The karahi, a flat, open pot that is frequently used in Indian and Pakistani cooking, gives this meal its name. Despite the name, any pot can be used to make this meal. This dish was created by my mother; it is straightforward and foolproof, albeit a tad hot (by Pakistani standards).
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
Ingredients
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded, cut into 12 pieces
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger and garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon red chile powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 green chile peppers, finely chopped, or more to taste
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or karahi over high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water, cumin, salt, ginger and garlic paste, red chile powder, and turmeric; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir tomatoes and green chile peppers into the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken pieces are no longer pink at the bone, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Sprinkle cilantro leaves over chicken and cook until leaves look slightly wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Substitute corn oil for sunflower oil if desired.
- Serve with naan bread.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 429 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 61 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 698 mg |
| Sugars | 6 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Very delicious and informative ☺️
i have to start with a huge complaint. Maybe its just my ignorance…but i dispise recipes that lioe this one call for green chiles. like jalapenos are the same as pablonos or Anaheims. the first time iwent with Anaheim’s. this time i added jalapenos and pablanos. both times i added. cardamom and doubled garlic and ginger. love the dish.
Dry coriander powder and sliced ginger are also added mostly in Paksiatni Karhai recipe. I think ginger on top is like a must.
I make sure that I cook out all of the water and have a gravy like consistency as my Pakistani friends have taught me. I even added some ground coriander as one friend recommends. Once you get it gravy like, the seasoning really comes out and gives the chicken so much flavor. I have made this many times!!!
My dear friend, sorry to break the news but this recipe is decades old. Secondly you need to fry all the spices first and then add the chicken and garnish. Third it’s a Pakistani recipe and not Indian.