Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Maharashtra · Dinner

Chicken Tarri

The fiery red liquid chicken broth of Mumbai's street food world — a thin, vibrantly spiced chicken stock used to ladle over misal pav or eaten on its own with bread. Mumbai's answer to a soup course, consumed at street stalls from dusk till midnight.

🧺 Ingredients

• 400 g chicken pieces (bones and wings preferred — maximum collagen for body)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion (150 g), finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 medium tomatoes (180 g), chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp extra hot chilli powder (Guntur or Bedgi)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp goda masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 700 ml water
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8 curry leaves
• 2 dry red chillies

👩‍🍳 How to make Chicken Tarri

1. Brown chicken pieces (Heat: high): Heat 2 tbsp oil. Brown chicken pieces on high heat for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden-brown all over. Remove.
2. Build base (Heat: medium-high): In remaining oil, crackle mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add dry red chillies. Add sliced onion — fry on medium-high for 10 minutes until deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes — cook 6 minutes until fully broken down.
3. Add masalas (Heat: medium): Add both chilli powders, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and goda masala. Fry on medium for 2 minutes until masalas are toasted. This high-chilli spice combination gives the tarri its vivid orange-red colour.
4. Add chicken and water (Heat: high → medium): Return browned chicken. Add 700 ml water. Bring to a vigorous boil on high heat. Reduce to medium. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes until chicken is completely cooked and the broth has reduced to 500–550 ml of intensely flavoured liquid.
5. Strain and season (Heat: medium): Remove chicken pieces and shred meat from bones — add shredded meat back to the broth. Discard bones. Add salt. The tarri should be thin, fiery, oil-slicked on top, and deeply fragrant.
6. Serve: Ladle hot tarri into bowls. Add a pile of diced raw onion, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime into each bowl. Serve immediately with buttered pav on the side for dipping.

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