Chicken Karahi Recipe - A Traditional Pakistani Dish - Chisel & Fork (2024)

This chicken karahi recipe is a traditional Pakistani dish that is loaded with fresh ginger, garlic and spices. Plus it can be prepared quickly and easily, which makes for a great weeknight meal!

I'm all about dishes with a ton of spices - from easy chicken tikka masala to slow cooker Indian butter chicken to coconut curry chicken to beef madras to chicken bhuna. Spice equals flavor.

And this chicken karahi recipe is no different. It should come as no surprise that dishes from the India/Pakistan region take advantage of a variety of spices. The area is the spice capitol of the world.

I was actually introduced to this well-known dish by a local restaurant in Baltimore - Jasa Kabob. I just loved the fresh ginger and variety of spices.

I immediately knew I had to create my own version of it. I did go less traditional by using boneless chicken, just for the ease of it. Don't worry though, you don't lose out on any flavor with this chicken karahi recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken - thighs have the right amount of fat where once this dish is cooked, the chicken just melts in your mouth.
• Tomatoes - fresh tomatoes are important as they cook down quickly to form a rustic sauce.
• Spices - Pakistani/Indian food is known for its spices and this meal is no different. Make sure you use fresh spices.

Ingredient Swaps

As with any recipe, you can switch things up if needed. Some variations include:

• While ghee is very prevalent in Pakistani cuisine and adds flavor to this recipe, you can use unsalted butter.
• I'm a fan of boneless chicken thighs for the ease and taste, but bone-in works well too. Or you can use chicken breasts if you prefer.
• If you don't have or can't find Thai green chilis, serrano peppers are a good substitute.
• Whole fat yogurt is important in this dish, but sour cream works as well.

Step-by-Step Photos

Cook chicken in skillet and remove when done. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

Stir in the ginger, garlic and chilis and then add the tomatoes and spices.

Add the chicken and bring to a simmer, cooking for about 15 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and garnish with some fresh ginger.

FAQs

Side Dish Options

You want something that helps soak up some of the sauce, keeping the chicken karahi the star.

• White rice -a good white rice like jasmine or basmati helps soak up all that yummy sauce.
• Naan -Pakistani/Indian food and naan go together like peanut butter and jelly and thishomemade naancouldn't be easier to make
• Roti - roti is an unleavened flatbread that is thinner than naan. You can make your own.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use fresh tomatoes. They cook down quickly, making a rich and rustic sauce.
• If you like more spice, slice some chilis with the seeds.
• You can replace the paprika with kashmiri red chilliif you can find it. Paprika works fine however.
• Never cover the skillet/pan when simmering if you want to be traditional. It is considered a sin to cook karahi with a lid on!
• Leftovers willstore well in the fridge for 2-3 daysin an air-tight container or befrozen for 3 months.

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If you’ve tried this chicken karahi recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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