Pan smeared Chicken Chops is a pan – sauteed chicken delicacy that is marinated in aromatic Indian spices and herbs. Chicken chops also known as chicken chaap or chicken in chaape is delicious, flavorful and simple to prepare!
This recipe calls for two marinades. Firstly, chicken is marinated in lemon juice and salt. Secondly, in herb and spices. Grilling chicken in the oven – Marinate overnight and then grill. I altered the recipe a little, instead of oven I preferred pan-cooking as pan sauteing resulted in a “thick gravy” that was excellent with our soft rotis. The best part was pan smeared chicken requires just two hours of marinade. Chicken legs were allowed to simmer in its own marinade till all the liquid had evaporated. While they were browning, its aroma filled the house with great fragrance of herbs and spices. All the spices complimented each other and overall a well- blended dish, did not distract the palate and makes it a perfect meal for the family.
REGARDING INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE – Instead of adding raw onion paste, I caramelized my onion with a touch of oil, cooked it on a medium flame and when it was golden brown, minced it turning it into a flavorful paste and added that to the second marinade.
Papaya- Raw papaya is great for tenderizing meat. Papaya has enzymes that break down the collagen and other connective tissues in meats. Adding papaya to chicken will give it a gooey kind of a texture and keeps it tender and flavorful. No papaya on hand use kaddu or Pumpkin or store bought pumpkin paste not puree as it will make the marinade too liquidy.
No Degi Mirch – use Red chili powder (adjust). Garam masala can be substituted with curry powder. If using curry powder omit nutmeg powder from the recipe.
Accompany these wonderful chicken chops/chaape with rice or naan. A total gourmet dish!! Try and enjoy!!
Pan smeared Chicken Chops
INGREDIENTS
FIRST MARINADE
- 5-6 pieces Chicken drumsticks (leg pieces)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
SECOND MARINADE
- 2 teaspoon Ginger paste
- 2 teaspoon Garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon Raw Papaya Paste
- 1.5 cups Hung Curd (thick Market curd/yogurt)
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Coarsely pounded coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kastoori methi/ dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds Powder
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg Powder
- A pinch of Saffrom strands
- 1 teaspoon Deggi Mirch or Red chili Powder
- 2 tablespoon Caramelized Onion paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Let's begin with preparing our first marinade. Clean and thoroughly wash chicken pieces.
- Make horizontal slits across each chicken leg for the marinade to penetrate into the meat. Mix in lemon juice and salt and rub it thoroughly over the chicken pieces. Let it sit for at least an hour.
- Chicken pieces rubbed with lemon juice and salt.
- Meanwhile let's prepare our caramelized onions. Heat oil in a pan, add sliced onions and saute till they are brown in color. Allow it to cool down and then using a mixer grind it into a paste.
- Assemble: rest of our ingredients spices..
- Cut, and deseed the papaya. Remove the skin and chop it into pieces. Toss the chopped pieces into a grinder and make a paste.
- And curd, papaya paste, caramelized onion paste and ginger-garlic paste.
- To the marinated chicken let's apply our second marination.
- Mix in curd, papaya paste, caramelized onions, ginger-garlic paste...
- And all of the spices.
- Blend all ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
- Rub it over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle saffron strands over it.
- Cover and place this bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- This is how it's going to look after 2 hours.
- In a pan heat ghee/oil and add marinated chicken to it. Saute until all the liquid has evaporated and the marination is reduced to 1/4 its quantity. This will take at least 30 - 40 minutes on a medium flame. Adjust your seasonings at this point.
- This is what it will look like - all cooked and dried up.
- Chicken chaap is ready. Serve it hot with vinegar onion and naan.
Awwww….Looks so yum ! Awesome blog and great picture shots too ! Thanks am already super-ravenous fellas……
Thanks Abishai for your feedback! Glad you liked it!!
Hello Ruchi,
Firstly great design and pretty easy to navigate. Miss your old website. i have been following you on and off for the last 10 years. This recipe is par excellence. Made the pan style and true to its name it was all smeared up in gravy and my family was all praising me for this recipe.Will make this more often.
Thanks
Parul
Welcome to my new blog Parul.So happy to learn that you have been following the blog for so many years. Glad you like the recipe and thanks for stopping by:)
I would suggest everyone who eats non veg to at least try this dish at least once. It’s so so delicious. Totally smeared in the masala. You have introduced new way to cook tandoori dishes all smeared up in there own masala. Never had or thought of a dish this way. Great work. Keep up the hard work.
You are welcome Nagesh. Glad you liked the recipe and thanks you for your feedback!!
Wow that is delish. Made just as written and explained in pics. Cooked perfectly. Make this for dinner today it was great, so juicy and full of flavor, the masala adds a wonderful taste to the recipe.
Thanks Rhonda, glad you liked the recipe 🙂
I had tried it today n it turn out great…. Thanks for sharing this type of recipes…
You are welcome Manu shree. Glad you liked it and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I made this recipe for my chicken-lovers-girl-get-together. Everyone just raved about the taste, spices and yumminess. Eliminated some of the difficult named spices and carried on with the rest and the chicken chops were more tender than I thought. Will be making them again and again.
Thanks for sharing your experience with me, Ginny! Glad to know that you and your friends enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Dinner can never be better without this. Made this and it’s a great recipe and a must try. Flavors are so well infused and precise measurements. Balance spices and mouth watering recipe. Looking perfect and very delicious recipe. Definitely a keeper!!
Thanks Priyanka! Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Just loved it. Great taste and superb flavor. Want some more chicken chaap recipes.
Thanks Nooren!
Hi Ruchi
Can i avoid using papaya, as i m not so fond of it?
Thanks for stopping by Reshma! Papaya is used to tenderizer and flavor the meat. Once cooked you will not be able to taste it. Other substitute would be – kiwi paste or lemon juice. Use the same measurements.
Thanks for the nice and step by steo receipe, I am very fond of new dishes and I prepare the same myself, It was good in taste and my family liked it.
Thanks a lot again for sharing the same
Pleasure is all mine. Thanks for sharing your experience with me Aditya. Glad you liked the recipe.
You have tons of interesting recipes!
Cant wait to try pan smeared chicken chops.
Thanks Lenos! Hope you like the recipe.
Hello Ruchi
I was looking for a different chicken recipe to make at home. I liked the picture and recipe. So I tried it. It came out very delicious. My husband loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Pleasure is all mine. Thanks for trying the recipe Elsa. 🙂
Thanks for the information
You are welcome. 🙂