Pakistani Chicken Karahi Recipe

Chicken Karahi is a delicious tomato and ginger-based curry dish that is savory, filling, and full of warm spices. It comes together quickly and makes a perfect weeknight meal!

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Chicken Karahi or kadai chicken is a very popular chicken curry dish in Pakistan and India. It’s made by frying pieces of chicken and then cooking them in a tomato sauce full of spices. As it cooks the sauce becomes thick with concentrated spices that add an explosion of flavor to each bite.

What is great about this restaurant-style Pakistani Chicken Karahi Recipe is that it’s easy to make, tasty, and made with simple ingredients. The main ingredients are simple and in a little over an hour you can have a meal on the table that will fill your home with fragrant spices.

Versions of karahi curry can be found in restaurants around the world but this very authentic, traditional recipe was shared with me by a reader from Pakistan, Rashid Omer. The recipe is by his wife Saima Rashid, baker and chef from Apki Baji. Thank you!

Recipe Origin

Karahi is actually the name for the pan this dish is traditionally cooked in. It’s a heavy, wide skillet similar to a wok but with a flatter base and steeper sides. It’s an essential tool in any Indian or Pakistani home kitchen.

This Pakistani Chicken Karahi Recipe is believed to have come from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan which is in the northwestern part of the country, near Afghanistan. In this part of the world the Shinwari and Afridi tribes would eat meat often as the people lived nomadically, hunting for goats and sheep. 

The karahi made cooking the meat over an open fire easy and gave the meat a delicious smoky flavor.

There are many different versions of chicken karahi in the world and karahi in general. You can still find it made with sheep or goat, rather than chicken. In the Indian version it is made with green bell peppers and onions, but these are not included in Pakistani Chicken Karahi. 

In general, it is served with a side dish of rice or naan that makes it possible to scoop up every bit of the thick, flavorful thick gravy.

Why Make This Recipe?

1. Full of Flavor: Chicken Karahi is a delicious curry dish and what makes a curry is the use of plenty of dried spices (check out the Difference Between Indian and Jamaican Curry). Using dried spices really helps concentrate the flavor and adds depth to each bite.
2. Great Celebratory Meal: This easy recipe is surprisingly simple to make but it feels so special! When you are needing a fun and exciting meal, try making this one at home. Don’t settle for a boring casserole–make this the main course instead.
3. Taste of Pakistan: Pakistani Cuisine is a unique combination of Indian, Afghan and European influences. This popular dish is an easy way to bring a little bit of Pakistan into your home and into your taste buds!

What Do I Need To Make This Recipe?

Ingredients

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

Karahi Ingredients

1. Bone-In Chicken Pieces (Karahi Cut): The skin should be removed from the chicken. Karahi cut is described in more detail in the section called “What is Karahi Cut?” 
2. Fresh Tomatoes: You want red, ripe, and juicy tomatoes as this will be the base of your sauce. I try to use Red Beefsteak tomatoes for this recipe. 
3. Green Chilies: You can find these at your local Asian or Indian grocery stores 
4. Fresh Coriander: You can substitute cilantro if necessary 
5. Ginger: Use fresh ginger root. Peeled and cut into juliennes, or matchsticks
6. Whole White Cumin: While this is called “white cumin” it’s actually not white in color. White cumin appears to be a light brown color. Make sure you are not buying black cumin, which is black in color. 
7. Red Chili Flakes: I just used red pepper flakes, which worked well enough 

Tools

1. Karahi: A karahi is the correct name for the type of pan that this dish is usually made in. It is similar to wok, but with a flatter base and steeper sides. If you do not have a karahi at home, you can make this dish using a wok. You can also substitute a cast iron skillet. 

What is Karahi Cut?

This dish is traditionally made with a small whole, skinless chicken cut into pieces. The karahi cut is a way to cut up a whole chicken into about 18 pieces which allows the pieces to fit into the pot and be cooked to perfection. 

The whole chicken should be cut into two drumsticks (each cut in half), two thighs (each cut in half), and a breast (cut into quarters). 

I went to my local grocery store and picked out a full chicken from the meat aisle and then brought it back to the butcher counter. They will usually cut the chicken into pieces, then remove the skin for you, and repackage if you request. 

