A street food from Lahore, Pakistan, Charga is a whole chicken that is first slit to help absorb spices, then steamed for 40 minutes to lock in its juices. After marinating for 24 hours in a yogurt-and-spice mixture, it is flash-fried for 40 seconds to crisp the outside while keeping the meat juicy. It is finished with garnishes and served alongside naan, rice, chickpeas, and mint chutney.
Arlington VA
Charga Grill
Charga
Whole chicken / Homemade yogurt / Salt / Black pepper / Ginger / garlic paste / Lemon juice / Turmeric / Cumin / Chili powder / Coriander powder / Pakistani allspice / red onion / cilantro / House chaat masala
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Seth explores bold Lahore flavors at Charga Grill in Arlington, VA, tasting Chef Iqbal’s take on charga. This Pakistani street food features a whole chicken steamed, yogurt‑marinated with spices for 24 hours, then flash‑fried. Served with naan, chickpeas, mint chutney, and mango lassi, it’s richly spiced, balanced, and deeply flavorful.
...And two specimens from Pakistan, Chaudry’s homeland: brined-and-smoked sajji chicken, and skinless charga chicken, which is steamed and flash-fried. The latter two birds alone are worth a trip to Charga. But Chaudry, along with his uncle Iqbal Chaudry, doesn’t stop at chicken. They also serve kebabs, curries, quesadillas and more. Their free-form approach might confound those who prefer tidy categories for their restaurants. But as with the customers who enter their establishment, Iqbal and Asad commit themselves to each and every dish on the menu.
Tim Carman, The Washington Post
