Kadhai Chicken

I strongly believe that every  brown guy and every brown girl should have a good Indian chicken curry recipe on hand. Whether it’s to give your mom a break from the kitchen, get through an excruciating finals week, or impress a crush who just happens to also be a major foodie – a recipe like this one always comes in handy.

A good chicken kadhai is all about balance.

It should have just the right amount of oil – too little and it’s on the bland side; too much and you’re giving your guests a heart attack.

It should have the right amount of spice. Add too much garam masala and it’s unbearably overpowering. Too little …well you might as well have said that a white person made it.

It should have the right amount of sweet and sour. Too much yogurt and your lips are puckering, too little onion and the curry is bitter.

But when you do strike that balance, you get absolute magic.

What makes my version of this specific curry different than other chicken curry recipes is that I don’t use any garlic – just ginger.  Secondly, I sear off the chicken first rather than merely adding it to the gravy. The browning of the chicken adds extra flavor.

I start off by flavoring my oil with some bay leaves and cardamom. After searing down my chicken, I remove the pieces from the pan (I don’t worry about fully cooking it just yet, for now I simply want it to develop some color)  and caramelize my onions and add in pureed tomatoes, chilies,  and the following spices – turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, cumin, coriander.

I then softly stir in some yogurt, add my chicken back in along with some water, and allow it to simmer and cook down. Once the curry thickens, I add in a generous helping of kashuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves.

And that is as simple as it gets. Garnish with some cilantro and julienned ginger. Serve with some hot naan and basmati rice and your in for a real treat!

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Kadhai Chicken

A classic Indian chicken curry recipe consisting of onions, tomatoes, chicken, chilies, yogurt. 

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken (bone-in)
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2-3 cardamom pods
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 2/3 cups diced onion (about 1 1/2 medium onions)
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tomatoes (pureed)
• 4 tbsp yogurt
• 2 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 cups water

Powdered Spices

• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 3/4 tsp sichuan peppercorn optional - if you don't have it, you can leave it out
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Instructions

1. Make deep slits into your cleaned and washed chicken pieces. (This desi cooking tip will help the flavors of the curry penetrate the inside of the chicken.) Set aside. 

2. Add your oil to a wide pan with a heavy bottom on medium-high heat. Toss in your bay leaves and cardamom pods. And cook for about thirty seconds. This will allow it to flavor the oil.

3. Now add in your chicken and about a 1 tsp of the salt. Let the chicken brown for a few minutes on each side. Once it develops color, remove the pieces from the pan. 

4. Now add in your onions. Allow them to caramelize (turn dark brown). 

5. Once your onions have caramelized, add in your ginger. Allow it to cook down until it is no longer raw. 

6. Then add in all your powdered spices (except the methi, we will add this at the end). Stir for about a minute or so.

7. Now add in your tomatoes and remaining salt. Make sure they are pureed before you add them in as this will give a smooth texture to your curry. Mix well.

8. Slowly stir in the yogurt. 

9. Now add your chicken back into the pan along with your water. Allow the mixture to cook down and the curry to thicken. 

10. Once the curry has thickened to your desired consistency, crush the kasuri methi in your hand and add it to the curry. Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasonings. 

11. Garnish with fresh cilantro and ginger. Serve with naan or basmati rice.