There are some foods that become a part of the city over a period of time. Ask any Punjabi outside Bengal, and they wouldn’t know about Kolkata chicken bharta. Nobody remembers exactly how it was created or when. But it has simply become a part of everyday life, mostly for Bengalis who swear by chicken bharta available at all the local dhabas.
Walk into a neighbourhood dhaba or even a small eatery serving North Indian food, and chances are you will spot chicken bharta on the menu. Order it with roomali roti or tandoori roti, and you already know dinner is sorted.
Interestingly, Kolkata chicken bharta does not behave like a typical Bengali chicken preparation. You do not find large pieces of chicken swimming in a thin curry. Instead, the chicken gets shredded and folded into a rich gravy. Eggs often become part of the dish too. Some restaurants grate them while others roughly mash them. Some add quartered eggs as a garnish. Add cream, butter and aromatic spices, and everything comes together into something smooth and delicious.
There is always a little mystery around where exactly chicken bharta came from. Some people connect it to Punjabi cooking traditions because of the smoky flavours and creamy texture. Others believe it grew inside restaurant kitchens that were experimenting with leftovers and creating new dishes. Honestly, food stories often travel through many kitchens before becoming what they are today. Whatever the real story may be, Kolkata happily adopted it and made it its own.
Why Kolkata Chicken Bharta Looks Different Across The City
One thing that makes this dish fascinating is that every restaurant seems to have its own version. Azad Hind Dhaba makes a delicate white-coloured bharta. Rang de Basanti Dhaba has a more yellowish version. Some dhabas make it rich red and add cashews and kishmish too (though I reckon they will be the more Bong-centric dhabas). Jai Hind Dhaba, Shere Punjab, Ballygunje Dhaba, and Bachhan Singh Dhaba – there are so many dhabas and other local eateries selling this delicacy. But surprisingly, the taste never moves too far away from what we know and love.
The flavours stay creamy. The shredded chicken remains soft. The smoky notes still make an appearance. Perhaps that is why Kolkata chicken bharta continues to remain popular.
Kolkata Chicken Bhorta
Ingredients
Method
- Add chicken breasts, whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, cloves and black peppercorns to a pan with enough water. Boil until the chicken cooks through.
- Remove the chicken and reserve the stock. Shred the chicken using two forks and keep aside.
- Heat oil and butter together in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Add black cardamom, cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. Let them release their aroma.
- Add onion paste, ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook on low heat. Stir continuously and let everything cook gently. Do not brown the onions.
- Once the raw smell disappears, add coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and salt.
- Mix well and cook the masalas until oil begins to release from the sides.
- Add the shredded chicken and mix thoroughly so the chicken gets coated with the masala.
- Pour in some reserved chicken stock and add the soaked cashew paste.
- Let everything simmer. Keep stirring frequently to help create that signature creamy texture.
- Towards the end, add fresh cream, crushed kasuri methi, sugar, salt if needed and a little extra butter.
- Stir until the gravy turns rich, smooth and creamy.
- Garnish with boiled eggs. Serve with roomali roti or tandoori roti.
Pikturenama is a blog about our travel and food escapades along with stories to share through photography. 
