Naga Chicken Curry / Chicken Curry Naga Style / Traditional Naga Chicken Curry

Naga chicken curry is a naga traditional chicken recipe which is zero oil and prepared with a handful of ingredients with few simple cooking steps. In simple words it is a boil chicken recipe. The chicken is cooked with fermented bamboo shoot which is the key ingredient of the curry which makes the curry authentic and traditional. The ingredients used to make this naga style chicken curry are chicken, fermented bamboo shoot, potato (optional), green chillies, ginger, garlic, salt, water and local sichuan peppercorns ( a variety of sichuan peppercorn).

Naga chicken curry is yet another simple and classic dish from the Naga cuisine. Naga style chicken curry is a zero oil dish which means not a single amount of oil is used in cooking this chicken curry and that’s how we cook our dishes. Very tasty, flavorful, exotic and healthier as well. It is a simple and easy recipe with simple cooking process.

Chicken curry with fermented bamboo shoot is a common Naga speciality dish which is very famous and one of the most popular dish in Naga Cuisine. It is a traditional and authentic naga chicken recipe. This dish is savored in almost all Naga household.

Naga chicken curry is an absolutely favourite of the nagas. Infact it is loved by many north easterners. It is a very simple and super easy recipe. You have the ingredients in hand and you’ll master it in jiffy. It is a perfect curry with lovely flavors to have with piping hot steam rice. The unique and amazing aroma coming out of the fermented bamboo shoot and the magical sichuan peppercorns is just divine and to die for.

Naga cuisine uses bamboo shoot as a key ingredient in dishes cooked with fish, chicken, pork, beef or other meats and even in vegetarian dishes. Bamboo shoot enhances and intensifies the flavour of the dishes.

Here I have used the pounded fermented bamboo shoot. You can use the whole fermented bamboo shoot which has can be shredded with hand into long thin strips. This is a naga special fermented bamboo shoot. You can also use the bamboo shoot extract in this recipe. There is also a traditional recipe of chicken with dry bamboo shoot which is a perfect side dish to have with your piping hot steam rice.

Fermented bamboo shoot is a traditional Naga delicacy and a key ingredient in many naga dishes. Infact bamboo shoot is a delicacy for many North East states. It is adored by almost all north easterners. Most Naga dishes are cooked with bamboo shoot (fresh, fermented, extract or dried) as a souring agent to the dishes; be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes.

Fermented food plays a crucial part in Naga Cuisine. Some of the fermented food are fermented bamboo shoot, fermented dry fish, fermented crab meat, fermented soya bean (axone), fermented mustard leaves, zutho (rice beer) etc.

If you think that Indian cuisine is all about spicy and oily food, then you are missing out some information. Indian cuisine consists of a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisine. Nagaland, one of the northeastern state of India, is known for simplicity and variety of food from different tribes of the state. Naga food is considered to be healthy as most of the food are either boiled or steamed. The use of oil is very minimum. We usually dont use the Indian spices in our kitchen. Infact fresh herbs are used in our daily cooking. 

It’s a known fact that Nagas love their food spicy and its true that most people find their food bland. This juxtaposition is often tackled by throwing in 1 or 2 raja mircha ka naga king chilly in any bland stew. The naga king chilly adds that extra zing in any dishes like meat, vegetables and chutneys. Though it is hot beyond words, raja mircha remains that one ingredient Nagas can’t do without.

INGREDIENTS FOR NAGA STYLE CHICKEN CURRY

● Chicken – I have used broiler chicken. Local/country chicken is best for this recipe. It takes the curry to another level and more healthier.
● Fermented bamboo Shoot – You can use shredded bamboo shoot or bamboo shoot extract/juice.
● Potato – You can add other vegetables like beans, carrot, cabbage or leafy vegetables. Again this may be optional
● Green chilly – Raja mircha ( naga king chilly) fans can add king chilly for the extra zing and hotness.
● Ginger
● Garlic
● Local sichuan peppercorns
● Salt
● Water

VARIATION OF NAGA CHICKEN CURRY

● You can totally skip the potato and sichuan peppercorns.
● You can add on others vegetables to the curry to make it more hearty and healthier. Mostly commonly used are squash (chow chow/chayote), beans, carrots, cabbage etc
● You can add green leafy vegetables like lai pata ( mustard greens), Mongmong tü (sichuan leaves) etc
● You can add coriander leaves, burmese coriander or fresh ginger leaves to the curry which enhances the flavor of the curry.
● Use fermented bamboo shoot for authentic taste but if you can’t source it, you can use canned bamboo shoot or even tomatoes. Taste and flavor will differ but those are the substitute ingredients.

