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Chicken farcha
Crumbed fried chicken
ચિકન ફરચા: Parsi wedding-feast fried chicken, marinated in ginger, garlic and chilli, crumbed and dipped in egg (plus 1 hour marinating)
No Parsi lagan nu bhonu, the wedding feast served on banana leaves in Navsari and Surat, is complete without farcha: pieces of chicken marinated in ginger, garlic, chilli and lime, rolled in breadcrumbs, dipped in beaten egg and fried until they wear a lacy golden coat. The egg goes on last, which is the opposite of most crumbed chicken, so the crust is soft-crisp and frilly. They are also made for birthdays and Navroz and eaten hot with lime wedges. A common mistake is frying in oil that is too hot, which burns the egg before the chicken cooks through. Chef's tip: pre-cook the marinated chicken gently in its own juices first, as many Parsi cooks do; then the frying only needs to colour the coat.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 ¾ lb chicken thighs and drumsticksskinless, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
For the coating
- 3 ½ oz fine dry breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
For frying and serving
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep frying
- 4 lime wedges (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Prick the 1 ¾ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks all over with a fork and rub in 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp green chilli paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tbsp lime juice and 1 tsp salt. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
10 minStep 2: Put the chicken and its marinade in a wide pan with 4 tbsp water, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, turning once, until the juices run clear and the meat feels firm. Uncover and cook off any liquid so the pieces are just moist. Cool for 10 minutes.
18 minStep 3: Roll each piece in 3 ½ oz fine dry breadcrumbs, pressing so they stick all over.
5 minStep 5: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil into a heavy pan so it is no more than a third full and heat to 350°F; a cube of bread should turn golden in about 40 seconds. Stay by the pan at all times.
6 minStep 6: Dip 2–3 crumbed pieces in the egg, let the excess drip for a second, and lower them into the oil. Spoon a little extra egg over the top as they fry so it forms frills. Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until crisp and evenly golden.
12 minStep 7: Drain on a rack. A thermometer in the thickest piece should read 167°F. Serve hot with 4 lime wedges.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicken farcha take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of green chilli paste?
- 1 finely chopped green chilli per tsp.
- What can I use instead of kashmiri red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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