White Karahi Chicken

A Karahi Chicken is a classic Pakistani dish cooked in an open wok like this Balti dish on high heat. This boneless chicken version is an homage to those flavours and the cooks that serve this delicious dish in roadside cafes across Pakistan.

Freshly roasted cumin and coriander seeds have a magic of their own, but you can also dry roast 2 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder to enhance their naturally smoky flavours.

Combine the marinade ingredients, add the chicken and mix well. Leave to marinate in the fridge. Overnight is great, but even 2 hours works.

Take the chicken out of the fridge half an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.

Put the Balti dish on medium heat, add the coriander and cumin seeds, sauteing until they darken and their natural earthy aroma intensifies. Remove from the dish, grind with a mortar & pestle or a mini blender.

Add marinated chicken to the Balti dish and cook on medium low heat until the water dries up, and the chicken is cooked through. Traditional Karahis are cooked at high heat, but that treatment doesn’t work well with chicken breast!

Add in the oil once the water dries up and the remaining spice mix starts to stick.

Turn the heat up and cook until the oil rises to the surface of the pan and the chicken has taken on a deeper hue.

Stir in the ground coriander and cumin and let the chicken absorb those flavours for a minute or so and then pour in your cream.

Mix well, taste, add a little water for a looser gravy (optional), and adjust seasoning to liking.

Serve scattered with julienned ginger, minced cilantro and sliced green chilies.

Recipe created by @FlourAndSpiceBlog