Make this tomato-based tangy Pakistani Chicken Karahi in just 35 minutes! You can use fresh or canned tomato puree. Just basic Indian spices for this tangy and buttery stir-fried curry. Do check the easy video recipe!
Here's a spicy, restaurant-style recipe for chicken karahi. The kind of Murgh karahi curry you get on Dhaba (street restaurants) of Karachi. Karahi is the most famous among all curries of Pakistan, like Ginger chicken curry or keema curry, and very easy to make.
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The basic technique of making chicken karahi is bhunna or cooking on high heat until oil separates. You need a large cooking surface that allows searing.
Also, avoid crowding the pan and cooking karahi in bulk as the moisture won't evaporate easily and you will miss the rich karahi taste. If you need to cook for a large group, consider cooking in two separate works.
The Secret to Best Karahi
I fried the chicken first in kadai just like they do it on Dhabas in Karachi. Why? We all know chicken karahi has a short cooking time compared to Lamb karahi. So if you cook chicken in tomato puree it gets either over-cooked or chicken flesh comes falling off the bone.
Sometimes tomatoes could have a raw taste if chicken karahi is cooked on high flame. Both conditions will spoil the taste and delicacy of Karahi. So frying chicken and then adding to tomato later helps overcome over-cooking of chicken.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the karahi or kadai chicken recipe are more or less the same what makes all karahi different is the technique. Authentic chicken karahi is made in ghee with the main ingredients of meat, tomato chilies, and ginger. A lot of stir-frying, in the end, is a key factor in making karahi.
A visual of chicken karahi ingredients is always helpful. But I won't list all the ingredients which are clearly visible and labeled too.
- Chicken: Bone-in chicken is best for karahi. Boneless chicken can also work but the fats from bones add more flavor to karahi.
- Ghee or oil: I used oil in this recipe to keep it simple and healthier. But the dhabas use ghee and I must confess ghee AKA clarified butter tastes much better.
- If you don't have ghee consider using a mix of oil and butter. Lastly, Dhaba karahi is loaded with fat and I'm using bare minimum fat. You can't reduce it further or karahi would taste watery and not as good.
- Fresh tomatoes: Fresh, flavorful, deep red, fully ripened, and firm tomatoes add a lot of flavor to the recipe. I used freshly made puree because we don't like tomato skins in a karahi.
- But sliced tomatoes also work very well and are easier too.
- Ginger: Chicken Karahi means a load of ginger garnish and more ginger in the curry. The depth of taste comes from fresh ginger.
- Black pepper: Freshly grounded pepper tastes far more intense than bottled pepper. So the extra effort of grinding is worth it.
- Green chilies: Just like ginger, green chilies are a must for karahi. And the aroma of chilies plays a big role in the overall Karahi look and flavor.
- Look for thicker and less spicy chilies for garnish. While in the curry goes smaller spicier chili paste.
- Dried fenugreek, optional: This adds a very Punjabi or Lahori touch to the karahi but you can skip it. Get more info about fenugreek here.
- Kashmiri chili powder or paprika: This ingredient is mainly for the color of chicken karahi. But if your tomatoes have rich red color, you can do without it.
Tomatoes Pureed or sliced
Using tomato puree instead of sliced tomatoes is also helpful to get an even texture with the skin. But if you cook long enough sliced tomatoes work well too and dissolve quickly.
Cooking tomatoes for a long is necessary because tomatoes release lycopene upon slow cooking. So if you don't give the tomato enough time to cook. It gives a raw taste to a chicken karahi.
Why add onions?
Authentic chicken karahi doesn't have onions. And you can skip it if you like less gravy. I added a small onion so I have enough masala to be enjoyed with naan. Alternately, you can add 1 extra tomato to skip the onion.
How to make it?
I posted this chicken karahi recipe many years back and today when I update the recipe with new photos, I have simplified it by skipping the grinding of spices. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
- In a wok fry chicken in oil or ghee with salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes until color changes.
- Color has changed and few golden marks are visible. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon leaving oil in the pan. Set aside.
- In the same wok, fry finely chopped onions for 3 minutes until onion is translucent. You can skip onions if you like.
- Add the spices and for a minute until spices sizzle.
- Add tomatoes pureed or sliced and cook for 3-5 minutes. Cover the wok.(To make tomato puree in blender, I also added little water in blender to keep the machine rolling.)
- Cook until oil separates and the color of gravy darkens, keep stirring on medium-high heat.
- Now, add fried chicken with juices in the wok again. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes on low flame until chicken is tender. (You can add ¼ cup water only if required and if the chicken feels uncooked.)
- Add a dollop of butter (if using) for a makhni flavor. Garnish with ginger and chili. ( Seeds of chili removed and cut length-wise)
- Chicken Karahi is ready. Garnish and serve.
What to serve with karahi?
Tandoori naan, roti, roughni naan, pita bread, chapati all pair well with karahi. A fresh salad with rinsed sliced onions makes a very good match.
