This dish is an amazing on the bone, whole chicken recipe. I promise you the flavour is so much better than just chicken breast so please give this one a go.
Chicken karahi - lahori style
Serves 2
Ingredients:
small 700g chicken broken into parts - left to dry
1/2 cup vegetable oil (125ml - 5-6 tablespoons approx)
3 cardamom pods
2 inch cassia bark (cinnamon)
4-5 green chillies (hot)
4 medium tomatoes - halved
2 bay leaves
2 heaped tsp ginger paste
2 heaped tsp garlic paste
*Spice mix
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 + 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
pinch of dried fenugreek leaves
Coriander to garnish
Salt to taste
Method:
Step 1: preparation, WARNING dry your chicken before adding to a hot pan: it WILL spit. Halve your tomatoes and have your spices already in a bowl ready for adding. Chicken needs to be broken into breast, thighs, wings etc. crack your cardamoms.
Step 2, add the oil to a large curved pan and put on a medium high flame, we want the oil hot before we add the chicken parts, add them in carefully when ready and add a touch of HOT water if the water/oil level isn't about an inch into the pan.
Fry for 1 minute to let the chicken go white or just sealed.
Step 3, add some of your flavourings: bay leaves, chillis, cassia bark/cinnamon and cardamom pods. Stir for 30 seconds to incorporate before adding the ginger and garlic. Stir briefly before adding at least a teaspoon of salt or up to 2 depending on your preference. briefly stir before adding a pinch of fenugreek leaves if you have them. Stir and fry for 30 seconds.
Step 4, place your halved tomatoes skin side up in the pan, make sure there's enough water in the pan to create some steam and avoid sticking. Put a lid on your pan and leave until you feel the tomatoes lose their firmness or until you can remove their skins easily, should take about 6-8 minutes.
Step 5, remove the skins of the tomatoes using tongues or remove onto a plate and simply use a knife and fork to separate the skin from the tomato, make sure to remove the skins but add the tomatoes flesh back to the pan.
Step 6, squash the tomatoes with a spoon or wooden spatula inside the pan, just do your best to squash them into mush/paste, no violence necessary! Stir and fry for 30 seconds before adding the spice mix! make sure the pan is medium/high temperature and stir into the dish for 30 seconds.
Step 7, at this point the dish is mostly complete and simply needs reducing, make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly using your best judgement, if you have been cooking for 15-20 minutes on a high heat and its had plenty of moisture, it should be cooked.
You will know its finished when the sauce reduces to a thick paste or to your preference. garnish with coriander, ginger and onions for tradition if you have it or enjoy it as is!
16 июл 2024
