Kali Mirch Chicken Karahi
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1.25 teaspoons whole black peppercorns - aka sabut kali mirch
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - sabut zeera
- 6 tablespoons (95 g) yogurt - room temperature - whisked until smooth
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
- 5 tablespoons (80 ml) cooking oil
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken - skinless, bone-in, cut into pieces (Note A)
- 4 cloves garlic - roughly chopped. Don't use paste
- 2 small green chilies - finely chopped (Note B)
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger - peeled and julienned (thin matchsticks). Don't use paste.
- 4 (400 g) tomatoes - finely chopped (Note C)
- 1 teaspoon salt - adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro - aka coriander/hara dhaniya
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking. You can use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Dry roast black peppercorns and cumin seeds together in a small pan over low heat for about 2 minutes or until aromatic. Keep stirring and don’t walk away. They can burn quickly. Remove from the heat, let them cool, then crush them into powder with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
- In a bowl, combine the crushed spice mix with yogurt and white pepper powder. Mix everything, then set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wide karahi or pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and stir. Cook until the chicken surface is no longer pink. Don’t crowd the pan. If the chicken is too close together, it will steam instead of frying.
- Add chopped garlic, and chopped green chilies, along with half the quantity of julienned ginger. Sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Do not let the garlic turn brown.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well, then cover the pan. Let it simmer until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce and the chicken is cooked through. Stir every couple of minutes.
- Adjust the heat, if needed, to prevent the chicken from scorching. If the tomatoes reduce too quickly, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked through. Conversely, if the chicken is cooked but the sauce still looks runny, cook uncovered, and stir until it thickens.
- Turn the heat down to low, add the yogurt mixture you prepared earlier, along with the reserved quantity of julienned ginger. Mix well, then cook until the karahi reaches your desired consistency and the oil begins to separate. The oil won't rise if the heat is high. I like my karahi thick, but you can leave it more saucy if you prefer.
- Remove your wok/pan from the heat. Mix in lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
- Cover and let the karahi rest for 5 minutes. Serve with hot naan or roti, and enjoy! If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
Notes
Note A: Chicken – Boneless chicken is fine too, but the dish won't be quite the same as with bone-in. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces. I ask my desi butcher for medium-sized pieces.
Note B: Green Chilies – Chilies can differ widely in their kick, so adjust the quantity as you see fit. I use Bird's eye/Thai chilies. If you're particularly sensitive to heat, use the milder kinds, deseed them, but don't skip. Fresh chilies add flavor, not just heat.
Note C: Tomatoes – Your karahi will be no good if your tomatoes aren't. I always pick Roma. Other kinds have sometimes turned out sweet. Pick the ripest, reddest ones you can find. They should yield slightly when pressed, but shouldn't be mushy either.