- Prep time10 mins
- Cook time25 mins
- Servings4
- DifficultyEasy
- CategoryDesi
If beef karahi is the slow Sunday version, chicken karahi is the weeknight sprint — same smoky wok character, on the table in half an hour. Everything happens on high heat: the chicken sears, the tomatoes melt down, and the masala clings instead of swimming. The rule is simple: no onion, no water, no shortcuts on the ginger.
Ingredients
- 750 g (1.6 lb) chicken, bone-in pieces
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) oil
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 large tomatoes, chopped (about 450 g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 3 green chilies, slit
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, julienned
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed
- 1 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)
Method
- Heat the oil in a karahi or wok over high heat. Add the chicken and sear, turning, until lightly golden, about 6 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, salt, chili flakes and turmeric.
- Cook on high heat, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse and the oil separates from a thick masala.
- Stir in the crushed coriander, black pepper and kasuri methi. If using butter, add it now and let it melt through.
- Add the green chilies and half the ginger juliennes; toss for 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with the remaining ginger and fresh coriander, with naan or tandoori roti.
Tips for success
- Authentic karahi uses no onions — the body comes entirely from reduced tomatoes.
- Keep the heat high and the spoon moving; the masala should fry, not stew.
- A knob of butter at the end rounds out the sharpness of the tomatoes.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from Al's Kitchen walkthrough covers the same chicken karahi step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.