Chicken is one of the most loved meat on the planet. It is especially loved during the festive season with a plethora of curries, kebabs and karahis. Chicken karahi is a popular way of cooking chicken which is very easy to make, yet the possibilities are endless to make karahi very different, depending upon the ingredients used.
Chicken karahi is a dish that most people think of when they think of Indian food. It’s made with chicken, potatoes, and coconut milk. People also use this dish as a base for other dishes like Chicken Nan or Chicken and Tomato curry.
Hailing from the land of India, chicken kadai is a recipe for preparing chicken in a fragrant curry sauce. This recipe is a variation of a chicken biryani, but uses a healthier choice of ingredients such as cream and tomatoes, in contrast to the traditional use of a heavy, oil-based sauce.
Kadai chicken, sometimes known as Punjabi kadai chicken, is a popular North Indian chicken curry dish, particularly in restaurants. In Pakistan, chicken karahi is a popular dish. In Hindi, the term kadai signifies wok. Kadai chicken is cooked in an Indian wok in households and restaurants. This curry is distinguished by the use of freshly roasted ground spices in an onion and tomato combination, as well as kasuri methi, ginger julienne, and bell peppers (capsicum).
This kadai chicken is semi-gravy and lots of flavor. It’s delicious with roti (chapati), naan, or any rice. In restaurants, kadai chicken is served boneless, while it is usually served with bones in dhabas or at home, giving the curry additional flavor and taste. Green bell peppers are often used in dhabas since they are readily accessible. I’ve noticed that they add it in the midst of the cooking process to ensure that the bell pepper flavor and taste are evenly distributed throughout the curry. I added it twice, once in the midst of the cooking process and again towards the finish.
Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Time to cook: 40 minutes
North Indian cuisine
Medium spiciness
Serves: 3
Ingredients
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- 5 tbsp. oil
spices in their natural state
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- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. black cardamom
- 1 (medium) or 100 gms onion
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/3 cup curd
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
Masala kadai roasted
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- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 Kashmiri chilli
- 1 teaspoon black pepper seeds
a few more veggies
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- 1 tiny red bell pepper
- 1 tiny yellow bell pepper
- 1 tomato (small)
- 1 tiny green bell pepper
- 1 onion (small)
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves (chopped)
Marinade
- 450 gms chicken
- 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
Method
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- Chop the onion and coriander leaves into small pieces. Make sure they’re prepared.
- Using an electric mixer, purée the tomatoes. For puree, I used one whole and half tomato, and the remaining 12 for slicing.
- Other vegetables, such as bell pepper and onion, should be chopped into slices or pieces (square cut).
Spices that are roasted
- When a skillet or small kadai is heated, add all of the spices and roast on a low temperature until the spices are faintly brown and fragrant. Allow time for cooling.
- To make a coarse powder, grind the ingredients to a fine powder. Set it aside for now.
- In a kadai or wok, heat the oil, then add the entire spices cumin seeds, bay leaf, and black cardamom, and cook for 15 seconds.
- Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until it is light golden brown.
- Stir in the chicken for a few minutes, until it becomes a light brown color.
- Stir in the roasted kadai masala, chili powder, and turmeric powder for 2 minutes on low heat.
- Add the tomato puri, stir well, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat, stirring constantly.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the curry has left oil on the corner edges, with 1/2 cup (100ml) of water added.
- 12 of each coloured bell, 1/2 chopped or sliced tomato (remaining 12 from tomato puri), green chilli, kasuri methi 1/2tsp, combine well, cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with the lid closed, stirring in between.
- Cook for 2 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly, so that the curd (yoghurt) does not curdle and split. Increase the heat to medium to high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it leaves oil in the corner edges again.
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted spice, 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi, and other veggies (1) tomato, remaining bell peppers, ginger julienne, onion, coriander leaves, combine well and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes with the lid closed. Turn it off and leave it alone.
- Enjoy the flavor with any pulao, roti, or naan.
Notes
- You may add more veggies to suit your taste and quantity needs.
- You may add additional water to get the desired consistency.
This recipe is a classic and very popular dish in many households across the globe. The combination of spices in the dish is called garam masala, and it is what gives this dish its unique taste. The karahi is usually made in a pressure cooker, and it is considered the easiest karahi to make because you do not have to worry about cooking it on the stove. However, it is not the same as a kadai, which is made in a traditional style. This recipe will also show you how to make chicken karahi with tomatoes.. Read more about kadai chicken vs butter chicken and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Kadai chicken and butter chicken?
Kadai chicken is a dish that originated from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is made with a spicy curry, coconut milk, and sometimes yogurt or cream. Butter chicken is a dish that originated in the Indian state of Punjab. It is made with butter, tomato sauce, cream, and sometimes yogurt or cream.
Why is it called Kadai chicken?
Kadai chicken is a type of Indian curry dish that typically uses yogurt and spices to make a thick sauce.
How long does it take to cook kadai?
It takes about 5 minutes to cook a kadai.