Chef Vikas Khanna's New York restaurant, Bungalow, has quickly become one of the most sought-after Indian restaurants in the city. Opened in March 2024, it is known for its modern take on regional Indian flavours. In a short span, Bungalow has earned strong critical acclaim and was even awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Bungalow has also become a celebrity hotspot, drawing both Indian and international stars. Among the high-profile names spotted dining there were Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, Ayushmann Khurrana, Boman Irani, Jenna Fischer, and Sarah Jessica Parker. A video of Chef Vikas Khanna preparing one of Bungalow's standout appetisers, Chicken Anarkali, has been receiving a lot of interest online. Shared by Eater, the clip shows him walking viewers through the process of creating the unique sweet-and-savoury dish, which has already become a favourite among guests.
According to the celebrated chef, Anarkali refers to the "blossoms of pomegranates". He adds, "So everything in this chicken comes with a little bit of pomegranate, from the first marination to the glaze, even to the chutneys made from pomegranate seeds." He explained that Indian food and tandoor grill go hand in hand. The chef relied on this "quintessentially Indian technique" of tandoor grilling to make Chicken Anarkali.
Chef Vikas Khanna inserted the marinated chicken pieces into a stick before putting them inside the oven for the perfect tandoor. "In America, we use gas and the temperature can go up to 700 degrees, which is amazing for charring meats," he disclosed before turning his attention to the sauce. "This is the sauce in which it is going to be glazed. Now, it's not traditional, but I feel that this is where all the flavour is," he said, drizzling pomegranate molasses into the thick sauce for that "beautiful sourness" and some Amul cheese. "It's almost like cheddar, but just much better," he explains.
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Once done, Vikas Khanna dipped a basting brush into the sauce and swiped the liquid onto the chicken so that the flavours penetrated well. The meat then went into the clay oven. "Because it has a lot of heat, the cheese is going to get stuck in the chicken. This is what makes our Chicken Anarkali so different," he shared. The final result was drool-worthy, featuring juicy, charred and saucy tandoori chicken, topped with watermelon radish and served with zesty red and green chutney.
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Here's how foodies reacted in the comments section:
"I'm dying to try this!" noted a user. "What a beauty", gushed another.
"So tempting," noted an individual.
"Yummy" was the common sentiment.
"I'm dying to try this," a comment read. Someone wrote, "Best chicken."
"Looks delicious, chef," a user said.
Someone asked, "Can't come to Bungalow as of now, but I want to have it... would you please share the recipe.... please."
Before this, a video of the preparation of another dish from the restaurant took social media by storm. Click here to find out how Chef Vikas Khanna makes his best-selling yoghurt kebabs.