Making restaurant style chicken chaat is both quick and easy.
This is the chicken chaat from my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Bible' but done in a curry house portion.
My books mostly feature curry house recipes in family sizes but so often I get asked how to make them in Indian restaurant portions.
It's not rocket science! Just halve the recipes.
That said, this restaurant style chicken chaat recipe will save you having to do that.
I have a version of this Chicken Chaat in a few of my cookbooks...
The Curry Guy Easy - Page 12
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Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this Chicken Chaat recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the recipe card at the end of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin. All of the authentic Indian restaurant style curry recipes on my site use a base curry sauce. My 'go to' recipe is here.
See recipe card for quantaties...
- rapeseed (canola) oil
- onion - finely chopped
- garlic and ginger paste
- chaat masala
- Kashmiri chilli powder
- mixed powder
- tomato puree
- base sauce
- Tandoori Chicken
- cucumber - roughly chopped
- tomato - quartered
- red bell pepper - roughly chooped
- chickpeas
- Salt to taste
- garam masala
See recipe card for quantaties
What exactly is restaurant style chicken chaat?
Delicious! You might know that already if you have ordered it when dining out.
Chaat mean snack. There are many authentic chaats that come from India.
This restaurant style chicken chaat is different though. It has a real curry house flavour that is so good.
One thing that is common in Indian chaats is the use of chaat masala. This is a spice blend that contains black salt, giving it a unique flavour.
You can purchase chaat masala. It's readily available at Asian shops and online but you might like to try my homemade recipe here.
How To Make Base Sauce
In order to get this Chicken Chaat to taste just like it does when you go out, you will need to do some forward planning. First, you will need to cook a base sauce and have it hot and ready to add to the curry. Following are a few methods you can try with the first and second options being the closest to how. base sauce is cooked at restaurants.
You can also freeze the base sauce for that last minute chicken chicken chaat craving. Just be sure to label and date it and freeze it in convenient sized containers. It will freeze for up to 6 months.
Pre-Cooked Chicken
Although you could add raw chicken and let it cook through in the sauce, that isn't what curry house cooking is all about! By pre-cooking the chicken you will add another delicious layer of flavour. I have many chicken madras on this site but the following will all be delicious stirred into the madras sauce:
If you like looking at step by step photos of what you're about to cook, here you go...
Restaurant style chaat is just one of the many curry house favourites you can make at home. Try some of these too...
Madras sauce
Korma sauce
Dhansak sauce
tikka masala sauce
chilli garlic sauce
Bhuna sauce
Storage
Fridge: Fridge: Allow your dish to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Flavours often develop even more after a night in the fridge.
Freezer: Portion and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the hob or in the oven until piping hot.
Top Tip
Use freshly roasted and ground chaat masala — it makes all the difference. Store-bought is fine, but if you toast the spices (like cumin, coriander, ajwain, and black salt) and grind them fresh, your chaat will have an unbeatable depth and zing.
FAQ
Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh works best. Thigh is juicier and more flavorful, but breast is leaner. The key is to cook it until just done so it stays tender.
Yes, but for the best texture and flavor, store the chicken separately and toss it with the chaat ingredients (onion, chutneys, lemon, chaat masala) just before serving. This keeps it fresh and prevents sogginess.
It’s best served warm or at room temperature. Warm chicken absorbs the spices and chutneys better, but it's also great slightly chilled as a salad-style dish.
Why not turn it into a feast?
Rice
Naan
Dahls
Restaurant Style Chicken Chaat
Chicken chaat is a curry house classic and it can easily be made at home quickly and easily with amazing, restaurant quality results.
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1/2 onion - finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tbsp chaat masala
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp mixed powder
- 70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
- 300ml (1 1/4 cup) approx. base sauce
- 500 to 700g Tandoori Chicken
- 1/2 cucumber - roughly chopped
- 1 tomato - quartered
- 1/4 red bell pepper - roughly chooped
- 4 tbsp chickpeas
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds to cook out the rawness.
- Add the ground spices followed by the tomato puree and a ladle of base sauce. Add more base as required. If the curry is looking dry, add some more. If too saucy, cook it down.
- Stir in the chicken to heat through and then add the tomato, bell pepper, cucumber and chickpeas. Stir well.
- Let simmer for a couple of minutes until you are happy with the consistency and then add salt to taste and sprinkle with the garam masala to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 4g
Use this as a guide. It is not necessarily accurate.
Elizabeth says
Chicken and amount of chicken not mentioned in ingredients
Dan Toombs says
Sorry about that, I will get that changed. Use approximately 500g pre cooked chicken off the bone. You can use thigh or breast meat.
Thanks
Dan
Michele says
Hi Dan...you haven't changed your recipe to include the chicken yet..
Dan Toombs says
Totally forgot but I’ve just amended.
Thank you for reminding me.
Dan