Chicken Farcha | Parsi Style Crispy Fried Chicken | Marghi Na Farcha

Chicken Farcha, called Marghi Na Farcha in Gujarati, is a delicious Parsi style fried chicken that is often deemed the Indian equivalent of the famed KFC chicken (albeit with greater flavour we think). This Chicken farcha recipe is the same that is enjoyed at almost all Parsi celebrations, big or small. Eaten on its own, chicken farcha parsi style makes a great snack, but it is also served with a side of brown rice, salad, dal, and curries for a complete meal.

If you like chicken, and especially fried chicken, then our perfect chicken farcha is what you must try…juicy tender boneless chicken, full of flavour from being marinated overnight, enveloped in a crisp exterior. So good!
 

Chicken Farcha on a banana leaf ready to eat

Ingredients for Chicken Farcha

A crisp exterior and a tender, moist interior is how a good chicken farcha can be best described. Follow the best chicken farcha recipe below to prepare the marinade using cumin powder, clove powder, cinnamon powder, salt, all-purpose flour (maida), along with ginger and garlic pastes, green chilli paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of oil. You will also need breadcrumbs (I prefer to use panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch) and eggs to coat the chicken before frying it in oil. While the traditional chicken farcha recipe calls for a skinless chicken cut into 4 to 8 pieces with bones, I have used boneless chicken thighs as that is what was demanded by my daughter, Janaki. Feel free to use either cut – both work fabulously.
 

Marinate chicken in a non-reactive glass bowl overnight in the refrigerator

A peep into the world of Parsi community and their cuisine

The Parsis of India are an ethnic group who are descendants of Persian Zoroastrians. They settled across India but particularly in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The city of Mumbai was once famous for its Irani cafes, the numbers of which have dwindled to just a handful today. Now, Parsi food is best relished if you get that prized invite to dine at a Parsi home or a lagan nu bhonu, a wedding feast.
 

Prep the beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and marinated chicken, then pour oil into a frying pan
 

A version of our chicken farcha recipe is often served at a lagan nu bhonu as well as other Parsi celebrations and feasts such as the Parsi new year, Navroze. Some of the other popular Parsi dishes include dhansak, kolmi no patio, dhan dar patio, jardaloo chicken, et al. The community is known for their love and use of eggs and is behind popularizing many egg-based dishes such as akoori, bheeda par eeda, malai par eeda, papeta par eeda etc. They are also known for their bakeries which dole out mawa cakes, batasa (a type of butter-based biscuit), khari, buns etc. And of course, the world-famous Lagan nu custard.
 

Dredge the marinated boneless chicken thighs in the breadcrumbs to coat evenly
 

Chicken 65, Chicken Vepudu - a fried chicken dish from Andhra (though not always deep fried), and Kerala street style chicken fry, are some of the other regional fried chicken preparations found in India.

How to make chicken farcha well

As mentioned earlier, I use boneless chicken thighs to prepare chicken farcha but you could follow the traditional method and use a kilogram of whole skinless chicken which is cut into 4 or 8 pieces.
 

Dip the crumbed chicken thighs in the beaten egg and then hold to allow the excess egg to drip off before frying
 

The overnight marination of the chicken is an important step in our chicken farcha recipe. It tenderizes the chicken as well as imbues the chicken with flavour. The recipe calls for overnight marination or up to 24 hours. It is no secret that the longer the marination (up to a limit), the better the flavours develop. However, if you do not have that kind of time at hand, I would suggest marinating the chicken for at least 3 hours for a good-tasting chicken farcha Parsi style.
 

Gently and carefully place the crumbed, egg coated chicken in the hot oil
 

The importance of marination: Marination ensures the chicken or meat is tenderized. A good marinade has the perfect balance of oil, acid (vinegar in this case), and spices. While the vinegar makes the chicken tender and juicier, the ginger also tenderizes through enzymatic action. The other spices flavour the chicken. You may wonder why oil is added to marinades. Oil prevents oxidation of the ingredients such as chicken or meat.

A word of advice: if you are using vinegar or any other acidic ingredients such as lemon, remember that these will react with metals in daily use vessels. I would strongly advise using non-reactive bowls (like glass) to marinate the chicken.

Ensure that the marinated chicken is removed from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before frying so that it comes back to room temperature, or it will not cook evenly, and you will get bites of partially raw and partially cooked chicken farchas.
 

Fry chicken on both sides till cooked through and golden brown
 

Dredge the chicken piece in panko breadcrumbs to coat well, dip in the frothy beaten eggs holding it over the bowl for a few moments to let the excess egg drip away, and then carefully lower into the oil for frying on medium heat.

For frying, the oil needs to be hot but not smoking. Drop a tiny piece of batter or bread into the oil. You should see many bubbles forming around the batter almost immediately and the piece of batter / bread will float up to the surface. The oil is ready for the chicken. However, if the oil is bubbling very hard around the batter, then the oil is too hot.
 

Remove fried chicken from the pan using a slotted spatula or tongs so that the oil can drain
 

I like to reduce the heat to medium once the chicken has been added. This ensures that the delicious Parsi style fried chicken exterior does not brown too quickly and allows the chicken to cook through properly.

Fry till the chicken pieces turn golden brown and are cooked, turning just once. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the best chicken farcha on kitchen paper towels to drain. You can watch our detailed chicken farcha recipe video for step-by-step instructions on making the dish.
 

Or look at all our Chicken Recipes right here!
 

Serve Chicken Farcha on a banana leaf garnished with red chillies (optional) and lime. Time to eat!
 

This recipe is adapted from The Time & Talents Club Recipe Book which was first published in 1935 and is a trusted source of recipes for Parsis ever since. It contains recipes from some of the legendary Parsi chefs including the likes of Bhicoo Manekshaw.

Serving suggestions for Chicken Farcha | Parsi Style Fried Chicken

Serve hot with chutney, lime, and onion rings. You could also serve chicken farcha as a side dish with dhansak, or dhan dar, brown rice, and Parsi style kachumber salad to make a complete meal out of it.

Learn how to make delicious Parsi Style Indian Fried Chicken at home with all ingredients & cooking method for the perfect evening - Chicken Farcha from Yummefy!