Pakistani Dhaba Style Chicken Karahi

How To Make Chicken Karahi – Pakistani Dhaba Style

5.0 from 1 vote
4.7/5 - (3 votes)

If you’re looking for a flavorful and spicy dish, chicken karahi is a great option. This Pakistani Dhaba variation is especially delicious, featuring fresh tomatoes, ginger, green chilies, and a blend of fragrant spices. Not only is it finger-licking good, but it’s also quick and easy to prepare, making it an ideal choice for a weeknight dinner.

As someone who grew up in Pakistan, I am fortunate to have tasted Karahi dishes from various regions of the country. Among the most popular ones are Peshawari Karahi, Lahori Karahi, and Karachi Highway Karahi. It’s difficult for me to choose a favorite, as each region offers its own unique flavor. Peshawari Karahi is known for its creamy texture and use of yogurt, while Lahori Karahi often features a rich, spicy gravy. On the other hand, Karachi Highway Karahi brings that smoky, robust flavor that comes from cooking over open flames. Each one tells a different story and captures the essence of its region, making them all special in their own right.

Chicken Karahi, Pakistani 
Dhaba Style
Chicken Karahi Dhaba Style

FAQs

What is Chicken Karahi?

In fact, Chicken Karahi is a popular and flavorful dish from Pakistani and North Indian cuisine, known for its spicy, aromatic, and slightly tangy taste. Interestingly, the dish is named after the karahi, a thick, round, and deep cooking pot similar to a wok, traditionally used for preparing it. Moreover, this cooking method allows for high-heat frying, which helps to develop the dish’s rich flavors and unique texture.

What Is The Best Cut Of Meat To Use For The Recipe?

Selecting the right type of meat and cuts is critical to creating a perfect dish., the traditional Chicken Karahi recipe usually calls for a whole chicken, using bone-in meat adds more taste to it. I prefer cuts that are about 2 to 2.5 inches in size.

What Is Karahi

A karahi is a deep, circular cooking pot with steep sides, widely used in South Asian cuisine. Similar to a wok, cooks use it for frying, simmering, and slow cooking. It also lends its name to popular dishes like Karahi Chicken or Karahi Gosht, known for their spicy, tangy gravies made with tomatoes, chilies, and spices.

Karahi Or Wok
Karahi Or Wok

Variations of Chicken Karahi

Chicken Karahi has many variations, but the authentic Pakistani Dhaba Karahi stands out for its simplicity. Skipping onions, it uses a tomato-based gravy that highlights fresh tomatoes, green chilies, and spices. It’s a nostalgic taste of the roadside dhabas in Karachi. However, my family prefers a bit more gravy, so I add some onions to satisfy their taste buds. Honestly, there isn’t a huge difference in taste, so feel free to omit onions if you prefer the traditional version.

Chicken Karahi Cut
Chicken Karahi Cut

In the past, I would prepare karahi without onions, but my husband and 3 children prefer it with gravy. As a result, I have made a slight alteration to my recipe by including onions. However, the decision to add onions is entirely up to personal preference and can be excluded if desired.

Ingredients For The Chicken Karahi

Tips for Making Authentic Chicken Curry at Home

  • Use a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet. This choice is important because it distributes heat evenly, preventing hot spots that can burn the ingredients. Moreover, a heavy-bottomed pan retains heat well, allowing for better browning and simmering of the chicken, which enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
  • Usually, chicken karahi requires more oil than the average recipe.
  • Use roasted ground spices to enhance flavors and aroma. By doing so, you unlock deeper, more complex tastes that elevate the dish. Additionally, the roasting process brings out the essential oils in the spices, creating a fragrant base that complements the other ingredients beautifully. Ultimately, incorporating these roasted spices makes all the difference in achieving a rich and flavorful Chicken
  • Using fresh tomatoes is crucial; canned tomatoes or paste will not give you the right results. Instead, fresh tomatoes provide a vibrant flavor and texture that are essential for achieving the authentic taste of Chicken Karahi. Moreover, the acidity of fresh tomatoes balances the spices, enhancing the overall richness of the dish.
  • Only cover the pan to tender the meat for 10-15 minutes. This step ensures that the chicken cooks evenly while retaining its moisture. Furthermore, it allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a more delicious and flavorful dish.
  • Adding freshly cut ginger, green chilies, and coriander is a game changer in Karahi. Not only do these ingredients enhance the dish’s flavor profile, but they also contribute a vibrant freshness that elevates the overall taste. Furthermore, their bright colors add visual appeal, making the dish even more inviting.

