Chicken Karahi, or Kadai chicken, is on every Indian takeout menu, and with good reason! It is a delicious curry, full of flavor and with a nice spicy kick. This recipe for Simple Chicken Karahi uses some clever tricks to make a fantastic restaurant-style curry at home. It is easy to make, and you will be blown away by the taste!!! Serve this Kadai Chicken with your favorite naan or roti and enjoy an authentic tasting curry at home!
Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet (you can use a wok), then fry the chopped onions over medium-high heat until soft and starting to color at the edges. Around 10 minutes.¼ cup/ 60ml oil2 onions
Pour the onions and the oil into a blender or food processor. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, crushed tomatoes, and water— blitz to a puree.3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon ginger¾ cup/ 185g crushed tomatoes¼ cup/ 60ml water
Making the curry
Start by making the spice blend - Mix all the spices in a small bowl and set to one side.2 teaspoons ground coriander2 teaspoons ground cumin½ teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon sweet paprika1 teaspoon ground fenugreek powder1 teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon turmeric1 teaspoon salt
Peel and roughly chop the onion and cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks.1 onion6 chicken thighs
In the same pan, you cooked the onion base in, heat the oil until shimmering. Fry the chicken for 5 minutes, then add in the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes.2 tablespoons oil
Add the remaining oil, grated ginger, and sprinkle over the spice blend, cook for 2 minutes.1 tablespoon oil½ tablespoon ginger
Add the curry base, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
Bring the curry to a boil and cook over high heat, frequently stirring, until the sauce starts to separate roughly 7-10 minutes.
Once cooked, finish the dish with chopped fresh green chilis and plenty of cilantro.2 green chilies fresh cilantro
Notes
You can use brown, white or yellow onions for this.
The cayenne pepper and green chilies give this curry its spice. But feel free to leave them out for a mild curry, or to increase them for a spicer one.