Kadai Chicken Recipe (Murgh Karahi)

4.91 from 20 votes

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 chicken kadai at home with my easy recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Marination Time30

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

To Marinate The Chicken

1 kilogram bone-in skinless chicken into 1 and ½ inch pieces, rinsed, or 500 g boneless chicken thighs (cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces)
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)

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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 35-40 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.

Video

Notes

I always try to use bone-in, skinless chicken for curries, since 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 use 500 g of boneless chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) if you are not a big fan of bone-in chicken.

To give your curry a smoky flavor, heat a piece of charcoal over an open flame until it is red-hot. 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.

Nutrition