Tawa Chicken: Lahore’s Native Street Food

When talking about Lahore's street food scene, one cannot miss the spicy, steamy tawa chicken.

Tawa chicken is purported to have been invented in the vicinity of Lahore’s Taxali Gate, and originally created by the owners of a restaurant in 1966. This zesty chicken recipe became immensely popular when it was adapted and sold by Arif Chatkhara House, who to this day holds the title for one of the best tawa chicken recipes in Lahore.

The Tawa is the special vessel that gives the name to this dish, and upon which it is cooked. Traditionally tawas are used to cook rotis or phulkas on, and these are also the perfect bread accompaniment for the dish.

To begin with, sliced tomatoes and onions are combined with fresh butter on a tawa and cooked down till soft.

Slits are made into a piece of half cooked chicken breast (so that the flavors of the spices can penetrate) and brought onto the tawa to be combined with the simmering tomato onion mixture.

The chicken is mixed and and cooked thoroughly with all the spices.

Slit green chillies are added to the chicken.

Chicken is left to simmer under an upturned metal bowl on the tawa.

The gravy starts to thicken and the oil comes to the surface.

Half a cup of freshly whipped yogurt is poured onto the chicken and stirred.

The yogurt is cooked briefly with the chicken, and water from the sauce is dried up to create a thick gravy for the final dish.

Tawa chicken is ready to be plated and served!

Garnish with julienned ginger, mint and cilantro for an added burst of flavor!