You could also use boneless skinless chicken for this recipe but you would need to adjust the cooking time. For the most authentic chicken karahi recipe, it is recommended to keep the bones in the chicken as they do add a bit more flavor to the dish.

How to Make This Recipe

Step One: Prepare Your Spices

In a dry skillet pan, add the coriander, white cumin, and peppercorns. Turn the heat to medium and dry toast until the spices become fragrant. 

Pour the whole, toasted spices into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind the spices to a powder. Pour the spices into a small bowl, then add the red chili flakes and mix to combine. Set aside. This is your Karahi Masala. 

Step Two: Cook the Chicken

In a Karahi (iron wok), cast iron skillet, or normal wok, add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and warm the oil. Then add the crushed garlic into the oil and saute for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. 

Add the chicken pieces and ½ tbsp of salt into the oil with the garlic. Keep stirring and fry for 5-7 minutes until the outsides begin to brown. 

Then remove the chicken from the oil and set aside. Drain the oil from the wok but leave the garlic in the bottom. 

Step Three: Prepare The Sauce

In another pot, add ½ cup of vegetable oil and warm it. Add the 5-slitted green chilis into the vegetable oil along with the whole tomatoes. 

Put a lid on the pot and cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes soften and the skins start to crack. 

Remove the skin of the tomatoes with tongs, then crush the vegetables with a wooden spoon or spatula until the tomatoes are crushed. Keep cooking on low heat until the sauce thickens a bit. Set aside. 

Step Four: Combine and Simmer

Put the wok back on medium-high heat and add the remaining ½ cup of vegetable oil. Heat until warmed. Then add the chicken pieces and tomato sauce into the wok. Mix well. 

Add 3 tbsp of the karahi masala mixture into the wok and mix to combine. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat. 

Dissolve the chicken powder in 1 tbsp of water and add to the wok. Mix and cook for a few more minutes. 

Continue cooking the karahi, stirring occasionally, for another 20 or so minutes until the sauce reduces in half and the chicken is covered in a thick and flavorful sauce. 

Garnish with 3 chopped green chilies, green coriander leaves, and ginger julienne. Serve with fresh tandoori naan bread. 

How to Add a Smoky Flavor

This dish was traditionally cooked over an open fire and while you may not be able to do that at home, you can still add in that smoky, authentic taste. 

To do this, you will need a piece of coal, some aluminum foil, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. 

Create a small well in the center of your skillet. Form the aluminum foil into the shape of a small cup and place it in the well. Put a burning coal into the foil and pour the oil onto the coal. Cover your dish immediately to trap the smoke. Leave the lid on for five minutes.

Notes 

• Many versions of this dish will add onions to create more sauce for dipping. Onions are not traditionally a part of the recipe but you can definitely add them if you choose.
• When you are crushing the tomatoes, you may have some tough cores that need to be removed. Feel free to remove those with tongs if necessary. 
• Try not to crowd your pan during the cooking process. Doing so will prevent the moisture from evaporating and you want the moisture to cook off to help concentrate the flavors. Giving your chicken a little room within the pan also allows it to be seared which adds great flavor.
• You may be tempted to use ginger garlic paste instead of cut, fresh ginger but the small slices of ginger add a burst of fresh flavor and a pleasant crisp when bitten into. I don’t recommend leaving them out.
• I highly recommend using fresh spices, toasting and grinding them. The flavors come out much stronger and the recipe has a much bigger impact.

Is Chicken Karahi Spicy?

Chicken Karahi is considered a mild to medium spicy curry and the intensity of the spice level may vary depending on how it is prepared. 

When I say “spice” in this recipe I’m not talking about a heat that will make it difficult to breathe. The spices in this dish add intense and unique flavor but this dish can still be enjoyed without burning your mouth!

You can add more or less of the Karahi Masala based on your spice preferences! 

Did you enjoy this Pakistani Chicken Karahi Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you: 

• Instant Pot Palak Paneer
• How to Make Garam Masala Spice Blend
• Chicken Paprikash Recipe
• Doro Wat from Ethiopia