If you had asked me if I had ever had a Karhai Chicken without tomatoes I would have firmly insisted no. And then I did and it all came back to me. Cramming into cars to go to the highly recommended highway restaurant, the charpoys and takhts scattered over large areas, the waiters deftly going by with their hot naans, and the smell, that amazing smell wafting through the air. It is the spices, but more than the spices its charcoal. Really, there is something about that smell that makes you feel like you can almost taste the best tikka in the world or perphaps the best karhai chicken.
Please note that the spice level in this recipe is quite high, but please do feel free to take it down a notch. I personally like the whole my mouth is on fire where is the cold bottle of coke when I need it feeling. But that’s just me. Diya A. Khan a woman of many culinary talents originally shared this recipe on a Facebook group. It gained enormous popularity and I had to try it. I was a little bit in love. Ok maybe more than a little bit. Fortunately for me she graciously okayed my sharing the recipe here. Now here are some key notes on cooking Karhai Chicken. Use a large dish, preferably a wok. Traditionally you cook the chicken until the water it releases dries up then add oils and spices or you cook it in generous oil, remove the pieces, make your masala and put the chicken back. Ideally you would make it with bone in chicken. However, since I didn’t have the patience to defrost mine (true story) I used boneless chicken and adapted the recipe accordingly. This makes a dry in your face spicy Karahi Chicken, if you want something with a little more gravy then add a little whipped yogurt to it. The koylay ka dum is an absolute must. Please note you need to heat a coal on a stovetop, not get it ready to barbecue raw chicken on to create that smoky effect. I have a ceramic cooktop and it works just fine 🙂 This is definitely a dish served best when it is hot, but I love the idea of making a delicious wrap with this chicken as well. Chicken breasts is convenient, but capricious. If yours gets tough add a generous splash of water, simmer until tender.
