice · Garlic · Fresh ginger
    Techniques
    Deep-frying · Boiling · Steaming · Marinating · Curing

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    804 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 377 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 29%
    • Carbohydrate 4%
    • Fat 67%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy804 kcal213 kcal
    Protein58.1 g15.4 g
    Carbohydrate7.1 g1.9 g
    Net carbohydrate5.6 g1.5 g
    Sugars2.3 g0.6 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre1.5 g0.4 g
    Fat59.6 g15.8 g
    Saturated fat14.7 g3.9 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol230 mg61 mg
    Sodium1396 mg370 mg
    Salt equivalent3.5 g0.9 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    740 mg
    Calcium
    109 mg
    Iron
    3.7 mg
    Magnesium
    78 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    167 µg
    Vitamin C
    12 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.6 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.1 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    25 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: lemon, onion.
    • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Tying the legs together keeps the chicken compact so it fits a wok and fries evenly.

    Common mistakes

    • Frying straight from steaming without draining causes violent spitting and a soggy crust.

    Serve with

    • Serve with naan, raita and salad; chaat masala sprinkled on top is a Lahori touch.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

    Reheating

    • Reheat in a 200 °C oven to re-crisp.

    Variations

    • Oven chargha: After steaming, roast at 220 °C, basting with a little oil, instead of deep-frying.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 1

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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