Lahori Chicken Karahi

I wish I could weave stories around each and every recipe I post. But sadly that does not happen every day. I love to cook and I love to cook different dishes. So I am always in search of something new...or if that is not happening then a new twist in the old recipe does the work for me. In that process...hopping from one website to the other and going through almost three books for replicating one particular recipe...I become so engrossed that in the end I can only see the perfect dish with a perfect taste...and nothing more. For me that only matters because that defines my work...the time I spend on everything from making a recipe from scratch to pressing the publish button.

Lahori Chicken Kadai is just another version of the Peshwari Chicken Karahi. Both the recipes are too similar to distinguish but the taste reveals all. The later one is simple in ingredients, process and taste..whereas the Lahori Chicken Kadai starts with simple ingredients but it ends with so much more. But the best part is...despite using all those spices the dish still retain its simplicity. A very flavourful tomato gravy with a mild kick from the black peppercorns. And when you see cream, chicken and black peppercorns with tomatoes in one recipe...you should know that this one is one killer recipe in disguise!!

Heat the oil and add the garlic paste to it. Saute for some seconds.

Add the chicken and sprinkle some salt over them. Cook the chicken until they change their colour.

Add tomatoes and cook until they become completely disintegrated.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and 2 tsp ground black peppercorns.

Add the whisked yogurt and cream. and cook until the chicken is completely cooked.

Add the rest of the black peppercorns and simmer for a minute.

Add the garam masala powder and switch off the flame.

Lahori Chicken Karahi

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

500 gm chicken – cut into medium pieces (not too large not too small)

6-8 cloves of garlic – minced

2 -3 ripe tomatoes – chopped

2 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp thick yogurt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 inch ginger – juliennes

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

1 tbsp ground black peppercorns

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

Salt

Method:

Take the thick yogurt in a bowl and add the heavy cream to it. Whisk it well so that there remains no lump. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the minced garlic to it.

Saute the garlic in the oil for some seconds or until you start to get its fine pungent flavour.

As soon as you get the flavour add the chicken into the kadai.

Sprinkle some salt and cook the chicken on medium heat until they change their colour.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix them well.

Close the pan / kadai with a lid and let them cook in their own juices for 10-12 minutes.

Open the lid every 3-4 minutes and give a gentle stir so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan / kadai.

When the tomatoes get totally melted add 2 tsp ground black peppercorn, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt as required.

Mix them well and add the ghee, yogurt and heavy cream mix.

Stir to mix and cook covered until the chicken is cooked properly.

Once the chicken is cooked, open the lid and simmer on medium flame until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.

Add the rest of the ground peppercorns and simmer for a minute.

Finally sprinkle the garam masala powder and switch off the flame.

Garnish with ginger juliennes and chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with naan / chapatti or just plain rice.