Introduction
Ready for some White Chicken Karahi twist? This creamy white chicken Karahi is super easy to make and it’s finger-licking good. You only need a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make it. What’s more? Everyone loves it!
White Chicken Karahi is a Pakistani dhaba (roadside restaurant) dish. It’s a white, tomato-free version of the traditional red Karahi. It’s enriched with yogurt and cream. This recipe was developed by the hands of restaurant chefs.
This White Chicken Karahi recipe is an amazing day-saver and even a face-saver. When you don’t have time to cook or have unexpected guests or you’ve been out all day and don’t want to order food because you want a home-cooked meal.
This easy recipe for White Chicken Karahi never disappoints on such occasions. And, did I tell you that kids love it?
Why does this recipe work?
Making White Chicken Karahi is very easy. If you keep these things in mind, you can make a delicious karahi with countless variations.
Wok: The key equipment for making karahi is the ‘karahi’ or ‘wok’ itself. The large surface area that this vessel provides adds a lot to the flavor. Try investing in a good non-stick karahi.
Creamy Factor: White Chicken Karahi needs a creamier factor for that white color. We are using cream and yogurt which are both dairy products. Non-dairy options would be cashew or almond cream or coconut milk.
Roasting the spices: This is another great flavor booster. The nutty flavor of the roasted cumin seeds lifts the whole flavor of the White Chicken Karahi.
One-pot recipe: The best part is that you only need one pot to make this recipe which means one less pot to wash.
Ingredients
The concept of white karahi ingredients is clear, if you are not sure about any of the ingredients or looking for alternatives, just check the section below.
Bone-in chicken: I personally prefer bone-in chicken for any karahi because the bones release fat which enhances the flavor of the karahi. If you are using boneless chicken cubes, consider adding chicken broth instead of water to the recipe.
Whole spices: The spices for White Chicken Karahi are really simple. The key is roasted and coarse cumin and coriander. You can always keep a bottle of pre-roasted and ground cumin and coriander to take some extra work at the last minute.
Onion paste: Grind the onion in a processor until it becomes a paste.
Cream and yogurt: If you are looking for non-dairy options, you can also add coconut cream and cashew paste. Nut cream and nut milk can also be added. But the taste will change a bit.
Ginger Garlic Paste: This is simply equal parts ginger and garlic ground together.
Ginger and green chillies make a common garnish for any curry. I like to add the chillies immediately after removing from the heat and covering the pot so that the chillies can steam. Add or omit the ginger to individual servings, depending on your taste.
How to make it?
Making White Chicken Karahi is very easy, see the expert tips section for more variations on the method.
Step 1
Dry roast the coriander, cumin and black pepper in a pan. (Protip: If you want a white color, consider replacing the black pepper with white pepper.)
Step 2
Then grind it into a powder.
Step 3
Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry on high heat for 2 minutes until the pink color disappears.
Step 4
While still hot, add the ginger garlic paste, chilli paste, and onion paste. Keep stirring. (Protip: If using fresh ginger, garlic, and chillies, grind all three and the onion together to make a paste, adding a little water if needed.)
Step 5
Add the ground spices from step 1. Also add garam masala, if using. (Allspice powder is optional as it darkens the colour of the karahi.)
Step 6
Cook on high flame for 5 minutes until the onion water dries up and the onions become soft. Add curd, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is tender and the curd water dries up and the desired consistency is achieved.
Step 7.
The chicken is tender and a layer of oil has separated on top. Add cream and cook for 2 minutes. Avoid overcooking on high flame after adding cream.
Step 8
When the layer of oil separates from the top, your white karahi is ready. Cut a medium green chilli in half and remove the seeds. Add half of it to the white karahi for aroma and save the other half for garnish.
Expert Tips
If you are planning to prepare a meal for White Chicken Karahi, marinate the chicken with everything in the recipe except the curd and cream.
Then fry the chicken on high heat until the chicken changes color and the masala is fried. Then add the curd and follow the rest of the steps as is. And it is very easy. I especially wanted to share this pre-marination trick so that anyone can benefit.
You can also choose other meats like lamb or beef and make karahi in the same way. The method will be the same except that red meat will take longer to cook and make sure that the meat is fully cooked before adding curd.
You can put more or less liquid in the White Chicken Karahi. The picture of white karahi at the beginning of the post is dry while the last one has more gravy. So adjust the gravy as per your preference and add additional water as needed on medium flame.
Checkout more recipes
Recipe of White Chicken Karahi
Grounded spices
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon whole black pepper
For white Karahi
- ½ kg chicken pieces
- ¼ cup oil
- Salt to taste
- 1½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 medium onion, blend into paste
- 1 tablespoon green chilli paste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, optional
- ¾ cup yogurt, whipped
- ¼ cup cream
- 4 medium green chili, divided
Garnish
- 2 inch ginger, shredded
Instructions
- In a pan, dry grind cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns to a powder. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces on high flame for 2 minutes till they change colour.
- Mix onion paste, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and ground spices. Fry for 5 minutes till the onion water dries up.
- Add curd and mix and cover the lid. Cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes till the chicken is tender.
- Next, add cream and cook for another 1 minute.
- Remove the seeds from the chillies and cut them lengthwise into two. Add half the chillies to the karahi.
Note
Wok: Try cooking the karahi in a wok (kadai) but if you don’t have one, you can cook it in a large pot or pan that allows for plenty of surface area to be covered and stirred.
Bone-in chicken: Bones release fat that adds to the cheesy flavor. So stick to the bone chicken.
Allspice: You can always keep a bottle of pre-roasted and ground cumin and coriander on hand to do some extra work at the last minute.
Onion paste: Grind the onion in a food processor until it becomes a paste.
Cream and yogurt: If you are looking for non-dairy options, you can add coconut cream, cashew paste, nut cream and nut milk. But the taste will change a bit.
Ginger garlic paste: This is simply ground ginger and garlic in equal amounts by weight.
· Add or omit the ginger in individual servings according to taste.
· To reheat the chicken, add a little milk if the gravy is dry.
If you want to know more about White Chicken Karahi
Nutrition Information
Calories: 531kcal ,Carbohydrates: 5g ,Protein: 24g ,Fat: 45g ,Saturated Fat: 12g ,Trans Fat: 1g ,Cholesterol: 120mg ,Sodium: 136mg ,Potassium: 366mg ,Fiber: 1g ,Sugar: 3g ,Vitamin A: 532IU ,Vitamin C: 3mg ,Calcium: 110mg ,Iron: 2mg