This chicken karahi is my husband's special and it has that restaurant-style quality, maybe even better. It's simple yet seriously delicious. And once your friends and family try it, they will keep asking for it at every possible opportunity, be it dawats, gatherings or Eid. Don't say I didn't warn you!
When I say this is a restaurant-level dish, I’m not kidding. This one can carry a whole restaurant on its back. Tall claim, I know, but we get asked for this recipe all the time, so I’m standing by it.
The chicken is nice and juicy, and smothered in the signature tomato-y goodness. And will be gone from the wok so fast you’ll wish you made more.
But you must use bone-in chicken. Well, technically, you can use boneless, but there is something about the flavor that comes from those bones that just makes this dish. If you know, you know.
There are more ways to make karahi than I can count, just so many regional variations out there. Every Pakistani and their mama (and in my case, my husband) has their own take.
This one’s our family’s go-to, and Samad, my husband, has finally, lovingly agreed to let me share it here.
Pre-cooking notes
Some helpful notes on ingredients you'll need. Check out the recipe card below for exact quantities.
- I've made the mistake of using tomatoes on the vine for my karahi, and the taste ended up tasting sweet-ish. You don't get that signature desi-style tomatoey taste with some of the varieties. Beefsteak tomatoes have been a hit or miss, too, so I'd stick to Roma tomatoes.
- While you can use boneless chicken for this recipe and still get a pretty decent result, it's not quite the same as bone-in chicken. If you live outside of South Asia, look for an Indian or Pakistani butcher or grocery shop. They almost always carry bone-in cuts that can be used for all kinds of desi food. It's not uncommon to get asked how many pieces you'd like your full chicken cut into. A good range is 12 to 14 pieces, depending on the size of your chicken. Or you can just tell that it's for a curry and they'll know what to give you.
- I use the small Thai green chilies. But if you're going to a South Asian store to get chicken, you might as well get chilies from there too. Don’t use serranos or jalapeños.
- It’s pretty easy to find kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) in Indian or Pakistani stores around the world. And if you live in a region with a sizeable South Asian population, there’s a good chance you’ll even find it in the international food aisle of big superstores, like we do here in Canada.
- Please do not use ginger paste or garlic paste. You won't get the same taste as you would with freshly chopped aromatics.
- As for spices, feel free to adjust the amount of green chilies and red pepper flakes according to your spice preference. The quantities I've shared will give you a medium-spicy karahi, but keep in mind that the level of heat can vary a lot depending on the variety and source of products/produce.
A visual guide for making restaurant-style chicken karahi
Here are some step-by-step photos to make the cooking process easy to follow. Plus, there’s a printable recipe card below with all the ingredients, instructions, and notes all in one place.
In a saucepan or pot, heat some cooking oil, and add halved tomatoes, cut side down. Cover and let the tomatoes cook until they get soft and their skins begin to loosen. Then use tongs to remove and discard the skins. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a big wok or a wide pan, add the mentioned quantity of oil. Also add salt. Then turn on the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken and fry for 10 to 12 minutes or until fully cooked through.
Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
Now add the cooked tomatoes and half the mentioned quantity of black pepper powder. Also add crushed red pepper flakes and kasuri methi.
Cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce. Then turn down the heat to low and let the karahi simmer until the sauce reduces, the oil separates from the sauce, and you start to see some of it float to the sides or on top.
Mix in the remaining quantity of black pepper powder. Remove from heat, add lemon/ lime juice, chopped cilantro, and give it a mix. I also like to add some extra julienned ginger on top. Enjoy with hot naan or roti.
Top tips
- If you're thinking of pureeing your tomato to skip the initial cooking and peeling bit, don't. I've tested the recipe that way and it didn't turn out the same. Also, don't use canned tomatoes.
- A wok (aka karahi in Urdu) is the most traditional cookware for this dish. But you can also use other kinds, as long as they're wide enough so the chicken doesn't get crowded, otherwise, it will end up getting steamed instead of fried.
- In one of the steps, you'll see me mention about letting the karahi simmer until the oil starts to separate. From what I've found, that only really happens if you keep the heat consistently low. That said, don’t keep cooking just waiting for the oil to surface, because if you do, you'll likely end up overcooking the chicken. Just reduce the sauce to the consistency you prefer. Some prefer their karahi saucy, I like it a bit thicker, as you can see in the photos. So if the sauce has reduced but the oil hasn’t separated, don’t wait, move on to the next step.
Serving ideas
Naan is the only thing I eat karahi with, but you can enjoy it with roti too. I’ve yet to come across someone who eats it with rice, and if that’s you, tell me in the comments what you think about that combination. Also, serve your karahi with some extra lemon or lime wedges for folks like me who like it extra tangy. Raita and kachumber are other common side options.
Parting thoughts!
We’re a karahi-loving family, and I’ve got a whole treasure trove of delicious karahi recipes. But I wanted to kick off my karahi collection with a bang, so decided to share the recipe we make the most.
Some people like serving karahi with raita, my husband and I usually don’t, but if you do, I'm not going to stop you. All I ask is that you try a few bites without it first because I know you won’t miss the raita one bit. This karahi is so dangg good on its own that it doesn’t really need anything extra, especially when you eat it with some hot, fresh naan.
Speaking of naan, I terribly miss the fresh naans from the tandoor shops back in Karachi. These days, it’s a compromise with frozen or packaged naan from the grocery store, which I try to spruce up as best as I can. Anyway, I digress.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and all my friends do. Oh and don’t forget to wipe your wok/pan clean with your naan. That sauce on the sides is just pure YUM!
If you do try this recipe, please come back and leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to hear what you think.
Happy cooking – Nelo
Restaurant Style Chicken Karahi
Ingredients
- 4 (400 g) tomatoes - ripe, red ones, use roma tomatoes (Note A)
- 6 tablespoons (80 ml) cooking oil - divided
- 1 teaspoon salt - adjust to taste
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken - bone in, cut into pieces (Note B)
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger - peeled, julienned, cut some more for garnishing if you like
- 4 large cloves garlic - roughly chopped
- 3 small green chilies - halved lengthwise, then cut into thirds across - adjust quantity to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder - divided
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust to taste (aka kutti lal mich)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi - dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed, or lime juice
- handful chopped cilantro - aka coriander leaves
- some lemon or lime wedges - for serving
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes, slice them in half lengthwise and trim off stem-side ends to make peeling easier in the later steps.
- In a saucepan or pot, preferably non-stick, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, ¼ cup water, and the halved tomatoes, cut side down. Turn the heat on low, cover, and let the tomatoes cook until they’re soft and the skins start to come off.
- Next, use tongs to remove and discard the skins. If they don’t come off easily or the flesh comes off with them, cook a little longer. Remove from the heat and set the tomatoes and their juices aside.
- In a big wok or a wide pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil. A wide pan/wok/cookware is very important for the best results. Add salt, then turn on the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken and fry for 10 to 12 minutes or until fully cooked through. Stir frequently.
- Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic turn brown.
- Now add the cooked tomatoes and ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder. Also add crushed red pepper flakes and kasuri methi (crush the dried methi leaves between your palms before adding).
- Cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce. Then turn down the heat to low and let the karahi simmer, while stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces, the oil separates from the sauce and you start to see some of it float to the sides or on top.
- Mix in the remaining ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder. Taste the karahi and adjust the salt if needed. Remove from heat, add lemon or lime juice, chopped cilantro, and give it a mix. I also like to add some extra julienned ginger on top. Enjoy with hot naan or roti.
Leave a Comment