Tandoori Chicken Karahi

This recipe is your Chicken Tandoori meets Karahi Chicken. It's a celebration of bold tangy flavors, vibrant spices, and tender, succulent chicken in the form of the classic Pakistani Chicken Karahi.

Tips & Variations

You can easily make some safe variations to this Karahi dish. Instead of using a whole chicken cut into pieces, you can opt for boneless chicken that may be more accessible to you. For boneless chicken, my preference is to use chicken thighs. But I understand that some people can't stomach the texture of thighs. I just find thighs to be such a forgiving cut of meat that doesn't dry out during the lengthier cooking process required for a flavorful karahi.

Quick Tips for Success

1. Marinate with Care: Take the time to marinate your chicken pieces in the flavorful tandoori spice blend for at least 15-20 minutes, or even better, overnight for maximum flavor.
2. Puree tomatoes without the skin: For a smooth, curry base, I love to use tomatoes without the skin. You can either just get a can of whole peeled tomatoes OR blanch fresh tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes till the skin becomes wrinkly. Remove them to a bowl of cold water and carefully peel off the skin.
3. Bhoon the curry: I cover this in every curry recipe. "Bhoon" is the Urdu word for frying the curry towards the end on high heat until the oil separates. First, the high heat cooking evaporated any excess water in the dish and then second, it brings the all the finished oil to the top. If you use lessen than the suggested oil quantity, you will see the towards the corners. This is unarguably the most important part of a karahi.
4. Fried Onions: The richness you get with adding fried onion towards the end is incredible! This extra step adds depth, complexity and more curry to the dish.
5. Garnishes are important: Finish off your Tandoori Chicken Karahi with a generous garnish of fresh cilantro and julienned ginger for a burst of color and freshness. A traditional Pakistani Karahi will always have these elements.

Watch how to make Tandoori Chicken Karahi

How to make Tandoori Chicken Karahi

Ingredients:

• For Tandoori Marinade:
  • 4 tablespoon yogurt
  • 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground red chili, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1-2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 whole skinless chicken, cut into 12-14 pieces (approx 2.25 lbs)
• For Karahi:
  • ⅔-3/4 cup oil
  • Marinated chicken
  • 5 tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 red onion, fried
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2-3 green chilies
  • Ginger and cilantro, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Mix yogurt with tandoori spices and marinate chicken pieces for 10-15 minutes or up to 12 hours.
2. While chicken is marinating, purée tomatoes and fry sliced onion until crisp and brown.
3. In a wok or pan with high sides, heat up oil and add marinated chicken with all the marinade. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink.
4. Add puréed tomatoes and cook covered on high heat for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook on high heat for another 15 minutes or until curry looks reduced.
5. Add cumin and coriander, then stir in fried onions and green chilies. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally until oil separates.
6. Garnish with cilantro and julienned ginger.

With its tantalizing blend of aromatic spices, tender chicken, and rich, flavorful sauce, Tandoori Chicken Karahi is sure to become a favorite in your culinary repertoire. So why wait? Fire up your stove, unleash your inner chef, and treat yourself to the irresistible delights of this iconic dish. Happy cooking!

Tandoori Chicken Karahi

Izzah Khan

Tandoori Chicken Karahi is my fusion take on the classic Pakistani Karahi dish that combines the smoky, spiced taste of tandoori chicken with the rich curry of a traditional Karahi. It's slightly tangy and full of flavor; perfect for you if you love bold flavors with a touch of heat.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Pakistani

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

Tandoori Marinade

• 4 tablespoon yogurt
• 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground red chili or to taste
• 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1-2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 whole skinless chicken cut into 12-14 pieces (approx 2.25 lbs)

Karahi

• ⅔-3/4 cup oil
• Marinated chicken
• 5 tomatoes peeled and pureed
• 1 red onion fried
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2-3 green chilies
• Ginger and cilantro for garnish

Instructions

 

• Mix yogurt with tandoori spices and marinate chicken pieces for 10-15 minutes or up to 12 hours.
• While chicken is marinating, purée tomatoes and fry sliced onion until crisp and brown.
• In a wok or pan with high sides, heat up oil and add marinated chicken with all the marinade. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink.
• Add puréed tomatoes (I prefer using skinless tomatoes) and cook covered on high heat for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook on high heat for another 15 minutes or until curry looks reduced.
• Add cumin and coriander, then stir in fried onions and green chilies. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally until oil separates.
• Garnish with cilantro and julienned ginger.