You'll definitely end up impressing your friends and family with this delicious authentic Chicken Karahi Curry recipe! It's so simple to make and tastes completely authentic!
If there is one thing we know for sure, it is that our mixed ethnic background has led us to try so many cuisines lately, but both of us keep rushing back to this amazingly spicy yet tangy Indian/Pakistani Curry called Karahi.
If you haven't heard of Karahi, don't worry! This is the basic Indian curry you see in the restaurants (and also the one you crave late at night!). Typically North Indian and Pakistani curries (no really, they're nearly identical!) have either a tomato base or a yogurt base - and sometimes mixture of both! The aromatic spices and herbs used in this curry makes it extra special. And the best part is that it's super easy! (We promise to you it is!). In fact, you can be done making the whole curry in 30 mins tops! How's that for a weekend family dinner dish eh?
There are SO many variations of Karahi it's ridiculous! Every region in India and Pakistan will have a certain twist to their Karahi but the basis of it is usually the same. We absolutely love this version because it's so easy and quick to make but it always seems like you put incredible amounts of effort into it! We're sure you'll end up impressing some of your Indian/Pakistani friends when you whip this up at your next dinner party.
As most of you would know, both of us are certified chefs (and holistic nutritionists in the making! You can read more about us here) but this particular curry was something we just could not perfect ourselves. While living away from our families in Dubai, both of us resorted to each other's kitchen to try and replicate this curry that we've had so many times at home - but it just wouldn't taste right. And it didn't help that we were (read: Aena was) craving it SO bad (we sense some home sickness!). So we resorted to having Aena's mom demonstrate the curry for us when we met her recently and after some practise, we finally have it down! And trust us, we're so excited to be sharing it with you.
The secret is in the technique - but it really isn't complicated at all. Just follow the recipe to a tee and you'll end up making the tastiest curry you've ever had! It's delicious, it's spicy, it's everything you wish it would be! Top it off with some coriander before serving to give it a beautiful touch of green (and some seriously amazing aroma!).
Aena got this beautiful spice box some time back and we just had to include it in the pictures. The colors are beautiful and it's so convenient to use while looking! We didn't really need to use all the spices in this box but it sure came handy!
Also remember, you can totally make the curry spicier or milder as per your liking. This curry is just right though, and is our absolute favorite! The chicken is tender and juicy while the curry has perfect balance of all the spices. It goes perfectly with bread (naan is our choice!) and makes for a perfect family dinner.
So are we all ready for the recipe? Here goes!
📖 Recipe
Authentic Chicken Karahi Curry
You'll definitely end up impressing your friends and family with this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
- 500 grams Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 1 kilo chopped tomatoes (no need to peel)
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon white cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
- 2 - 3 green chilis (optional)
- dash of lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into chunks.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes without removing the skin and mince garlic and ginger.
- Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they start to turn golden.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute while constantly stirring.
- Add the chicken to the pan and sauté (until the chicken has turned white).
- Add all the spices (red chili powder, garam masala, white cumin and turmeric) and cook for 30 seconds while constantly stirring.
- Immediately add ½ cup water to the pan to prevent the spices from burning and follow it with the chopped tomatoes.
- Leave to cook on medium to low heat for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have completely dissolved.
- Add more water and cook for 5 minutes longer if the chicken isn't tender yet. All the spices will infuse into the chicken and by the time it's tender they'll be infused into the chicken - yum!
- Taste and adjust spices. Add salt to taste.
- Garnish with green chilis and coriander before serving as well as a dash of lemon juice.
Notes
You can use garlic and ginger paste instead of minced ginger and garlic.
Add a little water and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer if tomatoes haven't dissolved completely before taking off the stove.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 21g
All this food talk about this delicious curry made us extremely hungry! But thankfully we have some left over from last night. Make sure to come back to our website tomorrow for a new delicious recipe!
Saleha Minto
By no means do I mean to suggest that the recipe above would not be delicious. All Pakistani cuisine is of superior quality owing to its ingredients and cooking processes. HOWEVER, an "authentic Karahi" chicken or goat, ceases to be authentic when you introduce onions and turmeric.
From Peshawar to Lahore GawalMandi, to Karachi, Karahi uses only 5 basic ingredients besides the meat and salt/cayenne. Tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cilantro. Karahi comes from NW 'Balti gosht. A recipe of the nomadic herders. They used butter or desi ghee, which contributes to the authentic flavor. Meat cooked in tomato juice. Little or no water, specially when using boneless chicken.
Please do not take offense. As a former restaurateur from Lahore, I just feel strongly about authenticity of Pakistani food.
Chriselle
Hi, just wondering if you've ever tried making this dish in a crock pot? Any recommendations if I try that?
Thanks!
Aimee Miccolis
Hi, would it be ok to add peppers into this recipe? I need to use some left over peppers and I like the look of this curry.
Colette
Delicious. Am making it again tonight. I served it with onion and tomato salad, homemade raita and Tescos finest coriander nan. It's my favourite all time recipe now. Thank you so much.
Maxine
I made this last night the flavours were absolutely delicious, but mine was a lot lighter in colour how do you get it to look as dark as in your photos? I will be making it again as everyone loved it
Aena
Not sure maybe the ingredients you've used gave less darkness but hey it was tasty so I hope you'll make it again! 🙂
Martin Chatham
Hii,
I really like the look of this recipe, especially as it's what I normally eat from an Indian restaurant.
Just a quick question, what do you think about substituting a couple of cans of good quality chopped tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes?
Thank you!
Martin
Aena
Hey Martin!
You can definitely substitute a couple of cans of good quality chopped tomatoes instead of the fresh ones - it will definitely work. The water content might change slightly, so just make sure to reduce the curry to the right consistency (as thick or liquidy as you prefer it to be).
Really looking forward to you trying out the recipe - do let me know what you think of it!
- Aena