Karahi Chicken

This recipe was submitted by Akbar's, a restaurant serving delicious south Asian food on the Hagley Road. They said, "This is a staple dish in every Pakistani household loved and enjoyed by people from all walks of life. It is Akbar's most popular dish."

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Marinate chicken for 15-20 minutes by mixing together all the ingredients mentioned under chicken marinade. On a low flame, dry roast ingredients mentioned under karahi masala for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices. Cool and grind to a powder

Step 2

Heat mustard oil in a kadai or pan and add whole spices (bay leaf, peppercorns, cinnamon and cumin). Once the cumin starts spluttering, add onions and saute for a minute or two. Then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and 2 tablespoons of the karahi masala (dry powder ground earlier) and cook for another minute or two till the raw smell disappears.

Step 3

Add salt, julienned ginger and chopped garlic and saute on high heat for a minute. Then add the tomato puree and mix well. Cook the tomato puree for two minutes on high heat till it starts leaving oil on the sides and add the marinated chicken

Step 4

Stir fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on high heat to roast the chicken and cook the curd/yogurt. Add ½-¾ cup water and cover and cook on low for 25 minutes.

Step 5

In another pan, heat ghee and add whole red chillies, pearl onions and pepper and stir fry on high for 2-3 minutes till the onions and pepper look blistered. High heat cooking adds smokiness.

Step 6

Once the chicken has been simmering for 30 minutes, add the roasted onions and pepper to the chicken and mix well. Add garam masala, fenugreek and butter and cook for another 5 minutes. Add chopped coriander and turn off the flame. Let this sit for 10 minutes before serving.