One of my all time favorite chicken dishes is Chicken Karahi. Chicken Karahi, also known as Chicken Karahi Curry or Karahi Chicken, is a popular and flavorful South Asian dish, particularly in Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. It is named after the wok-like cooking vessel called a “karahi” in which the dish is traditionally prepared. Now this is my version that is inspired by the authentic dish, the flavors and textures are something that you will love.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Chicken Thighs – I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they become super shreddey and delicious. It would also work great with bone in and skin on chicken thighs. I would not use chicken breast.
  • Ghee – ghee is a common cooking fat used in Pakistan and India. It is clarified butter, so the milk solids are removed. You can also use oil here.
  • Onions, Garlic, Ginger – these are the main flavoring components besides the spices. I would not omit, or use ground ginger and garlic spices instead.
  • Coriander, Cumin, Chili, Garam Masala – these are the main spices used in this dish. All of them serve a purpose and come together nicely. If you cannot find one, just omit.
  • Crushed Tomatoes – I happened to use canned crushed tomatoes because this is what I had on hand! You can use any tomatoes here, from fresh roma, to diced in a can.
  • Chicken Stock – this is used to make more quantity of sauce and braise the chicken. You can use any stock or broth here.
  • Yogurt – in this recipe I use a plain coconut yogurt to make it dairy free. However, you can use a plain greek yogurt. Make sure it is tangy and thick for the best flavor and texture!

How to Temper Yogurt into Hot Dishes:

Tempering is a technique used to slowly raise the temperature of yogurt without causing them to curdle. If you add yogurt to a simmering hot dish, they will most likely curdle. Tempering can help prevent this.

  • Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until very smooth.
  • Continue whisking and slowly add the hot liquid, one ladle at a time to incorporate into the yogurt. This slowly raises the temperature of the yogurt, instead of adding a lot of hot liquid at one time which would curdle the yogurt.
  • Continue until the yogurt mixture is warmed through. This means they have been correctly tempered and are now cooked through and won’t curdle. You can now mix in the tempered yogurt to the dish.
@kellyscleankitchen

How to make Chicken Karahi inspired chicken dish #chickencurry #chickenkarahi #chicken #cooking

♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda
  • SERVINGS:  4
  • PREP TIME: 20 Mins
  • ACTIVE TIME: 1 Hr
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 Hr 20 Mins

This recipe is great with curried rice pilaf or rice pilaf!

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 inch ginger, minced
  • 2 serranos, deseeded and minced
  • 2 tsp coriander, ground
  • 1 tsp cumin, ground
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 16 oz can crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
  • 1 cup plain yogurt or coconut yogurt, make sure it’s thick!
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced for garnish

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides and set aside.

STEP 2.

In a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, add the ghee. Once warmed, add the onions and saute until translucent. Salt as you go, takes around 5 minutes. Once cooked through, add the garlic, ginger and serranos. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chili powder and garam masala and toast for 2 minutes.

STEP 3.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the pan and make sure the liquid comes up 3/4 of the side of the chicken, if it doesn’t add more stock. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and top with a lid. Simmer on low so it is slowly bubbling, with a lid on for 45 minutes.

STEP 4.

After 45 minutes, remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. Once the sauce has thickened, turn the heat off and wait five minutes so it cools slightly. Stir in the yogurt until it is smooth and creamy.

***note on adding yogurt to this dish. If the liquid is too hot when you add the yogurt, the yogurt will curdle. Make sure it is warm, but not hot when adding in the yogurt. Alternatively if you are impatient, temper the yogurt before adding. Check out my above notes on tempering.

STEP 5.

Serve and garnish with green onions! Enjoy!

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