Pakistani Chicken Karahi

This dish gets its name from a karahi, a flat open pot used a lot in Pakistani and Indian cooking. In spite of its name, this recipe can be made in any pot. My mom came up with this recipe; it's a little spicy (by Pakistani standards), but simple and foolproof.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 429 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon red chile powder
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 ½ teaspoons ginger and garlic paste
• 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 green chile peppers, finely chopped, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a large pot or karahi over high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water, cumin, salt, ginger and garlic paste, red chile powder, and turmeric; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 2

Stir tomatoes and green chile peppers into the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken pieces are no longer pink at the bone, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 3

Sprinkle cilantro leaves over chicken and cook until leaves look slightly wilted, about 30 seconds.