If you’re fond of naga food, then this is surely the one to go for! It is lip-smacking good. I hope you’ll try this simple and easy naga style chicken recipe and if you do, please do share your thoughts about the recipe with me here.

I made a simple recipe video of this hearty naga chicken curry recipe for my readers which I have shared below. Please do watch and SUBSCRIBE to my channel if you haven’t yet. It will mean a lot to me and motivate me to come up with more videos for my readers. As always looking forward to your feedbacks!

Naga Chicken Curry Tutorial Video

FEW CHICKEN STARTERS RECIPE YOU MIGHT LOVE TO TRY

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FEW CHICKEN SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE

● South Indian Masala Chicken Fry
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● Steamed Chicken

THE CHICKEN CURRY COLLECTION

● Chettinad Chicken Curry
● Easy Chicken Curry
● Chicken Manchurian
● Butter Chicken
● Pepper Chicken Gravy
● Chicken Kola Urundai Kuzhambu
● Black Pepper Chicken

MORE NAGA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE > Naga Cuisine

YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE NORTH EAST INDIA CUISINE RECIPES HERE

All of the above recipes are super easy to prepare, ready in no time, and will never disappoint you.

So let’s get started with the recipe.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients to make naga chicken curry:

500 gms chicken
2 tbsps fermented bamboo shoot
2 potatoes cubed
6-7 green chillies
2 inches ginger
8-10 garlic
1 tbsp local sichuan peppercorns roasted
Salt as per taste
Water as required

Step by step pictorial instructions to make naga chicken curry:

In a mortar pestle coarsely pound the green chillies. Remove and keep aside.

In the same mortar pestle coarsely pound the ginger & garlic and keep aside for later use.

Add the chicken in a pot. Add the pounded green chilly, fermented bamboo shoot and salt to taste. Add water immersing the chicken well. Turn on the flame. Cover the pot with lid and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes.

Add the potato chunks and continue to cook until the chicken and the potatoes are cooked completely approximately 15 minutes.  Cooking time will differ depending on the variety of chicken used.

Adjust the curry consistency as per your requirement.

Add the pounded ginger garlic and dry roasted and crushed sichuan peppercorns. Mix well and cook for 3-5 minutes and take off the flame.

NOTES:

● This dish taste best with country chicken/local chicken.
● Use chicken with bone.
● Raja Mircha fans can add 1 or 2 raja mircha or as per your heat preference level.
● You can totally skip the potato and sichuan peppercorns.
● You can add on others vegetables to the curry to make it more hearty and healthier. Mostly commonly used are squash (chow chow/chayote), beans, carrots, cabbage etc
● You can add green leafy vegetables like lai pata ( mustard greens), Mongmong tü (sichuan leaves) etc
● You can add coriander leaves, burmese coriander or fresh ginger leaves to the curry which enhances the flavor of the curry.
● Do not over cook the chicken.

Well, if you make this naga chicken curry, please do leave a feedback in the comments box below or snap a photo and tag Akum Raj Jamir on Facebook and akumrajjamir on Instagram with hashtag #atmykitchen. I would love to see your creations.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I hope you liked the recipe. Your valuable feedbacks are always welcome, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you.

Happy cooking!

Love Akum

About Akum Raj Jamir

administrator

Hello Everyone.. I am Akum Raj Jamir. I am a Naga Lady born and bought up from Nagaland. Married to a Tamilian and settled in Chennai now.  I worked in hotel industry for 3 years and later I shifted to corporate sector and worked in US based MNC companies. In January 2014 I was blessed with a baby boy and that it when I decided to quit my job and give me full time for him as well as the home. Now I am a homemaker ☺.  I started cooking at the very small age. We sisters used to help mom in the kitchen and followed the foot step of my mom and that's how I developed my cooking skills. A foodie by nature and a passionate cook, loves everything about food. Cooking is my passion. I love experimenting with food in my kitchen and try to bring the best in whatever I cook. I cook with all my heart and soul and this love is evident in the dishes I cook.  I believe in sharing a lot thus whatever I cook I share with fellow friends and my fan followings. So this space is all about food from my kitchen for foodies like me. Explore the recipes ☺