Chicken Karahi – Instant Pot & Stove Top Recipe

Published: Mar 23, 2022 · Modified: Mar 24, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 58 Comments

Chicken Karahi or Chicken Kadai is a spicy, homestyle chicken curry with fragrant spices and fresh ginger. Here is an EASY recipe that explains how to make this flavor-packed and authentic tasting chicken curry in just a few simple steps using Instant Pot or a skillet.

Note: Original post published in Oct 2018 has been updated with new photos and a video.

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What is Karahi

Karahi is also known as Kadai/Kadhai is a thick, circular, metal cooking pot, similar to a wok. It is used in Indian cooking for curries, sautéing vegetables, and especially deep frying.

Chicken Karahi is a popular North Indian and Pakistani curry, and you can find it on most restaurant menus. Often, the roadside dhaba’s will have this spicy, homestyle curry on the menu which is often enjoyed with hot naan or roti right from the tandoor.

Why Should you make Chicken Karahi in the Instant Pot

This past summer, I taught young college students how to cook traditional Indian dishes in the Instant Pot. When I got a request for Chicken Karahi, I decided to try my stovetop recipe in the Instant Pot. The result was:

• a practical and easy curry, that my students could make and enjoy in under 30-minutes
• hands-free recipe compared to the original traditional stovetop recipe
• perfectly cooked chicken every time
• And best of all, authentic and hearty tasting curry

Ingredient Spotlight

1. Chicken – Boneless chicken thighs work best fot this recipe. You may use chicken breasts instead with the same pressure cooking time and allow full natural pressure release. If you decide to use bone in chicken, or chicken drumsticks increase the pressure cookign time to 8 minutes followed by natural pressure release.
2. Spices – Garam Masala – I highly recommend my homemade garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder that adds vibrant red color to the curry with out adding too much heat, ground cumin and coriander add earthy tones and body to the curry while turmeric adds peppery-woody taste and a deep golden color to the curry.
3. Ginger – Finely diced ginger adds a perfect zing and a lot of flavor in this dish. It is also used to garnish the dish along with cilantro.
4. Tomatoes – I use Pomi chopped tomatoes in this recipe. Not only do they taste just like fresh tomatoes, but they are super convenient and add a vibrant red hue to the curry. Especially when fresh tomatoes are not in season, I like to stock up on these tomatoes that come in BPA-free cartons. Once you open the carton, you can store them for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Tips and substitutions

1. Kashmiri red chili powder can be substituted with any mild chili powder or paprika
2. Make sure to dice the ginger very small
3. To make the curry less spicy, half the red chili powder, garam masala, and ginger
4. If you enjoy spicy curry, you can add a sliced jalapeño along with the onions
5. Add 1 inch cubes of red and green peppers to the curry after it is pressure cooked. Cook on saute mode for 5 to 7 minuts as the peppers get slightly cooked and still have a nice bite to them

Steps

Step by step instructions to make this insanely delicious Chicken Karahi in the Instant Pot pressure cooker:

• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Next, add onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process. Add the chicken, tomatoes, spices and stir well. Close the Instant Pot lid with the pressure valve to sealing and pressure Cook for 5 minutes. (photos 1 – 4)

• Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then release all remaining pressure. Open the Instant Pot lid and give a quick stir. Set to Sauté mode and cook for 5 minutes as the curry continues to thicken. Garnish with cilantro and ginger (photos 5 – 6)

Serving

Serve chicken karahi with Roti, Parathas, or Naan and Raita. For a gluten-free meal serve with Jeera Rice, Basmati Rice, or Brown Rice. Serve with cauliflower rice for a low-carb ketogenic meal.

Stove Top

Do not have the Instant Pot? Here are steps to make Chicken Karahi on stove-top:

1. Heat oil in a medium wok or a skillet. Then, add onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process.
2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, all the spices and stir well.
3. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked stirring frequently. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed if the curry starts to stick to the pot.
4. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.

I often serve a cooling yogurt drink called “Mattha” in India with this spicy chicken curry. Lots of people asked for the recipe and here it is:

• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 3 cups cold water
• 1-inch ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 green chili or ½ jalapeño
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions: Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy chilled.

More Instant Pot Chicken Curries

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Chicken Karahi

Chicken Karahi or Chicken Kadai is a spicy, homestyle chicken curry with fragrant spices and fresh ginger.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process. Tip: Make sure the bottom of the pot has no browning after sautéing the onions. If you see any browning, press Cancel on the Instant Pot and add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spatula to remove all of the brownings.

• Add the chicken, tomatoes, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground turmeric, and salt. Stir well.

• Close the Instant Pot lid on with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then release all remaining pressure by turning the pressure release valve from sealing to venting.

• Open the Instant Pot and set it to Sauté mode. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes as the curry continues to thicken. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.

• Serve hot with naan or parathas and rice. For a low carb meal, serve mushroom masala over cauliflower rice. Add a side of cucumber salad for a delicious meal.

Notes

Notes:

1. Boxed or canned diced tomatoes can be substituted with 4 ripe plum or roma tomatoes. 
2. Substitute Kashmiri red chili powder with any mild chili powder
3. Make sure to dice the ginger very small so you do get big pieces of ginger in the curry
4. To reduce the spice in this curry, reduce the quantity of red chili powder, garam masala, and ginger by half
5. To make the curry more spicy and hot, add a sliced jalapeño along with the onions
6. You can either use fresh tomatoes or box/canned chopped tomatoes in this recipe
7. Make sure the bottom of the pot has no browning after sautéing the onions. If you see any browning, press Cancel on the Instant Pot and add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spatula to remove all of the brownings.

Stovetop Recipe: 

1. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Then, add onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes on medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process.
2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, all the spices and stir well.
3. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked stirring frequently. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed if the curry starts to stick to the pot.
4. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1189mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3.1mg

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