About this ebook
Indian chicken cooking is built on three fundamental pillars: the marinade, the masala, and the method. The marinade — whether yoghurt-based, pickle-spiced, or vinegar-soured — penetrates the meat and builds flavour from within. The masala — the deeply cooked base of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and spices — provides the body and complexity of the gravy. And the method — whether tandoor, dum, kadhai, or deep-fry — determines the final character of the dish.
In this book, I have assembled 20 of the most important Indian chicken recipes — from the globally iconic (Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala, Biryani, Tandoori) to the regionally essential (Chettinad, Vindaloo, Rezala, Xacuti), from the festive (Murgh Musallam) to the everyday (Dhaba Curry, Keema). Every recipe has been tested for accuracy, written with precision, and accompanied by the tips that make the difference between a good dish and a great one.
A note on the chicken: wherever a recipe calls for bone-in pieces, use them. Bones conduct heat, release gelatin, and add a depth of flavour that boneless chicken simply cannot match. For marinades, always score to the bone. For curries, always cook the masala deeply before the chicken goes in. These are not suggestions — they are the foundations of great Indian chicken cooking.
