Chicken Bihari Boti
Bihari-style spices, a chicken-sized marinade.
- Marinade
- 4 to 8 hours
- Prep + cook
- 25 + 18 min
- Safe temp
- 74°C
- Yield
- 1 kg raw meat, about 4 servings
A chicken variation on bihari boti, using mustard oil, fried onion, roasted gram flour and warm spices. Chicken thighs need far less tenderising than beef, so this recipe deliberately leaves out raw papaya. It is a variation, not a replacement for the original beef preparation.
Method
- 1
Cut chicken thighs into even thick strips rather than paper-thin slices. Pat dry.
- 2
Mix yoghurt, crushed fried onion, mustard oil, gram flour, ginger, garlic, spices, salt and lemon.
- 3
Massage the marinade into the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Do not add raw papaya.
- 4
Prepare medium grill heat with a cooler side. Fold strips loosely onto flat skewers, avoiding a dense bundle.
- 5
Cook for about 14 to 18 minutes, turning frequently and moving away from flare-ups. Check the thick folded sections reach 74°C.
- 6
Rest for 3 minutes for juiciness and serve with onion, lemon and paratha.
74°C
Safe internal temperature
Cook chicken to 74°C in the thickest part, away from bone. Refrigerate marinades at 4°C or below; never use colour alone to judge doneness. Times above are estimates; a probe thermometer is the only reliable check.
USDA safe temperature chartPitmaster notes
- Fried onions should be golden, not dark brown and bitter.
- Use food-grade mustard oil or substitute neutral oil; do not use products labelled only for external use.
- Raw papaya can make chicken mushy; reserve tenderiser experiments for cuts and recipes that need them.
On the table
- Paratha
- Lemon onions
- Raita
Questions people ask
Is behari kebab the same spelling as bihari kebab?
Both spellings are used in English for this style. This page is a chicken boti variation; the beef bihari boti page covers the meat-first version.
Should I add papaya to chicken bihari boti?
Not in this recipe. Tender chicken thighs do not need raw papaya, and its enzymes can make the surface mushy during a long marinade.
Why does my bihari-style coating burn?
Fried onion and gram flour brown readily. Use medium heat, shake off excess coating and move the skewers to a cooler zone before the outside blackens.
