Easy Weeknight Chicken Karahi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 5.5 tbsp Vegetable oil (or olive oil; 5-6 tbsp)
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1 Cinnamon stick (2 inch piece)
• 17 Black peppercorns (15-20 whole peppercorns)
• 900 g Chicken (whole chicken cut up or thighs cut into bite-size pieces; 800g-1kg)
• 1.25 tsp Salt (1-1.5 tsp, adjust as required)
• 3 blocks Garlic and ginger paste (frozen blocks or equivalent fresh paste)
• 5 Large tomatoes (blitzed or halved)
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder (optional)
• 0.5 tbsp Cumin powder
• 0.625 tbsp Coriander powder (0.5-0.75 tbsp)
• 0.5 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp Black pepper powder
• 3.5 Green bullet chillies (3-4 chillies, sliced)
• 1.5 tbsp Natural yoghurt (optional)
• 1.25 tsp Garam masala (1-1.5 tsp)
• Kasuri methi (pinch of dried fenugreek leaves)
• Fresh coriander (large pinch)
• Fresh ginger (sliced for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the ghee and vegetable oil in a large pan or karahi over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and black peppercorns) to the hot oil. (Note: The author mentions these should ideally go in before the chicken to infuse the oil).

3. 3

   Add the chicken pieces, salt, and garlic/ginger blocks to the pan. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until the chicken is sealed and the aromatics are fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the 5 large tomatoes (either blitzed or halved) to the pan. If using halved tomatoes, place them cut-side down.

5. 5

   Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.

6. 6

   Remove the lid. If you used halved tomatoes, use tongs to remove the loosened tomato skins. If the tomatoes were blitzed, proceed to the next step.

7. 7

   Add the ground spices (turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, and black pepper powder) along with the sliced green bullet chillies.

8. 8

   Stir well and let the mixture cook uncovered on medium heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

9. 9

   Add the natural yoghurt and stir it through the sauce. Let it cook for 1 minute.

10. 10

    Add the garam masala and stir through. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

11. 11

    Add the kasuri methi (dried fenugreek), fresh coriander, and sliced fresh ginger. Stir to combine.

12. 12

    Cook for a final 5 to 10 minutes on low heat until the oil separates from the sauce (bhuna) and the curry has reduced to your desired consistency.

13. 13

    Serve hot with naan or rice.

Notes

The author suggests that blitzing the tomatoes makes the process easier, but halving them works well if you remove the skins after they soften. The oil separation at the end is a key indicator that the curry is properly cooked.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• curry
• chicken
• one-pan
• weeknight meal
• spicy
• karahi