Chicken Karahi is traditional spiced tomato based gravy that is arguably the most popular dish in Pakistan (Lahore). Karahi is a circular, thick and deep cooking pot like wok and originally was cooked in that. Karahi is like kadai or chatti in tamil. Lot of people adds onions to bring sweetness to it. There is a difference of opinion on this from me as I cook it with just spices and tomatoes only which brings that rustic color to it.
I like that there are not too many spices involved.
Serve with hot rice, chicken biryani, ghee rice or Indian bread like naan, roti.
Other favorite chicken dishes : chicken kurma, chicken roast
HOW TO DO CHICKEN KARAHI VIDEO:
CHICKEN KARAHI
Author: Suganya Hariharan
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- • Chicken – ½ kg, cut into cubes. (Boneless/with bone works)
- • Oil/Ghee (clarified butter) – ½ cup
- • Bay leaf – 1
- • Clove – 1
- • Cinnamon stick – ½ inch
- • Green Cardamom – 2
- • Ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp
- (or)
- Garlic – 3, crushed. Ginger – 2 inch, crushed
- • Tomatoes – 2 (large)
- • Water – ½ cup
- • Yogurt – ¼ cup
- • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- • Coriander cumin powder – 1 tsp
- • Pepper powder – ½ tsp
- • Green chillies – 4
- • Water – 1 cup
- • Salt – 2 tsp
- • Garnish:
- • Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
- • Ginger - 1 inch, Julienne cut
Instructions
- HEAT; MEDIUM HIGH HEAT
- Crush ginger and garlic using mortar-pestle. Or blend in a blender. You can use ginger garlic paste.
- In a pan over medium high heat, add oil.
- Once oil is hot, add the bay leaf, clove, cinnamon stick and green cardamom.
- Add the chicken, salt and ginger garlic paste.
- Let it get slightly brown on few pieces (pink→white→ white with mild brown roasted pieces)
- HEAT: LOW HEAT
- Add rough chopped tomatoes , 1 cup water and close the lid. Turn the heat to low
- After 10 mins, open and mix well. The tomatoes at this point will be mashed when we mix.
- Add yogurt, red chilli powder, coriander cumin powder, pepper powder and green chillies. Mix well. Close the lid.
- Let it cook for 12 minutes in low heat.
- Open the lid, at this point all the water would gone and the gravy would have oozed out oil.
- Now add the ginger and cilantro. Add lime juice if you had also.
- Close the lid for 2 minutes and serve with hot rice or Indian bread like naan/roti.
This Chicken Karahi recipe looks mouthwatering! The rich blend of spices and the vibrant, flavorful sauce makes it a standout dish. I appreciate how detailed and clear the instructions are, making it easy to follow along and recreate this classic at home. The step-by-step photos are really helpful too. I can already imagine the aroma filling my kitchen. I can’t wait to try this recipe and serve it with some warm naan.