Kadai Chicken Recipe (Murgh Karahi)
Kadai Chicken (Murgh Karahi) is a delicious North Indian and Pakistani-style chicken curry in which chicken pieces are cooked with freshly ground spices, yogurt, onions, and bell peppers. It is popularly served at Indian restaurants and dhabas. Make restaurant-style chicken kadai at home with my easy recipe. Serve it with Butter Naan or any other Indian bread for a hearty meal.
If you are looking for more chicken curry recipes, here are some more that can be prepared for everyday meals: Butter Chicken, Chicken Angara, Chicken Masala Curry, and Badami Chicken Curry.
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Table of Contents
About Kadai Chicken
Kadai Chicken (Chicken Karahi Curry, Karahi Murgh) is a North Indian and Pakistani-style chicken curry where chicken is cooked in a spicy, freshly ground spice mix.
This dish is traditionally made in an Indian vessel called a kadai, a heavy-bottomed pot or a wok, hence the name.
Karahi Chicken is also a popular recipe on the menu of most Indian restaurants. It is a great curry for special occasions, festivals, or get-togethers.
The key to making a delicious Kadhai Chicken is its masala powder (spice mix), made fresh by roasting and grinding a few Indian spices.
You get readymade kadai masala powder in the market these days, but I always prefer to make my own at home. Firstly, homemade is made using high-quality ingredients. It tastes much better than the store-bought masala. The homemade spice mix is free of added chemicals, colors, or flavors. It is much more economical to make it at home, too.
I have a Kadai Paneer recipe too. Do give it a try as well.
Ingredients
Chicken – I always try to use bone-in, skinless chicken to make curries, as the bones add a lot of flavor. I get curry-cut chicken from Indian grocery stores, but you can also use bone-in chicken thighs (cut into 1-½-inch pieces) or chicken legs.
You can also use boneless chicken if you prefer that.
For Marination – Chicken is marinated with ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
The marination makes the chicken super juicy and tender.
For Kadai Masala – To make homemade kadai masala, you will need whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds (saunf), whole black peppercorns (kali mirch), and whole dry red chilies.
Yogurt & Unsweetened Heavy Cream – These two ingredients make the gravy creamy and add richness.
Onions and Green Bell Peppers (Capsicum) add a nice crunch to the chicken karahi recipe.
Other Ingredients – To make the base curry, you will need oil, black cardamoms (badi elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), bay leaves (tejpatta), red onions, fresh tomatoes, Kasuri methi, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, all-purpose flour (maida), garam masala powder, salt, and turmeric powder.
You can also replace grated fresh tomatoes with canned tomato puree. Use a little less, as the canned puree is much more concentrated.
To make the curry tangier, you can add some lime juice (or lemon juice) or dry mango powder (amchoor) to it.
Add some cashew or melon seed paste to the curry for a richer flavor.
Garnish this delicious chicken curry with chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
How To Make Murgh Karahi
Marinate The Chicken
Step 1: Rinse 2 pounds (1 kg) bone-in skinless chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) with water.
Step 2: Mix the chicken with the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Step 3: Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Make The Kadai Masala
Step 4: Dry-roast the following ingredients on medium-low heat until browned and fragrant.
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 Kashmiri dry red chilies (stalks removed)
Stir continuously for even roasting.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and let the spices cool down for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add the roasted spices to a grinder and grind to make a slightly coarse powder.
Make The Curry
Step 7: Heat 3 tablespoon ghee and 2 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
Step 8: Once the oil is hot, add the following spices and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- 2 whole black cardamoms
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 whole bay leaves
Step 9: Add 1 cup of chopped onions and cook until they turn light brown (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
Step 10: Now add the marinated chicken and the kadai masala powder and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes.
Step 11: Add the following ingredients and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently.
- 1-inch piece of ginger (julienned)
- 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup of grated tomatoes
- 4-5 green chilies (slit in half)
Step 12: Add ¼ cup of plain yogurt (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour) to the pan and mix well. Whisking yogurt with all-purpose flour prevents it from curdling.
Step 13: Now add ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon salt and mix well.
Step 14: Cover the pan with a lid.
Step 15: Reduce the heat to low.
Step 16: Cook the chicken for 40-45 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through.
Step 17: Add the following ingredients and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- 1 cup of cubed green bell pepper (1-inch cubes)
- 1 cup of cubed onions (1-inch cubes, petals separated)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Step 18: Finally, add ¼ cup of unsweetened heavy cream and 1 tablespoon crushed Kasuri methi and mix well.
Step 19: Check for salt and add more if needed.
Step 20: Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Kadai Chicken FAQs
Yes, you can. When stored in a cool, dry place, this spice mix stays good for 2-3 months in an airtight container. I always scale the recipe and make a big batch of this spice mix to use in my recipes later.
To give your curry a smoky flavor, heat a piece of charcoal over an open flame until it turns red. Keep a bowl in the center of the pan with the curry, then 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 to allow the curry to absorb the smoke. Open the lid, and remove the bowl with the coal. You have your smoked Kadai Chicken ready.
I marinate it for 30 to 40 minutes, which is enough for this recipe. But if you have more time, you can marinate it for 3 to 4 hours as well.
Serving Suggestions
This curry, just like any other curry, tastes best the next day. So, try to cook it a day in advance for the best flavor.
This flavorful curry pairs well with any Indian Bread, such as Butter Naan, Tandoori Roti, Phulka, Plain Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, Missi Roti, Rumali Roti, and any other bread you like.
It tastes great with Steamed White Rice, Jeera Rice, or a mildly flavored Peas Pulao.
Storage Suggestions
Kadai Chicken stays good for 2 to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan ormicrowave until nicely hot before serving. Add some hot water before heating if the gravy has thickened after refrigeration.
You can also freeze it for 1 month in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Just thaw, reheat, and serve.
Other Chicken Curry Recipes We Recommend
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Kadai Chicken Recipe (Murgh Karahi)
Ingredients
To Marinate The Chicken
- 2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken (1 kg, 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 (kali mirch)
- 2-3 whole dry red chilies (stalks removed)
For The Gravy
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalcini)
- 2 whole bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 1 cup chopped red 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 powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon crushed Kasuri methi
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Marinate The Chicken
- Rinse the chicken with water.
- Mix the chicken with ginger garlic paste, chili powder, salt, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl.
- Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Make The Kadai Masala
- 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.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the spices cool down for 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted spices to a grinder and grind to make a slightly coarse powder.
Make The Curry
- Heat ghee and oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add black cardamoms, cinnamon, and bay leaves and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn light brown in color (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Now add the marinated chicken and the kadai masala powder and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and green chilies, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add yogurt to the pan and mix well.
- Now add ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon salt and mix well.
- Cover the pan with a lid.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the chicken for 40-45 minutes or until it is almost cooked.
- Add cubed green bell pepper, cubed onions, garam masala, and turmeric powder, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, add heavy cream and Kasuri methi and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Excellent recipe, thanks for sharing !
Thanks Divya for your kind feedback
Very flavorful-very hot so be careful with the cayenne and chilies. The method is precise. I would increase the coriander. Otherwise amazing!
Thanks Laine