Naga Chicken CurryNaga

Name: Naga Chicken Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Naga
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken, bone-in pieces; 2 tbsp, roughly mashed akhuni — smoked fermented soybeans (axone); 4–6, broken dried Naga chillies — or dried red chillies; 4, slit fresh green chillies; 8 cloves, roughly chopped garlic; 1-inch piece, minced fresh ginger; 2 medium, roughly chopped onion; 3 tbsp mustard oil or any neutral oil; to taste salt; 1 cup water; a handful fresh coriander — for garnish

⏱ Prep 15m🍳 Cook 50m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Cook with Nzan Mozhui (YouTube)

Naga cooking strips away every layer of mainland Indian spice complexity and replaces it with something more primal: smoke, fire, and fermentation. This chicken curry from Nagaland is built on akhuni — smoked fermented soybeans that smell ferocious in the packet and taste like nothing else on earth in the pot. Add dried Naga chillies and you have a dish that tastes exactly like the fog-draped hills it comes from.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪chicken, bone-in pieces1 kg
▪akhuni — smoked fermented soybeans (axone)2 tbsp, roughly mashed
▪dried Naga chillies — or dried red chillies4–6, broken
▪fresh green chillies4, slit
▪garlic8 cloves, roughly chopped
▪fresh ginger1-inch piece, minced
▪onion2 medium, roughly chopped
For the tempering
▪mustard oil or any neutral oil3 tbsp
▪saltto taste
▪water1 cup
▪fresh coriander — for garnisha handful

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Akhuni (axone/smoked fermented soybeans) is available at Indian grocery stores serving North-East Indian customers, and on Amazon. In a pinch, a small piece of miso or doenjang gives a fermented base — the flavour differs but the principle is the same.
Naga/bhut jolokia chillies are among the world’s hottest. Outside India, use dried Thai bird’s eye chillies or dried Korean chillies for heat with a manageable level. Start with 2 and adjust.
Mustard oil is traditional in North-East India. Heat it to its smoking point first to mellow the bitterness, then let it cool slightly before adding aromatics. Any neutral oil works as a substitute.

Method

1If akhuni comes in a block, wrap in foil and toast over a flame or in a dry pan for 2 minutes — this softens the pungency and deepens the smokiness. Mash roughly.
2Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add dried chillies and fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped onions and cook 8–10 minutes until soft and beginning to colour.
3Add garlic and ginger; fry 2 minutes. Add the mashed akhuni and stir it into the onion base — it will smell strong; that is normal and correct.
4Add chicken pieces and turn to coat thoroughly. Sear on all sides for 5–6 minutes until the surfaces colour.
5Add green chillies, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30–35 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the gravy has thickened.
6Taste and adjust salt. The curry should be bold, slightly smoky, and very savoury. Garnish with fresh coriander.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.