Chicken Choila is a traditional Nepali chicken salad recipe that is beloved for its bold flavours of ginger, garlic, spices, and smoked meat. This dish is a staple in Nepalese cuisine, and it's no surprise that it's found in almost every restaurant and household throughout the country. Originally hailing from the Newari community in the capital city of Kathmandu, this dish is now beloved by Nepali people all over the world. It is often served as an appetizer and is commonly enjoyed with local alcohol.
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What exactly is Chicken Choila?
Chicken choila also known as Kukhura ko Choila is a delicious and flavourful chicken salad that is quick and easy to prepare. It is made with a dressing that combines semi-cooked tomato, ginger, and garlic, which provides a unique and tangy flavour. There are many variations of chicken choila, and the specific ingredients and preparation methods may vary, but the basic idea remains the same: to create a quick, tasty and satisfying chicken salad that is refreshing and packs a punch!
How do Nepali people eat Chicken Choila?
Eat chicken choila like a local by serving it as an appetiser or as a side to a drink. Pair the the choila with a local alcohol, such as rice wine. This will enhance the flavours of the dish and create a more authentic dining experience.
My favourite pairing has to be sweet rice wine (called jaad in Nepali) which complements the spices in the chicken choila extremely well and helps to mellow down the flavour of the garlic and onion.
Tips and Pearls to make
- You can also add 4 tablespoon of canned tomato paste if you don't have fresh tomatoes.
Suggested Alterations
- You can substitute chicken (kukhura) with any other meat- lamb, mutton, duck, buffalo, beef.
- Add some chopped lettuce to the mix. This will add some crunch and freshness to the dish.
Chicken choila (Nepali Chicken Salad) कुखुराको छोइला
Equipment
- 1 Blender You can machine blend the ingredients into a paste or you can also do it manually using a mortar and pestle
Ingredients
Chicken Mix
- 500 g Chicken Boneless chicken thigh or breast
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika Powder
- ½ teaspoon Timmur powder (Nepali Sichuan Pepper) optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 tablespoon Lemon Juice You will need 1 whole lemon
- 4 Spring onion More traditional to use garlic leaf if you can find it. Slice the spring onions into 5cm segments and slice finely long ways.
Tomato Spice Paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste or 1 inch slice of ginger
- 5 cloves Garlic
- ½ Onion Medium size. Roughly cut into medium chunks.
- 1 Tomato Medium sized. Roughly cut into medium chunks.
- 2 Fresh Chilli Use fresh chilli. Add more according to how spicy you would like it. 2 Chillies gives a very mild heat, if you like it spicy then add 5.
Tempered Oil Dressing
- 5 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- Start by cooking the chicken thighs in your preferred method. You can barbecue/ grill it for 20 minutes to give it a smoky flavor (my personal favourite method), bake it in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes, or pan fry it until it is cooked and golden.
- Once the chicken is cooked, allow it to cool and then cut it into bite-sized strips.
Make the tomato spice paste
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, and add ginger, fresh chillies, and lightly fry for 1- 2 minutes until aromatic.
- Add onion, garlic, and chopped tomato, and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft. Be sure not to cook the tomato, onion, and garlic too much.
- Once they are done, set them aside to cool and then blend them into a paste using a mechanical blender or crush them using a mortar and pestle.
Assemble the ingredients
- Before making the tempered oil dressing assemble all the ingredients in the dish together into a bowl.
- Add to a large bowl the chicken, spring onions (Press/squash the spring onions between your hands to release the flavour), lemon juice, tomato spice paste, coriander powder, paprika powder, timmur powder, salt.
Make tempered oil dressing
- Then make the tempered oil dressing. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add fenugreek seeds and cook until they are golden brown (takes 15-20 seconds), then add turmeric powder.
- Remove the pan from the flame and pour the tempered oil dressing over the assembled ingredients mixture .
Mix everything together
- Mix well and lightly crush the ingredients together either with a spatula or your hands. Serve the dish cold with a refreshing drink.
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