Chicken Karahi vs Chicken Curry: Key Differences

Both Chicken Karahi and Chicken Curry are iconic South Asian dishes, but they differ in several key ways.

Chicken Karahi is cooked on high heat in a wok-like pot (karahi), focusing on a minimal yet bold blend of spices and fresh ingredients like tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic. As a result, it has a thick, almost dry consistency, with the chicken often coated in a rich, tangy gravy that clings to the meat. On the other hand,

Chicken Curry tends to have a more liquid, soupy gravy, with a broader array of spices including turmeric, coriander, cumin, and more. Chicken curry often includes onions, yogurt, or cream to give it a smooth, saucy texture. While Chicken Karahi is defined by its high-heat cooking and a shorter ingredient list that highlights freshness and spiciness, Chicken Curry offers a more mellow, complex flavor profile with a saucier consistency, perfect for soaking up with rice or bread.

Here Are Few More Recipes you Would Love To Try

Chicken Korma
Chicken Korma
Beef Kofta Curry
Beef Kofta Curry
Channa Cholay
Channa Cholay

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Chicken Karahi Recipe – Pakistani Dhaba Style

Recipe by Urooj Naeem
5.0 from 1 vote
Course: MainCuisine: PakistaniDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

Chicken Karahi is a flavorful dish made from fresh tomatoes, ginger, green chilies, and a variety of fragrant spices.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • 1 kg bone-in chicken

  • 1/2 cup oil

  • 1 medium onion

  • 6 large tomatoes

  • 1 1/2 tsp ginger paste

  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste

  • 1 tsp red chili flakes

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • Salt as per taste

  • Roasted Spices
  • 1 tsp roasted and crushed cumin

  • 1/2 tsp roasted and crushed coriander seeds

  • For Garnishing
  • A hand full of cilantro or coriander

  • 8 green chilies

  • 4 inch piece ginger, julienne cut

Directions

  • To begin, heat oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. Next, add thinly sliced onions and cook until they become translucent.
  • First, add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Then, add the chicken.
  • Add salt, turmeric, and red chili flakes.
  • Cook the chicken over medium heat until it changes color. Then, cover it for around 10 to 15 minutes until the juice runs clear and there is no pink left.
  • In a different pan, pour in 2 tablespoons of oil. Next, add the tomatoes and cook until the water has evaporated.
  • Uncover the pan, add the tomatoes to the chicken, and mix to combine
  • Now add roasted and crushed cumin and coriander and mix well
  • Once the gravy is slightly reduced, add black pepper and green chilies, and cover for 2 minutes to soften them.
  • At this point, adjust the gravy consistency. Make sure to cook the karahi until the oil separates from the gravy
  • Garnish with sliced ginger and coriander leaves
  • Serve with Naan or Rotti

Notes

  • To control the level of spiciness, you can adjust the amount of green chilies used. While boneless chicken can be used for Chicken Karachi, it may not provide the same authentic flavor as using chicken with bones.
  • Although boneless chicken can be used to cook Chicken Karachi, it may lack some of authentic flavor.
  • It is recommended to use a pan or skillet with a heavy bottom.
  • Typically, a chicken karahi recipe requires a higher amount of oil compared to the average recipe.
  • To enhance the flavor and aroma of your dishes, consider using roasted and ground spices.
  • For best results, it is recommended to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes or paste.
  • To tenderize the meat, cover the pan and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
  • When you add freshly cut ginger, green chilies, and coriander to your karahi dish, it can make a significant difference in its flavor.

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Chicken Kabab Masala OR Kabab Karahi

The vessel utilized in preparing Karahi, which is pronounced as Kar-ah-hee, is circular and deep with a flat base. The customary karahi is crafted from wrought iron and typically features round loop-shaped handles. It bears a resemblance to a wok in terms of its appearance.

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