This chicken Karahi is a spicy, comforting, chicken curry loaded with fragrant spices that makes you keep going back and savor every last bite. I find this chicken recipe super easy and ready in just 30 minutes. This is perfect for those busy weeknight dinners when you are just trying to get the dinner ready fast.
This Chicken Karahi is a traditional Pakistani dish that is usually made in a karahi/wok. But I find that it tastes great regardless of the pan it is cooked in. Traditionally, it can be made either with tomatoes or yogurt, thickened with cream and topped with butter, but I find it to be extremely rich for a regular weeknight dinner. Don’t get me wrong, I love adding dollops of butter in anything I make, but I try to make a lighter version of this traditional dish because I do make it every week once or twice and most of the time I don’t have any cream on hand.
This is one of those recipes that I end up making at least once a week if not more. I remember growing up, my mom and dad would make this dish on weekend nights as a special family dinner and serve it with hot naan in place of Sunday roast dinners. Both my parents had their own way of making it and both were great. So, when I started making this dish for my family, I tried to incorporate both of their styles in this traditional dish.
Serving Suggestions
You can choose to serve it with some pita bread, naan, white jasmine rice or paratha. You can find frozen paratha or naan at your local Indian grocery store that you just need to heat in a pan for a few minutes. Whatever you choose, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Servings : 4-6
Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, skin removed and cut into 16-18 pieces, washed and drained
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 - 1 teaspoon or to taste cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons or to taste salt
3 cups chopped tomatoes, about 3 medium tomatoes
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 black cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dry fenugreek *optional
1 green chili, julienne for garnish
1-inch ginger piece, peeled and julienne for garnish
1/4 cup cilantro chopped for garnish
Directions
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat and add in oil. Once the oil is heated add in chicken and cook it until it’s nicely sauteed and brown about 10 minutes.
Add in garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Sauté the spices with the chicken for 1-2 minutes until slightly fragrant and roasted.
Add in tomatoes, whole black peppercorns, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick and lemon juice. Sauté this for 5 minutes.
Cover the pan and bring the heat to low and let simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Now remove the lid. If there is too much gravy raise the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until it reaches desired thickness.
Add in freshly crushed black pepper* and dry fenugreek. Cover and cook on low for another 2-3 minutes.
Take out and garnish with julienne green peppers, ginger and chopped cilantro.
Enjoy!!
*Notes
I add ground black pepper and fenugreek right in the end because I find that it gets bitter when cooked.
I use fresh tomatoes because I find this dish tastes better with fresh tomatoes and I like to use fresh vegetables in my cooking. But if you don't have any you can use canned tomatoes.
This is a spicy version, so feel free to tone down the spice level by adding as much red pepper as you prefer.
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