Chicken Karahi: The Signature Dish of Bombay Palace
Foodiechief’s Karahi Chicken is a much-loved favourite from the restaurant days, especially among regulars at Batley's famous Bombay Palace. This vibrant, tomato-rich curry truly comes alive in a carbon steel karahi or wok, where fierce heat builds deep, smoky flavour, intense caramelisation and a subtle char you rarely achieve at home. A non-stick pot will still give you a pleasant curry, but it tends to taste softer and milder, without that roasted depth and punch of real restaurant-style karahi. For the full, authentic flavour experience that made this dish so popular, cook it in a proper karahi or wok and serve it straight from the pan.
Equipment
- 1 Karahi or carbon steel wok
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Chicken thighs cut into small pieces
- 4 tbsp Oil
- 2 Medium onions finely diced
- ½ tsp Whole cumin jeera seeds
- 1 tbsp Kasuri methi fenugreek leaves
- 1 inch piece Ginger finely chopped
- 4 Cloves of fresh garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp Turmeric/haldi powder
- ½ tbsp Green chillies Minced
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- ⅕ tbsp Cumin powder
- ½ tsp Ground Black pepper freshly ground is best!
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli paste or 1½ teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder
- 300 g Plum tomatoes made into puree
- 1 tbsp Yogurt
- Salt to taste
- Fresh chopped coriander and ginger julienne
Instructions
- Add oil to the karahi or wok and allow to heat up on medium-low heat.
- Add the whole cumin, diced onions and kasuri meth.
- Increase the heat level to medium-high and continue to stir the onions.
- Continue to fry until almost brown on the edges. Then lower the heat and add freshly chopped garlic and ginger and saute until they become fragrant, Tip: If the heat in the pot is too high, add 2 tbsp of water. This will bring the temperature down.
- The next stage is to add the chicken, turmeric, chopped green chilies and salt to taste.
- Give this a good mix to ensure all the ingredients are covered with the turmeric.
- Add a lid and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Stir the dish occasionally.
- Cook until you see the oil separate on the edges of the Karahi. At the same time, the moisture from the chicken has also evaporated. Reduce the heat to a low setting. Add kashmiri chilli paste, and sauté with the chicken for 2 minutes to cook out the rawness of the chilli.
- Add the ground black pepper, coriander and cumin powders. Saute for 1 min.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and cooked until all the moisture has evaporated and the oil has separated for approximately 10 minutes.
- Set the cooker to medium-low and ensure the lid is covering the pot.
- Add yoghurt and kasuri methi and mix gently to ensure the yogurt doesn't curdle and split. Cook for 2 mins.
- When the rich sauce coats the chicken. Garnish with fresh coriander, julienne ginger and fried chillis.
- Chalo Kawa
- Karahi chicken cooked in a carbon steel wok has a deeper, smokier flavour with intense caramelisation and a slight char from the high heat.