Karahi Chicken

My Karahi Chicken is spicy, tomatoey (is that a word?) and definitely has the influence of Karachi written all over it! With bold and smokey cumin flavor this Karahi chicken will have you licking your fingers and coming back for more! It’s fancy yet quick enough for weeknight meals. So, let’s make it! 

But first, what exactly is Karahi Chicken

Originated in the North West Frontier Province or Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa as it is now known, in present day Pakistan, the Karahi gets its name from the wok like pan it is made in. 

There are many different versions of the dish and each one is as flavorful as the next but the one that I have mastered is the one I make almost weekly. My family loves it and I am sure yours will too.

It is inspired by the street style food of my birth place, Karachi, Pakistan.  Although I have eaten many a karahi over the years, it was watching it being made on camera that got me wanting to tweak my own recipe. If you have watched any of the Pakistani food tour videos by Mark Weins, you likely know what I am talking about.

My version

Because I am such a fan of quick, simple and healthy meals, this recipe has made its way into our dinner rotation as well as onto the site.

I have made it healthier and dairy free by leaving out the block of butter restaurants in Karachi add.  Feel free to include it in your dish.

Check out other notes in the recipe card for best results.

What to eat with karahi when trying to eat healthy

• I have a great recipe for gluten free naan that I like to make when I have the time or eat it with some cauliflower rice.
• If nothing else, I’ll have it on it’s own with a side salad.

Other chicken recipes to try:

Tandoori Chicken Curry 

Chicken Kofta Curry 

Hara Masala Chicken Curry

If you make this recipe, comment below and let me know how you liked it. You can also take a pic and tag me on Instagram @eatdrinkpure. I love to see you recreating my recipes!

Print Pin

Karahi Chicken

Restaurant style Chicken karahi without the extra fat!

Course Main

Cuisine Pakistani/Indian

Keyword chicken, curry, Pakistani

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Zeeshan Shah

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons neutral oil I use avocado oil or ghee
• 4 cloves garlic minced or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 inch knob ginger grated or 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 whole chicken about 2 lbs. cut up into 16 pieces
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 11/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 4 medium tomatoes whole

Garnish

• 1½ green chili julienned
• 1/2 cup cilantro packed
• Ginger julienned for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• lemon / lime juice

Instructions

• In a pan, on high heat, heat the oil, add garlic and stir till aromatic.
• Add chicken and stir a minute till it turns white.
• Add all the spices and sauté on high heat.
• Add the tomatoes whole, lower the heat to medium low and cover to cook about 20 minutes. Uncover after 20 minutes and de skin the tomatoes and mash them up and incorporate into the gravy.

  Cook covered for an additional 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes uncover and increase the heat to medium and dry out the water so that the oil rises to the top, about 1 - 2 minutes.

  Try not to stir as you will break up the chicken.
• Add all the garnish.
• Shut off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with brown rice, cauliflower rice or naan.

Notes

• I used to chop up the tomatoes but after watching the pros in action via Mark Wein's video,I now add the whole tomato and fish out the skins later. It is so much easier then skinning the tomatoes individually! Just cut the top off as it is tougher than the rest of the tomato and won't mash as well.
• The butter is missing from this recipe so that it could be kept dairy free but you can add a tablespoon or two if you like along with the oil or ghee.