Chicken Karahi - Authentic Pakistani Recipe
Servings servings
Description
Authentic restaurant-style Pakistani Chicken Karahi made with ripe Roma tomatoes, freshly ground black pepper, and a small onion for extra masala depth. Butter AND ghee build the richness, and the yogurt gets cooked right into the curry for a silky, restaurant-quality finish. Ready in under an hour and always a crowd-pleaser.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or karahi about 12 inches wide
- Whisk for yogurt
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
For the Karahi
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp garlic paste or freshly crushed garlic
- 1 tsp ginger paste or freshly crushed ginger
- 3 green chilies Indian finger or serrano, slit in half and deseeded
- 2 to 2.2 lbs skinless bone-in chicken, cut into small karahi cut pieces (make small slits on the leg pieces so the spices penetrate)
- 8 small Roma tomatoes diced (about 500 to 600g total)
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder or to taste
- 2 tsp Himalayan pink salt or to taste, use whatever salt you have
- ¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt room temperature and whisked smooth
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to finish
- 1 tsp garam masala
For Garnish
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger julienned
- 2 small green chilies julienned
- Small handful fresh cilantro chopped
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Heat the ghee and cook the onion. In a heavy-bottomed pan or karahi over medium-high heat, melt the ghee. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Sauté the chicken. Add the chicken pieces, 1 tsp of the salt, and the halved green chilies. Sauté on high heat for about 5 minutes, until the color of the chicken changes and it stops releasing water. This is the bhunai stage that builds the flavor base.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, and ginger. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced tomatoes, garlic paste, and ginger paste. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the dry spices. Sprinkle in the coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir to coat, and cook for another 5 minutes on medium.
- Add the yogurt and butter. Stir in the whisked yogurt and butter. Cover, keep the heat on medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
- Uncover and reduce. Raise the heat to high. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the excess liquid has cooked off and the oil starts to separate from the masala. Taste and adjust salt.
- Finish and garnish. Sprinkle in the freshly ground black pepper and garam masala. Give it a final stir, then top with the julienned ginger, julienned green chilies, chopped cilantro, and lemon slices. Serve hot with fresh naan.
Notes
- Traditional Pakistani Chicken Karahi doesn't include onion, but I add one small onion to mine because I love the extra masala depth it produces. If you want to keep it fully traditional, skip the onion (everything else in the recipe stays the same).
- Freshly ground black pepper is essential. Pre-ground pepper won't give you the same depth. Grind it fresh right before you finish the curry.
- Dairy-free version. Skip the butter, increase the ghee (or use a neutral oil), and omit the yogurt. The masala will be a touch less rich but still delicious.
- Boneless chicken swap. You can use boneless, but the flavor won't be quite the same. Reduce the covered cooking time (step 5) by half and expect to spend longer at the reduce stage (step 6) to cook off the extra moisture.
- Tomato-skin trick. If you don't like tomato skins in your finished curry, quarter the tomatoes before adding them, cover the pan for the first 5 to 10 minutes, and the skins will loosen and lift off easily with tongs.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Fresh is best.
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