Enjoy savory chicken kaleji, a flavorful homestyle dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal or special occasions like Eid. Try this Pakistani beef kaleji recipe for another delicious variation!
What is Chicken Kaleji?
Kaleji means liver in Urdu and Hindi. Similar to bhuna gosht, it’s a dry, bhuna-style curry made with chicken, mutton, or beef liver. The chicken liver fries with onions, garlic, and warm spices to make a rich curry. Serve it traditionally with other Eid recipes to mark the end of Ramadan, or whip it up for a quick dinner or lunch; my husband even enjoys the chicken liver curry with low-carb tortillas as a protein-packed post-workout meal.
Key Ingredients
- Ghee: Fry the onions, aromatics, and liver in ghee or oil to deepen the flavor.
- Onion: Caramelized onions create a flavorful base for the chicken liver curry.
- Garlic: Include four fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Ginger: Cooked into the salan and used as a garnish—fresh ginger adds the perfect bite.
- Spices: Kashmiri chili powder (paprika) for mild heat or red chili powder (cayenne pepper) for a spicier curry. Add coriander powder, ground cumin, garam masala, kosher salt, and a bay leaf to give the chicken kaleji masala a well-rounded flavor.
- Liver: When purchasing chicken liver, make sure it has a darker color, indicating freshness. As a rule, I prepare liver the day I buy it for optimal freshness.
- Yogurt: Tenderize the liver and mellow the smell with a scoop of full-fat yogurt.
Additions and Substitutions
I use chicken liver, but you can make this recipe with beef or mutton liver. Chicken liver requires less cooking time, whereas beef and mutton take longer to become tender.
Equipment
Cook the chicken liver in a heavy-bottomed pan like a stainless-steel sauté pan, Dutch oven, wok, or a karahi for even heat distribution. I also recommend using a food thermometer so you know when the chicken finishes cooking.
How to Make Chicken Kaleji Masala
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm ghee in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they soften, for 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: Add the bay leaf, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell fades. Then, stir in the ground spices.
Step 3: Add the liver and whole green chilies. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the yogurt and continue cooking on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken changes color. Once cooked, add salt to serve.
How do you know when the chicken is done?
The chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the largest piece of chicken liver.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the liver. The key to the tender liver is not overcooking it—too much time in the pan makes it tough and chewy, and no one wants that.
- How long should the liver cook?
- Chicken Liver: Cooks quickly in about 5 minutes.
- Beef Liver: Needs around 10 minutes to cook through.
- Mutton Liver: It takes the longest—about 20 minutes—to tenderize and break down properly.
- Use a food thermometer. You can tell that the chicken is done cooking when it reaches 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the biggest piece of chicken liver.
- Don’t add salt too early. Salt will toughen the liver if added too soon, so I season chicken kaleji at the end to keep it nice and tender.
If you enjoy Pakistani chicken kaleji, try more recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
- Bread: Paratha, Naan, Roti, Chapati
- Sauce: Chutney, Raita, Serrano Crema
- Sides: Moong Dal, Instant Pot Masoor Dal, Bindi Masala, Kachumber Salad
- Rice: Basmati Rice, Jeera Rice, Yakhni Pulao
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: According to my husband, chicken kaleji tastes even better on day two since it’s had more time to incorporate. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Kaleji masala freezes for 3-4 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the curry in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Add a small amount of water and warm leftovers over low heat on the stovetop. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave since it makes the liver more tough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is liver soaked in milk?
Many recipes suggest soaking liver in milk for 30 minutes before cooking to remove any smell or bitterness. However, I didn’t notice a significant difference after trying it, so I skip the extra step.
Should chicken liver be pink inside?
The color of the liver isn’t the most reliable indicator of whether it’s fully cooked or needs more time to simmer. For example, it’s okay if the liver has a pink shade as long as it’s no longer bloody at the center and has reached the safe minimum cooking temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check this by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest piece of liver.
More Curry Recipes:
Chicken Kaleji
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon bay leaf
- 1 -inch knob of ginger, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 pound chicken liver, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-2 green chili peppers, slit lengthwise, plus chopped chilies for garnish
- 2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh ginger, julienne, for garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
- Warm ghee in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they soften, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the bay leaf, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell fades. Then, stir in the ground spices.3 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Add the liver and whole green chilies. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the yogurt and continue cooking on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken changes color. Once cooked, add salt to serve.Tip: The chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the largest piece of chicken liver.
- Don’t overcook the liver. The key to the tender liver is not overcooking it—too much time in the pan makes it tough and chewy, and no one wants that.
- How long should the liver cook? Cooking time varies by liver type—chicken liver cooks in about 5 minutes, beef liver takes 10 minutes, and mutton liver needs around 20 minutes to break down properly.
- Use a food thermometer. You can tell that the chicken is done cooking when it reaches 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the biggest piece of chicken liver.
- Don’t add salt too early. Salt will toughen the liver if added too soon, so I season chicken kaleji at the end to keep it nice and tender.
Julie C.
Tuesday 3rd of October 2023
I love chicken liver. Thank you for another recipe to make with it!
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 3rd of October 2023
Of course, I am happy you enjoyed the kaleji recipe.
Alessandra
Monday 2nd of October 2023
This is the time of year that I’m always looking for some chicken liver recipes… They are so healthy, and this is an amazing way to do it! I wonder if I use dairy-free yogurt, do you think it would tenderize the same way? I don’t have an allergy and can use regular yogurt, but I was just curious. Maybe I will try it both ways. Thanks for sharing!
Tressa Jamil
Monday 2nd of October 2023
Yep, I am dairy-free so when I make chicken kaleji for myself I use coconut yogurt. Since the yogurt is still fermented, the acidity helps break down the tissue and protein in the chicken the same way as regular yogurt. But yeah, feel free to try the recipe both ways.
Jomelyn Mauermann
Monday 2nd of October 2023
We eat alot of liver in Philippines. So good in all our recipes. It's loaded with lots of nutrients too. I'll try your liver curry since I have curry paste and powder! Yum!
Tressa Jamil
Monday 2nd of October 2023
I am sure the addition of curry powder would taste delicious. Be sure to let me know how it turns out.