Tawa Chicken is a popular Pakistani dish that involves marinating chicken pieces in a tasty mix of spices in yogurt, and then cooking them on a tawa. The marinated chicken is sautéed on the tawa with chopped garlic and green chillies, and the leftover marinade, until it is fully cooked and tender.

In Pakistan, it is a really popular street food. You can easily find it at many food stalls on the streets. People like to enjoy it with naan, puri, or paratha. It’s usually served with a side of kachumber salad and mint chutney. The yummy flavors and delicious smell of Tawa Chicken make it a top pick for anyone looking for a tasty meal while enjoying the lively street food in Pakistan.

What is a Tawa?

A tawa is like a flat or slightly curved metal pan that’s commonly used in South Asian cooking, pretty useful for making bread like roti or paratha. But now, people use it to cook different foods like breads, pancakes, meats, and veggies. It’s similar to a skillet but without high edges. Sometimes, in videos, you might have seen heavy metal cast Tawas being used as weights to steam-cook rice dishes like biryanis. It’s cool how versatile they are in the kitchen!

The best types of Tawa are usually made of strong materials like cast iron, carbon steel, or non-stick coatings. These materials can cook food evenly. Tawas that are thick and heavy hold heat well and cook food evenly too. It’s also good to choose a tawa size that fits the dishes you often make, whether it’s small breads or larger meals. Just pick the tawa that works best for your cooking needs.

Have you seen those new frying tawas that companies are selling? It’s like a mix of a tawa and a frying pan. They’re calling it a frying tawa. It does the same job as both a tawa and a frying pan, so you can cook lots of different foods with it. It’s cool how kitchen stuff keeps getting better for modern cooking!

Key Ingredients

Step-By-Step Process With Pictures

1. Clean the chicken properly and make slits in it to help the marinade penetrate. Give the chicken a garlic water bath and let it soak for 20-30 minutes.

2. Roast cumin and coriander seeds, along with peppercorns. Grind the roasted spices into a powder using a coffee grinder.

3. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the prepared spice blend, salt, turmeric, and chili powder. Whisk well to combine.

4. Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt mixture, ensuring they are well coated. Cover the marinated chicken with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to infuse.

5. Heat oil on medium heat in a Tawa (large flat pan). Add chopped garlic and green chili, sauté until golden brown.

6. Add the marinated chicken pieces and fry each side for 5-7 minutes until the chicken changes color.

7. Pour the leftover yogurt mixture over the chicken.

8. Cover the Tawa and let the chicken steam cook on medium flame for 20-25 minutes. If needed, add a splash of water if the yogurt mixture dries up. Flip the chicken pieces to ensure even cooking.

9. Once the chicken is cooked through, add green chilies and cilantro. Fry the chicken on high flame for an additional 3-5 minutes. Give the dish a smoky flavor by adding coal smoke at the end.

10. Serve the Tawa chicken hot, accompanied by puris, parathas, and a side of kachumber salad and mint chutney for a delicious meal.

Special Instructions For Preparing Tawa Chicken

• Give your chicken a garlic water bath before marinating: Before marinating the chicken in the yogurt mixture, soak it in a garlic-infused water bath. This step helps eliminate the chicken smell (if any) with a subtle garlic flavor, enhancing its taste.

• Marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture for at least 1 hour: Make sure to marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture for a minimum of 1 hour. This allows the flavors to penetrate the meat, making it tender and flavorful when cooked.

• Do not pour too much yogurt marinade on the chicken: While frying the chicken on tawa, remember not to drench the chicken in too much yogurt. Excess yogurt may overpower the other flavors or affect the texture of the chicken. Use just enough to coat the chicken evenly for a balanced taste and texture.

• Do not overcrowd your tawa with chicken: Putting too many pieces at once can lead to uneven cooking, affecting the taste and texture. Leave enough space between each piece for proper cooking, resulting in a nicely seared, juicy chicken.

Choosing the Right Chicken for Your Recipe

For this recipe, you can choose any kind of chicken piece you like. It doesn’t matter if the chicken is big or small – you can use your favorite pieces. This dish is flexible, so you can make it with the chicken you prefer, whether it’s bone-in or boneless. Just pick the chicken you enjoy the most, and it will work well in this recipe. The recipe will turn out delicious no matter what type or size of chicken you use.

1. Bone-in Tikka Cut

When making Tawa chicken, bone-in tikka cut works well. These large, juicy chicken pieces with bones intact add flavor to the dish as they cook on the tawa. The bone keeps the meat moist and tender, making your Tawa chicken delicious and aromatic.

2. Karahi Cut

We call it Karahi cut because in Karahi recipes, we use medium to small-sized spices that are cooked well in a gravy for dishes like Pakistani Karahi Murgh. For Tawa Chicken, smaller karahi-cut chicken pieces are also a good option. These smaller bone-in cuts cook quickly on the tawa, ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and stays succulent, creating a tasty dish.

3. Boneless

While bone-in cuts are traditional in Tawa chicken, some may prefer boneless chicken for convenience. Boneless chicken cooks swiftly on the tawa and can be a good alternative if you prefer not to deal with bones while enjoying your flavorful Tawa chicken. You can follow the same recipe and prepare Chicken Tava with boneless meat, and use it as a filling for your wraps and sandwiches.

Time-Saving Tips

• Cut up, clean, and get your chicken ready ahead of time: Get your chicken pieces all prepped and ready to go before cooking so you can jump straight into making your dish without any delays.

• Marinate your chicken the day before you plan to cook: Give your chicken time to soak up all those delicious flavors by letting it marinate in the fridge overnight. This way, your chicken will be flavorful and ready to cook when you are.

• Make a big batch of marinated chicken and freeze it for later: Prepare a large quantity of marinated chicken and store it in the freezer. This saves time on busy days when you need a quick meal—all you have to do is thaw and cook.

• Keep your ingredients ready to go: Get all your ingredients measured out, chopped, and lined up before you start cooking. This will help you cook smoothly without any last-minute scrambling for items.

Frequently Asked Question