Marghi Na Farcha (Parsi Crispy Fried Chicken)

I have been enjoying Parsi food ever since I was a child & I just love it! Parsi food is not only simple but exotic in its simplicity. Parsis love to eat & relish good food. Their cooking has that combination of subtle & delicate flavoring of spices – which is almost considered a divine art…Their food preparations are so delicious & mouth watering. The use of sweet aromatic spices, dry fruits, milk & eggs in various dishes and methods of cooking like steaming, baking, pan cooking, makes their cuisine very unique. For me, Parsi food is sumptuous & irresistible!

Today’s recipe is the very popular & well loved Chicken Farcha. Even though it is a crispy deep fried chicken it is not very oily like other deep fried snacks. You do not have to fry the chicken pieces for too long simply because the chicken is first steamed & then fried.

Chicken Farcha is served at all Parsi celebratory occasions. This lovely fried chicken is mildly spiced & yet very tasty. I make this Marghi Na Farcha quite often because we all enjoy it. Do give this a try… I’m sure you will relish it! 😀

Ingredients :

10 Chicken pieces (legs or breast pieces with bone or boneless)
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup Bread Crumbs
2 tbsp. Red Chilli pwd.
1 tbsp. Turmeric pwd.
1 tbsp. Garam Masala pwd.
½ tbsp. fresh Ginger paste
1 tbsp. fresh Garlic paste
A dash of pepper
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for deep frying.

Procedure :
To prepare the spice paste, combine red chilli pwd., turmeric pwd., garam masala pwd., ginger paste, garlic paste & salt in a sufficiently large bowl.
Wash, drain the chicken pieces & mix them well in the spice paste.

Marinate for about an hour or more in the fridge.

Steam the marinated chicken pieces in a steamer till the chicken is cooked.

Remove the steamed chicken pieces in another bowl.

The stock may be reserved to prepare soup or curry.

Let the steamed chicken pieces cool down completely.

Heat a wok/kadhai with oil till hot.

Meanwhile, add a dash of pepper & salt to taste to the lightly beaten eggs. Mix well.

Place the breadcrumbs in a tray or plate.

First dip each piece of cooked chicken in the egg mixture & drain to remove excess.

Lightly roll each piece of chicken in breadcrumbs till well coated.

Deep fry few pieces at a time until they are uniformly crisp & golden in color.

Drain with a slotted spoon & transfer on plate lined with absorbent towels.

Serve as a starter with a dip, chutney or sauce or as an accompaniment with Parsi Brown Rice & Dhansak or even with Parsi Chicken/Mutton Biryani!

Tips :

Score the chicken with a knife if using chicken with bone so as to allow the marinade to seep through.
It is better to use boneless chicken as it cooks through quickly.