Easy Chicken Karahi Recipe
Easy Chicken Karahi Recipe - Karahi Chicken or Kadai Chicken is a popular restaurant favourite and a dish that is made in homes all over South Asia. The recipe itself hails from Pakistan and is cooked Bhuna style over high heat. This is a must try recipe that is easy to make, incredibly aromatic and very flavourful. If you want to try a milder version, make this White Chicken Karahi.
Ingredients
- 120 ml Oil Adjust if this feels like too much
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 large Chicken Cut into 14 - 18 small pieces, roughly 1 kg
- 2 Inch Ginger crushed /pureed
- 12 cloves Garlic crushed/pureed
- 3 Green Chillies Slit/Pierced or 1 teaspoon Green Chilli Paste
- 4 - 5 Tomatoes Cut in half, About 700 g (for larger tomatoes, you only need 2)
- 1 - 2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Course Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
Garnish
- ¼ inch Ginger Peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 2 Green Chillies Cut vertically into quarters
- Handful Coriander Chopped
Instructions
- Heat Oil and Ghee over medium/high heat.
- Optional Additional Step - Add Cardamom, Cinnamon, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, Cloves and Green Chillies and allow to cook in the oil. Cook till fragrant. This will take about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add Chicken. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes over medium high until parts of it is turning white.
- Now add the Ginger, Garlic and Pureed Green Chilli if using. Stir in. Saute for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and salt. (You have 2 options here - Pureed Plum Tomatoes. Or Whole tomatoes cut in half). Simmer on high for 10 - 15 minutes. (If using tomatoes that have not been pureed, the skins should have lifted a little. Lift them off and discard). The oil will seperate from the sides and the curry should be bubbling. You need to be present during this as there is alot of stirring required.
- Add Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Chilli Flakes, Ground Coriander, Ground Cumin, Black Pepper. Cook on medium high for 15 - 20 minutes. Continue to cook on high, stirring often.
- Add the Fenugreek and Garam Masala and cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with Coriander, ginger slivers and green chilli.
Notes
How to serve
Karahi like many Curry recipes is served alongside Rice recipes such as Jeera Rice, Basmati Rice, Roti or Garlic Naan. For Salads, I would suggest Kachumber Salad, Vegetable Raita or Onion Raita.Tips for making the best Karahi Chicken
Water You do not need to add Water to this curry, the Chicken and tomato release enough water. Ghee Ghee adds flavour and I would highly recommend using some in this recipe. Ground Pepper Use freshly ground coarse black pepper for best results. Ground Black Pepper darkens the Curry and it isn’t as potent as Coarse Black Pepper. Chillies The Chilli here adds colour more then heat. If you have a particularly potent Red Chilli Powder, don’t use it. This is not meant to be a spicy curry. Spices You can roast and grind the spices yourself for the best flavour like in this popular Chicken Hyderabadi recipe. Onions This recipe does not include onions because it isn’t meant to. If you would like to add some to thicken the curry, cook them first in the oil for at least 10 - 15 minutes till golden brown. You could also just add fried onions on top. Whole Garam Masala Spices Cooking whole spices in oil adds a lot of flavour. You can add a few in with the Oil at the beginning. Ginger, Garlic Use fresh for maximum flavour here. The Ginger slivers and sliced Green Chilli at then end add loads of flavout but no heat.Add more Ginger and Garlic if you prefer but I wouldn’t reduce it! Cooking Bhuna Style
Cook uncovered at higher temperatures to really get the oil moving (yes there will be splatters here and there) and toasting all the spices to get the most flavour out of them and the Chicken. (Also known as Bhuna). This has the effect of really caramelising the tomatoes till they get jammy and thicken and helps to enhance the flavours of the Spices. Oil In this recipe, I use more oil then I usually would. Again, this adds a lot of flavour but you can reduce the quantity down if you prefer. Or you can ladle some out at the end. Tomatoes In a traditional Chicken Karahi, whole tomatoes are added and cooked down and then the skins are lifted off and this is the BEST option. I use either whole tomatoes or pureed San Marzano Tomatoes for ease. You can also use chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes instead. You can blend the tomatoes down after you have lifted the skin off. Garam Masala Always add Garam Masala towards the end of the cooking time. This is because the spices in it are usually already pre roasted.
FAQ's
Are there onions in Chicken Karahi?
Traditionally a Chicken Kadai does not include onions and you will not miss them here. Onions usually add sweetness and depth but they are not needed in this curry. Which is why I love making it because that means no peeling, chopping and sweating them down/caramelising for 15 - 20 minutes. Anything that saves me a little time on a Sunday is a winner in my book.Which part of the Chicken is used?
Traditionally, Karahi is made from a cut up whole chicken. It is usually a larger chicken cut into 14 - 18 pieces. I have made it with boneless chicken thighs and bone in which works well but I prefer it with the chopped up Chicken. I have also made it with boneless chicken breast. If you use this, just cook for a much shorter time.Is Chicken Karahi hot?
That depends on you. You can adjust the spice levels in this curry according to your taste. I like to add Green Chillies and Red Chilli Flakes. If you prefer a milder curry, you can skip the red chilli.What is Karahi chicken like?
It is a very flavourful and aromatic curry that is made in a high sided usually cast iron wok.Nutrition
Calories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 25gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 417mgPotassium: 391mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 628IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
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