Chicken Karahi

This is one famous chicken preparation in most of the Indian and Pakistani restaurants and take-outs here in Toronto. Never got a chance to taste it in India though. With its exotic fragrance of fresh ginger,whole black pepper and bountiful of tomatoes this is one dish all curry lovers must taste.

"Karahi" is a gravy with the main base as tomatoes mixed with onions to which either chicken or mutton/lamb/veal can be added. Vegies can try this panneer(cottage cheese)/tofu/gobi(cauliflower).

Unlike adding the raw tomatoes to the cooking meat/poultry, in "Karahi" , we cook the onions and tomatoes seperately into gravy and then add to almost cooked chicken. Again the julienned ginger and the fresh whole black pepper give it a distinct flavour that you can't resist but try with freshly baked tandoori naan - a perfect combo for this.

The love for the taste of karahi preparation made me to adventure to try it at home..cause many of the restraurant versions are too oily.

I'm sending this as one of my entries for the event
Potluck - "Chicken" created and hosted by Vikki's Kitchen

Ingredients :
2 lb Chicken (skinless, bone in, trimmed of all fat)
2 lb Whole Tomatoes chopped
2 large Onions chopped
2 tsp whole black pepper balls
2 tsp whole Spices (fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom) - optional
2 x 2 Tbsp Olive/Canola Oil
2 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
2 tsp Vinegar - optional

Spice powders:
1 Tbsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Optional
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp karahi masala (if available)

Salt to taste

Garnish:
2 Tbsp Ginger julienne
Coriander leaves finely chopped

Directions:
Marinate the chicken with a little each of ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric & vinegar for 2-3 hours or overnight.
In a hot pot add 2 tbsp of oil, then add chopped onions and fry them till onions are translucent.
Add cut tomatoes to this and cook till the tomatoes are cooked thoroughly into a smooth paste.
To this again add little each of chilly powder, garam masala, cumin power and coriander powder.
Mean while on the other burner heat up a wok or wide kadai and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil.
After the oil is hot, add the whole spices except black pepper and saute' till color changes.
Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste saute'
Now add the marinated chicken and saute', add a few black pepper balls and cook till the chicken is 3/4th cooked.
On the other side check if the tomatoes are done ...if the oil starts to leave the surface of the pot then the tomato onion masala gravy is ready.
Now pour this gravy onto the cooking chicken.
Add the karahi masala if desired and more of other spice powders if you want a spicy version.
Add the remaining whole black pepper balls and cook till the pepper leaves the aroma.
Add some julienned ginger and chopped coriander leaves and cook for a minute and remove from heat.
Serve and garnish with more julienned ginger and chopped coriander leaves.
Goes well with Tandoori naan or Lamb/Veal Biriyani.