Chicken karahi is a very popular dish in Pakistani cuisine. The authentic recipe doesn’t have onions in it and the sauce is made with tomatoes and yogurt. There are so many versions of this dish, almost every household has a different recipe. Here is one of the easy recipes for you
What is Karahi or kadai?
kadai is a thick, deep, and circular pot, made of rot iron that is similar in shape to a wok. We can use a wok instead of a kadai. For my cooking, I utilized a pan with a thick bottom and an open face.
Ingredients for Chicken Karahi
Ginger
Ginger is a staple for karahi. It gives the chicken a unique flavor and freshness. I used ginger slices and ginger paste in this recipe.
Cumin seeds
I like to dry roast my cumin seeds because dry roasting helps with the aroma and flavors.
Chicken
I used a whole cut-up chicken with bones but without the skin for this recipe but you can also use boneless chicken.
Onions
Authentic karahi doesn’t have any onions. I have not used any onions, but if you wish to make more masala, then one small onion can be used.
How to store chicken karahi?
Any leftovers can be stored in a refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. It can also be kept in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Simply thaw it in the refrigerator and heat it in the microwave once ready to eat.
What to serve with karahi?
Chicken karahi tastes best with naan, paratha, roti, or white rice. Sprinkle some ginger, lime juice, and fresh cilantro right before serving. This dish has a little bit of gravy, it will be perfect to serve it with some naan or roti.
Pakistani Chicken Karahi
Equipment
- 1 Karahi A wok can also be used as karahi
Ingredients
- 1.5 Lb Chicken bone-in chicken
- 3/4 cup Oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste
- 3/4 tsp Red Chili powder or to taste
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 1 tsp Garlic paste
- 2 large Tomatoes cut into halves
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds 1+1 see note 1
Garnish
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 2-3 Green chilies
- 1 inch Fresh ginger thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add oil to a wok or karahi.
- Add 1 tsp of cumin seed, and wait for a minute.
- Add chicken and ginger, and garlic paste. Cook until the chicken turns light golden. It will take about 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
- Add salt, red chili, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder.
- Mix everything and cook it for about 5 minutes.
- Now add halved tomatoes. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Open the lid and remove the skin from the tomatoes.
- Mix everything, and cook it until oil comes to the surface.
- Toast 1 tsp of cumin seeds and grind them. Sprinkle the cumin powder on top.
- Thinly slice ginger and finely chop cilantro and green chilies.
- Garnish and enjoy with rice or roti.
Video
Notes
- A total of 2 tsp of cumin seeds will be used in the recipe. 1 tsp in the beginning and 1 tsp going to be dry roasted, crushed, and sprinkled at the end.
- Sliced ginger is an important part of karahi. Make sure to add some at the end to get the authentic flavor.
- A karahi is a traditional pot, if you can’t find one, a wok can also be used.