Kadai (Karahi) Chicken

Kadai/Kadhai/Karahi is a type of thick, circular, and deep cooking pot with handles on both sides. Kadai is used primarly in Pakistani, Indian, Afghan, Bangladeshi, and Nepalese cuisines. If you look at the dish in the pic, it is cooked and served in Kadai/Wok . Now kadai dishes is one of the most popular North Indian and Pakistani curries. The difference between the Indian and Pakistani dish is we use capsicum and they do not. There are multiple Kadai dishes – Kadai Veg, Kadai Mushrooms etc.

The flavor of the dish comes from freshly ground spices so do not use ready-made ground spice unless you are not able to get the spices required for cooking the dish

*You can use either chicken with bones or boneless chicken for the curry. Chicken with bones taste best for this dish.

**In addition to cubed capsicum, you can use cubed onion too. You can use charcoal and give smoky flavor to the Kadai Chicken

Preparation time: 35 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Total time: 75 mins

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 500 g Chicken
• 4-5 dry Red Chili
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon Peppercorns
• 1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1/2 Capsicum cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
• 1 big Onion, sliced thinly
• 1 Tomato finely chopped
• 10-12 Cashews
• 2 tbsp Cream
• 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 3-4 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 3 Cloves
• 1 small inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2-3 tbsp Oil
• 1-2 Green Chilies slit
• Ginger julienned for garnish

Steps to prepare

• In a bowl, add clean chicken with salt and turmeric

• Marinate chicken well. Rest on the counter for 1 hour

• Soak cashews in warm water for 30 minutes

• Grind cashews to smooth paste  and keep it aside

• Add coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, dry red chili to wok

• Dry roast spices until aromatic over medium heat

• Cool spices completely and transfer to grinder

• Grind spices to powder and keep it aside

• Heat oil in a pan and stir fry capsicum for 1-2 minutes.

• Keep Capsicum aside  

• In same pan, add bay leaf, cinamaon, cloves and cardamom, stir for 1 minute  

• Add onions to the pan. Saute until tender  

• Add ginger garlic paste with green chilies and saute until raw aroma disappears  

• Add Tomatoes to the pan

• Add salt and cashews paste. Mix well

• Cook until tomatoes are tender and mushy. If you feel the mixture sticking to the base of the pan, you can always sprinkle little water

• Reserve 1 tbsp ground spice powder.

• Add remaining ground spice powder to pan and mix well  

• Add chicken to the pan and mix well so that chicken is well coated with spices

• Simmer, cover and cook until chicken is tender stirring occasionally  

• Add 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup water and mix well. Bring the curry to boil

• Add capsicum to curry and mix well. Cook for 1 min

• Add cream, kasuri methi, reserved spice powder and mix well . Switch off the heat. Cover and rest on counter for 15 minutes 

• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, ginger julienne and serve hot with rice/roti or naan