Peshawari Chicken Karahi

I love Karahi Chicken, it’s the ultimate spicy chicken curry, that one can desire for. But its close sibling from Peshawar disgraces them all. The unending spice-list themselves get ashamed by looking at the latter’s minimalist requirements. Only two or three ingredients and that is all. Like the odd member of the family, it stays apart not only of its basic characteristics...but also from all angles and counterparts.

Peshawari Karahi chicken is very different in cooking style also. Generally made with mutton / gosht this also taste delicious with chicken. The cooking time gets reduced and the addition of salt and pepper as seasoning makes it light and too much easy to cook. Only if you can reduce the amount of ghee it becomes healthy too.

Heat ghee and saute minced garlic in it.

Then add chicken pieces and sprinkle salt over them.

Also add chopped ginger and cook till the chicken pieces are slightly coloured.

Add tomatoes and half of the crushed black peppercorns and cook till half done.

Then add the rest of the black pepper and chopped green chillies and cook till done.

Peshwari Chicken Karahi

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

500 gm chicken (on bone / boneless)

4 ripe tomatoes – chopped

1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

8-10 cloves of garlic – minced

½ inch ginger – chopped

8-10 black peppercorns – crushed

¼ th cup ghee (or half ghee, half oil)

4-6 green chillies – chopped

Salt

Method:

Heat ghee in a karahi / pan and add the minced garlic into them.

Sauté for 10-12 seconds, and as soon as you start to get the fine garlicky aroma, you add the chicken into them.

Sprinkle salt and ginger over them and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring in between until the chicken pieces change their colour.

Now throw in all of the chopped tomatoes and half of the crushed black peppercorns. Mix in and put cover.

Check and stir every 2 minutes and cook for 15 minutes.

The chicken and the tomatoes will ooze out lots of oil and water from them, so there is no need to add any additional water during the cooking process. However, if the quantity of your chicken is small you may need a little water in the end to cook the chicken completely.

When the chicken is half done, sprinkle the crushed black peppercorns over them and cook for another 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked completely.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chillies over them and serve hot with roti / naan / rice.