Name: Chicken dak bunglow | Chicken dak bungalow recipe | Dak bungalow chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients: 1 cup = 250 ml; To marinate the chicken; 1 kg Chicken, bone-in medium pieces; 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste; ¼ cup Yogurt; 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon Cumin powder; 1 teaspoon Coriander powder; ½ tablespoon Salt; For the eggs; 5 Eggs, hard-boiled; ¼ teaspoon Salt; ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder; For the potatoes; 4 Potatoes; ½ teaspoon Salt; ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder; For the Ginger-Garlic paste; 2 inches Ginger, diced; 14 large cloves of Garlic; 1 tablespoon Water; Other ingredients for the chicken dak bungalow; 4 Onions, thin sliced; 3-4 green Chillies; 2 large Tomatoes, chopped; 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta); 3 Cloves (Laung); 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini); 4 Cardamoms (Hari elaichi); ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

Chicken dak bunglow aka chicken dak bungalow is a simple and comforting chicken curry prepared using minimal ingredients. The addition of boiled and fried eggs and potato chunks is the speciality of this recipe. It is not a classic recipe but one of the most popular chicken curries in India. In this preparation, chicken pieces are marinated and then cooked in lightly spicy onion tomato gravy. Dak bungalow chicken is mostly relished with steamed rice or roti.

Table of Contents

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Chicken dak bungalow (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

What is dak bungalow?

Dak is a Hindi term which refers to mail. During British rule over India, these bungalows were built to post mail for the British mail service in the country. Usually, those bungalows were built in remote areas and hill stations away from the city. These bungalows are known as Dak bungalows.

During that time, Dak bungalows acted as rest houses for mail service employees and British officers to respite on dak (mail) route. Even during that time, it was accustomed for the passing travellers to use those bungalows for their stay including meals in exchange for paying money.

Those dak bungalows were run by a khansamah aka caretaker. Usually, many dak bungalows had an attendant who used to cook and serve affordable food to guests. The dak bungalows were built in remote areas. Hence, cooking ingredients were not easily accessibxle. The caretakers used to grow few regularly used vegetables and used to get fowls.

Chicken dak bungalow history

Chicken dak bungalow is basically a fowl curry made in the dak bungalows during the British era and has been eaten by British officers for more than a century. During that time, British officers or guests used to ask for meat and ask to prepare it less spicy.

The original recipe of chicken dak bungalow was chicken roast which used to be prepared using very less spices and minimal ingredients. It used to get prepared very quickly too.

But slowly due to desi khansamah’s regional cooking style and the local crowd in dak bungalows, many guests asked for chicken curry and rice for a meal. The attendant used to go out to get fowl and many of them had eggs in their body. The khansamah used to cook a scrumptious curry using the meat, egg, potato chunks and minimal spices and used to serve it with steam rice. Gradually the fowl curry has become popular and used to order it frequently for wholesome meals.

Over the period of time, local folks used to refer to the light and nutritious fowl curry as chicken dak bungalow curry. There is no hard and fast rule to prepare the recipe. In every dak bungalow khansamah is used to prepare the curry according to the availability of ingredients.

This delectable dish was almost omitted from people’s minds after the British era. But in the early 21st century, this extinct recipe was made by a popular Bengali restaurant “Bhojohori Manna”.

Chicken dak bunglow aka chicken dak bungalow recipe is one of my favourite chicken curries which I can’t stop myself to devour till my stomach is tightly packed. The first time, I had this curry was when I was in Bengaluru. I used to work in IT and stay in a PG. As usual, away from home, I used to crave for Bengali food in south India. Then from one of my friends, I got to know about Bhojohori Manna restaurant in Bangalore. After coming to know about it, I went to the restaurant on a weekend. In their menu card, I found the name Chicken dak bunglow. The name of the dish dragged my attention and I ordered that with steam rice and it was pure bliss. Sinceb then Dak bungalow chicken has become my favourite.

I started researching about the chicken dak bungalow recipe and got to know the above-mentioned information. Then I decided to prepare the dish at home. Initially, I was not confident about how the chicken curry will taste using very less ingredients but it came out fantastic.

My family just loved the preparation and praised my cooking skill. The addition of boiled eggs and potato chunks is just like icing on the cake for kids. Now it has become a family favourite dish and each member of my family just love it crazily. Whenever I talk about the recipe, it brings lots of nostalgia and beautiful memories to my mind. Honestly, it is a full proof recipe which will never let you down.

Chicken dak bunglow aka chicken dak bungalow recipe is very simple and easy to make. It requires very fewer ingredients to prepare the dish and all the ingredients are easily available in any Indian kitchen pantry. The difficulty level of cooking this recipe is low and could be a perfect dish for beginners or novices.

Ingredients for chicken dak bunglow

Chicken: The primary ingredient of the recipe. I have used bone-in medium size chicken pieces for the recipe.

Eggs & Potato: The addition of boiled eggs and potato chunks are the specialities of the dish.

Onion, Ginger-garlic & tomato: Like any other chicken recipe, the addition of onion, garlic, ginger and tomato is compulsory to get a rich, flavoured and delicious curry.

Yogurt: It is one of the essential components to marinate the chicken. It helps the chicken pieces to get tender and gives a creamy texture to the gravy.

Whole spices: Add whole spices like bay leaf, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom into the oil for tempering. These spices induce a nice aroma into the oil. So, try not to skip any of these whole spices.

