Chef-tested recipe
Jasha maroo is a home-style Bhutanese chicken dish built on ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes and fresh chillies. The meat is simmered until tender with enough light gravy to season a bowl of rice. Unlike datshi dishes, the sauce is not based
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Cuisine
- Bhutanese
- Cooking Method
- Stovetop sautéing and gentle simmering
- Best Served With
- Bhutanese red rice and cooked leafy greens
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 850 g boneless chicken thighs, diced into 3 cm pieces
- 250 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 180 g onion, finely chopped
- 35 g ginger, finely chopped
- 25 g garlic, minced
- 90 g green chillies, sliced lengthwise
- 350 ml water or unsalted chicken stock
- 30 ml neutral oil paid link
- 7 g salt, adjusted to stock paid link
- 3 g black pepper
- 20 g fresh coriander leaves, optional
Method
Prepare safely. Cut chicken on a board separate from vegetables. Keep chicken refrigerated until cooking.
Develop aromatics. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Soften onion for 5 minutes, then stir in ginger, garlic and chilli for 2 minutes.
Cook the tomato. Add tomatoes and cook 7–8 minutes until broken down into a light sauce.
Simmer chicken. Add chicken and turn to coat for 3 minutes. Pour in stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Finish and check. Cover partially and simmer 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is fully cooked through to at least 75°C and sauce lightly reduced.
Season and serve. Taste, adjust salt and black pepper and garnish with optional coriander. Serve hot with rice.
Beginner Technique Notes
- The dish should remain moist but not swim in broth.
- Fresh ginger and chilli are central to the flavour, so avoid substituting generic curry powder.
- Boneless thighs remain juicier than breast in a simmered version.
Substitutions
- Chicken breast may be used with shorter cooking, checking the centre reaches 75°C.
- Large mild chillies can replace very hot green chillies.
- Use unsalted stock to control final salt.
Storage and Food Safety
Cool chicken in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C or below. Use within 2 days and reheat only the required amount to at least 75°C.
Serving Ideas
- Bhutanese red rice and cooked leafy greens
Allergen Notes
No major allergens intentionally added. Check stock and cooking oil labels for cross-contact.
