PESHAWAR: In the days leading up to the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, Rafi Ullah Safi is especially busy at his shop in Peshawar city’s historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar as customers arrive from across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and beyond to order his Degi Chargha: a steamed chicken roast prepared in a secret marinade of 21 spices.
Safi’s father concocted the recipe over five decades ago and since then, the marination has become the stuff of legend, with orders spiking ahead of Eid and over the three days of the holiday as people buy the roast to serve at home or present as a gift to relatives and friends.
“The night before Eid day, we sit here till morning. There is a rush in the bazaar, people buy dresses and shoes, and some buy sweets and chicken,” Safi told Arab News as he packed an order for a customer.

“We offer the morning prayer here [in Qissa Khwani Bazaar] and then go home. Then we offer the Eid congregation [the next morning] and people start calling us soon after to come to the shop to serve them Degi Chargha even on Eid day.”
Despite the roast’s popularity, the exact spices that go into the mix are only known to the family.
“All the ingredients are kept secret,” Safi said. “My father started the business and my elder brothers handled it when I was young. Then I joined in, and now my children are also working here.”
He said the recipe, passed down from his father to elder brothers and now him, was being learnt by his children.
“First, we take yoghurt and blend it properly, after which we put the 21 spices mix, ketchup, lemon and other things,” Safi said. “We also add some of the spices bought from the bazaar, which make our special mixture of spices stronger and sourer.”

The spices are mixed in the yogurt with an electric churner for almost half an hour until the color changes to red, Safi explained. The mixture is prepared at his home early every morning before being brought to the shop.
The chicken meanwhile is deep fried in oil and then cooled for 30 minutes before being soaked in the spice and yogurt marinade.
“The chicken is dipped in the special spices and then placed in the steam pot, which is placed over boiling water for 20-30 minutes. Then the Degi Chargha is ready,” said Safi.
One full chicken retails for around $5 a piece.

“The price is higher than usual roasts because of the specialty and uniqueness of the chicken,” Safi said.
Hammad Khan, a 22-year-old customer, said social media viral videos had increased the popularity of the Degi Chargha.
“Many food vloggers have made videos motivating others to come and taste it. That’s why I have come here to buy and check the taste of this chicken,” he said.
Another customer Hamza Khan, a resident of Peshawar’s Saddar Bazaar, also said he had discovered Degi Chargha through TikTok. 
“I saw a video of this shop so we thought to go and give it a try,” he said. “The specialty was the spices added to the chicken. It enhances the taste. My experience was good.”