Ground spices: Other than whole spices, I have used ground spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices help to develop a nice flavour and taste in the dish.

Sugar & Salt: For the basic taste of the dish.

Cooking oil: You can use any cooking oil for the recipe. But I personally prefer mustard oil for the recipe.

Water: It is added to adjust the consistency of the gravy.

Chicken dak bunglow step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to help you to meet perfection during the time of preparing the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then you would surely get the perfect result.

Tips to prepare perfect Chicken dak bunglow

Always marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour for better flavour, taste and texture.
Always use homemade fresh ginger-garlic paste for the recipe rather than readymade ones for a more intense flavour.
Use thinly sliced onion for the recipe. Onion paste or diced onion won’t give you the perfect texture.
Always cook chicken dak bungalow curry in mustard oil. It will give you a better taste and flavour.
Don’t skip the whole spices. It induces a nice aroma into the oil.
Don’t skip boiled eggs and potato chunks from the recipe. It enhances the taste of the dish.
Dak bungalow curry is slightly runny in texture. So add water for the gravy accordingly.
Add sugar and garam masala at the end of cooking to enhance the taste and flavour of the chicken dak bungalow.

How to make Chicken dak bungalow?

To prepare the chicken dak bungalow, first peel and cut the vegetables for the curry and keep them aside.

Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled 14 large garlic cloves, 2-inch diced ginger and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Wash the chicken pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. Then add ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken pieces. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Cover it and keep it aside for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, hard boil 5 eggs and peel them. Give slight cuts on the body of the peeled eggs with the help of a knife from the sides. But make sure it should not get cut into pieces. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder on the eggs and rub them evenly on each piece.

Cut each medium-sized potato into four pieces. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.

Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.

Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown in colour. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.

In the same pan, add marinated eggs and fry them evenly over medium flame for 2-3 minutes till crispy and golden brown in colour. Then strain the eggs out and keep them aside.

In the same pan, add some more mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2-inches cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Immediately, add the sliced onion and give a quick stir. Cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.

Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and mix it well. Cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomatoes into the pan and give a nice mix. Add salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for some time until the tomatoes get mushy.

Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes away.

Now, add the marinated chicken pieces into the pan and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over medium-high flame for 10 minutes.

Then take off the lid of the pan and mix it nicely. Again cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 20 minutes.

Add the fried potato chunks, 3-4 green chillies and stir it carefully. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 10 minutes.

Add 3½ cups hot water into the pan and give a stir. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.

Then turn the flame low and add the fried boiled eggs into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon sugar, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix.

Simmer the gravy in high flame for another 10-15 more seconds and check the salt of the gravy before switching off the flame. Add more if required and mix it well. Then switch off the flame. Now chicken dak bungalow is ready to serve.

Many Indian chicken curry recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Chicken bharta
Butter chicken
Karahi Chicken
Chicken Do pyaza
Homestyle chicken curry

..And Many more…

Ingredients:

1 cup = 250 ml

To marinate the chicken

1 kg Chicken, bone-in medium pieces
1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
¼ cup Yogurt
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
½ tablespoon Salt

For the eggs

5 Eggs, hard-boiled
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

For the potatoes

4 Potatoes
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder

For the Ginger-Garlic paste

2 inches Ginger, diced
14 large cloves of Garlic
1 tablespoon Water

Other ingredients for the chicken dak bungalow

4 Onions, thin sliced
3-4 green Chillies
2 large Tomatoes, chopped
1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
3 Cloves (Laung)
2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
4 Cardamoms (Hari elaichi)
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste
4 tablespoon Mustard oil for cooking
3½ cups Water for Gravy

Instructions:

Peel and cut the vegetables for the curry and keep them aside
Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled 14 large garlic cloves, 2-inch diced ginger and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Wash the chicken pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl.
Add ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken pieces. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate and keep it aside for at least for 1 hour.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil and once the water starts boiling then turn the flame low and add 5 eggs carefully into the water with a skimmer so that the eggs don’t crack. Turn the flame high and allow it to boil for exactly 10 minutes.
During this time, make a large bowl ready, filled with cold water. Then drain the eggs and immediately place them in a cold water-filled bowl. Let the eggs sit for 10 minutes to cool down completely.
Peel the eggs and give slight cuts on its body with the help of a knife from the sides. But make sure it should not get cut into pieces.
Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder on the eggs and rub them evenly on each piece.
Cut each medium-sized potato into four pieces. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
Add the marinated potato chunk into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown in colour. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
In the same pan, add marinated eggs and fry them evenly over medium flame for 2-3 minutes till crispy and golden brown in colour. Then strain the eggs out and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Immediately, add the sliced onion and give a quick stir. Cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.
Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and mix it well. Cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
Add the chopped tomatoes into the pan and give a nice mix.
Add salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes get mushy.
Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes away.
Add the marinated chicken pieces into the pan and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over medium-high flame for 10 minutes.
Take off the lid of the pan and mix it nicely. Again cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 20 minutes.
Add the fried potato chunks, 3-4 green chillies and stir it carefully. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 10 minutes.
Add 3½ cups hot water into the pan and give a stir. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
Turn the flame low and add the fried boiled eggs into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon sugar, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix.
Simmer the gravy in high flame for another 10-15 more seconds and check the salt of the gravy before switching off the flame. Add more if required and mix it well. Then switch off the flame. Now chicken dak bungalow is ready to serve.

Serving Instruction

Transfer the chicken dak bungalow into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Relish it with steamed rice or roti and enjoy the comforting delicacy.