Recipe FAQs
Karahi curry literally refers to any curry cooked in a karahi. Usually, Karahi is a tomato-based curry with very few spices like ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin, coriander, and pepper. It is usually made of lamb or chicken. White karahi, a dairy-based is another variant.
A karahi is a moderately spiced curry with spice levels similar to tikka masala. Usually, green chilies are added to karahi in the end for spicy touch and tempting aroma.
While Karahi vessel is absolutely essential for getting that restaurant-like taste in Karahi curry.
If you don't have a wok or karahi then look for wide-based and thick bottomed vessels like a frying pan that can help you sear easily, but I highly recommend making this recipe in a traditional Karahi.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Karahi Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Chicken
- ½ kg chicken, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 small (100 gram) onion, very finely chopped
Spices
- ½ tablespoon chopped garlic
- ½ tablespoon green chilli paste
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, or paprika for red color
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves, optional (kasuri meethi)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, optional
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, freshly grounded
- ½ teaspoon red chilli, (skip red chilli if you like less spicy food)
other
- 3 tomato , sliced or pureed
- ½ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon butter, (optional)
- 1½ piece ginger, thickly grated
- 2 medium chillies
- 1 lemon, sliced in wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wok, add chicken, salt, and pepper. Fry for 3 minutes until color changes. Then remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same oil, add onions and cook for 3 minutes until translucent.
- Next, fry spices for a minute until it sizzles.
- Now mix in tomatoes and salt. Cook on high for 3-5 minutes until oil separates.
- Add chicken to the gravy and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken is tender. (Add ¼ cup water, if required).
- Add 1 tablespoon butter (if using) chilies and ginger. Cover the karahi for a few minutes to let the chillies soften. Chicken Karahi is ready. Garnish and serve.
Deepti says
Looks like you have modified the recipe. I had tried the previous version & always like to refer to it as it is a "hit" in our house!!! Hopefully that is made available again!!!
Mariam Sodawater says
The recipe has changed in one step only. Just use toasted grounded cumin and coriander. The taste will be the same with easier steps. I keep a supply of toasted and grounded cumin and coriander which I use in most of my curries. And so I can skip grinding spices every time. Hope this helps.
cupofme says
Your recipes looks marvelous! Precisely the thing I was looking for.You have extraordinary compared to other food blogs.
Dale says
Best recipe for karahi chicken ever.
These are my modifications and substitutions:
For green chili paste, i just half two Serano peppers and throw them in.
When adding in onions I also chop up ginger and fry that to get the aroma into the curry.
I also 1 bell pepper and 1 chopped tomato when re-adding the chicken in.
Rehana Juzer says
Can u share hw u make tomato puree
Recipe 52 says
I just blend tomato with as little water as possible to make puree.
Mahnaz Aziz says
Should we double the quantity of masalas if the chicken is 1 .5 kg?
Recipe 52 says
Yes, ideally you should double masala. The best way to do is to make the double spice mix and add 1 tablespoon less spice mix in the recipe. When most of the chicken is cooked, take a taste test. Add that 1 tablespoon only if needed. Hope this helps. 🙂
Lee says
Thank you for reply 😉 😉
Faisal says
Very well written recipe and pictures. Thank you. I tried it on Saturday (Dec 7) and followed the recipe fully. My family loved it! The only ingredient missing was fenugreek. But it turned out okay without it. A wok worked for me as I dint have a karahi on hand.
Recipe 52 says
So glad it worked for you.Thank for leaving the lovely feedback.:)
Lee says
Absolutely love this recipe all family and friends love it and so so easy to make, how would you make this with lamb? Same way but cover pan for longer? Thank you
Recipe 52 says
Hey, Lee thank you so much for leaving a lovely feedback.
Karahi tastes even better with lamb. You can either cover it and cook it longer. Or just like chicken fry your meat in a separate pot until slightly golden than add a little water as needed to cook the lamb. You can partially cook your lamb then cook completely in tomato gravy. (so while meat is cooking you can prepare tomato gravy and save some time too.)
Asima says
Wowwwwwwww
Yummy
Recipe 52 says
Thanks!:)
syedalin1 says
These are the most well laid out and easy to follow recipes, not to mention absolutely delicious.Well done my new favourite recipe website.
Recipe 52 says
We're flattered, thanks for leaving a lovely feedback.
~Di says
My husband and I made this karahi dish today. Wow it is absolutely delicious! We loved it!
Recipe 52 says
I'm so glad to know that, thanks for the feedback.:)
Tabitha says
This is the bestttt kadi I made n ate my family loves it soo much .. thank you 4 sharing your recipe bless you .. thank you sòoooooooo much.. ❣❣❣
Recipe 52 says
I'm so glad, you found this recipe useful. Thanks for leaving a lovely feedback and your kid words.
banazer noor says
GOOD RECIPES WEBSITE I LOVE IT WELL DONE.