Chicken In Tomato Sauce/ Chicken Kadhai

This week I'm trying to spend less time working and more time cooking and doing family stuff so I thought this would be the perfect recipe to make and share. This is one of  the quick and stunning recipe - Not because I am obsessed with flavorful Asian food, but it has some unique taste when blended with few spices or masala's. I always look for a one-pot meal which is quick to make, finger licking good dish. 

Karahi or Kadhai is basically a cooking utensil that resembles a wok with two handles. Chicken kadhai therefore is literally chicken cooked in kadhai on a naked flame. I personally like chicken kadhai in a pool of spicy oil, chicken with crisp edges and a medium consistency of tomato gravy, but you can also try chicken kadhai in a form of dry masala by simply frying the tomatoes and chicken on a medium-high heat when the tomatoes are jammed like in consistency.

I adapted this from my friend with some changes. I reduced the oil, added chili flakes and fenugreek leaves for spicy, flavorful combination. It doesn't require marination - just throw everything into a pot and you're done with cooking. You can also cook this recipe with goat or lamb. Since it was just me and my husband eating, I made this for two.

Chicken In Tomato Sauce/ Chicken Kadhai

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: Less than 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3-4 persons

Ingredients

5 pieces of Chicken 

4 tablespoon cooking oil

4 large size tomatoes, slice them into rings

1/2 cup, whisk yogurt

1 tablespoon red chili flakes

1 tablespoon grounded black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek leaves or kasturi methi

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

Salt to taste

For Garnishing

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or roughly chopped coriander leaves

1 teaspoon ginger Julienne

1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional

1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or chopped mint leaves

Method:

• Crush or pound the pieces of ginger and garlic in a pestle and mortar to a smooth paste.
• In a pan, heat oil & fry chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon of garlic and 1 tablespoon of ginger paste. Fry until chicken changes its color and you spot crispy coating around its edges.
• Now add tomatoes, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4  tablespoon fenugreek leaves or kasturi methi, 1 tablespoon grounded black pepper, 1 tablespoon red chili flakes and salt to taste. You can increase the spice as per your liking's. Cover the pan and allow the tomatoes cook on a medium flame.
• You can substitute red chili flakes with red chili powder. You can also add 2-3 green and brown cardamom, half teaspoon cinnamon powder, 2-3 clove, mace, nutmeg powder and bay leaf for more aroma and character to this dish. I have avoided adding hot spices in this recipe. 
• Once the tomatoes form a paste and dries up all its moisture, add 1/2 cup whisk yogurt & mix properly. Cover the pan and let the chicken cook in yogurt sauce.
• As soon as the yogurt gravy becomes nice and thick, add chopped cilantro, ginger julienne and green chilies. Mix well & let it cook for another 5 minutes. If you want to add veggies you can add diced capsicum.
• When done, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Remove this delicious & aromatic dish on a plate & serve hot with roti, naan or fried zeera rice.

It smells so yummy! Few changes in chicken dishes have always satisfied our taste buds if cooked with love & passion. Enjoy this easy & not so expensive dish at home and forget to order chicken kadhai from restaurants.

Note: While cooking, you will need to play around with the heat. For an instance, the chicken is initially seared on high heat but the ginger-garlic paste must be sauteed on lower heat so that the paste doesn't burn.