Restaurant Style Kadai Chicken Recipe
(Chicken Karahi Curry)
Course: Main Course Cuisine: Indian Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Marination
Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Servings: 4 people Calories: 504kcal
Author: Neha Mathur
Kadai Chicken (Chicken Karahi Curry) is a delicious Indian chicken curry where chicken
is cooked with freshly ground spices. This restaurant style spicy curry goes well with naan or
any other Indian bread.
Ingredients
To Marinate the Chicken
• 26 ounces bone-in skinless chicken 750 g, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
For Kadai Masala
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2-3 whole dry red chilies stalks removed
For The Gravy
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 whole black cardamoms
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 inch piece of ginger cut into juliennes
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 cup grated tomatoes
• 4-5 green chilies slit into half
• ¼ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ½ cup cubed green bell pepper (capsicum) 1-inch cubes
• ½ cup cubed onions 1-inch cubes, petals separated
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon crushed Kasuri methi
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Instructions
Marinate The Chicken
1. Rinse the chicken with water.
2. Mix the chicken with ginger garlic paste, chili powder, salt, and lime juice in a large
mixing bowl.
3. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Make The Kadai Masala
1. Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, and dry red
chilies on medium-low heat until they are browned and fragrant. Stir continuously for
even roasting.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and let the spices cool down for 5 minutes.
3. Add the roasted spices to a grinder and grind to make a slightly coarse powder.
Make The Curry
1. Heat ghee and vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add black cardamoms, cinnamon, and bay leaves and let them crackle
for 4-5 seconds.
3. Add onions and fry until it turns light brown in color (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
4. Now add the marinated chicken and the kadai masala powder and cook on high heat for
5-6 minutes.
5. Add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and green chilies, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently.
6. Add yogurt to the pan and mix well.
7. Now add ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon salt and mix well.
8. Cover the pan with a lid.
9. Reduce the heat to low.
10. Cook the chicken for 30-35 minutes or until it is almost cooked.
11. Add cubed green bell pepper, cubed onions, garam masala, and turmeric powder, and
cook for another 2-3 minutes.
12. Finally, add heavy cream and Kasuri methi and mix well.
13. Check for salt and add more if needed.
14. Serve hot.
Notes
I always try to use bone-in skinless chicken to make curries as the bones add a lot of flavours. Having
said that, you can go ahead and use boneless chicken if you prefer that.
To give a smoky flavour to your curry, heat a piece of charcoal over an open flame until it is red hot.
Keep a bowl in the centre of the pan with curry and place the hot coal in the bowl. Pour a teaspoon of
oil over the coal and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Let it rest for about 5 minutes, and let the
curry absorb the smoke. Open the lid and remove the bowl with the coal. You have your smoked
Kadai Chicken ready.
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