Curry

Kadai Chicken

Name: Kadai Chicken
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1000 g chicken, bone-in pieces; 200 g yogurt; 2 medium onions, roughly chopped; 300 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped; 1 pod garlic, crushed; 2 tsp ginger-garlic, finely chopped; 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek); 3 tbsp fresh cream; 4 tbsp sunflower oil; 10 g fine sea salt (about 1% of the chicken), plus more to taste; 0.5 tsp fennel seeds (for dry roast masala); 1 tsp cumin seeds (for dry roast masala); 3 whole dried red chillies (for dry roast masala); 2 tsp coriander seeds (for dry roast masala); 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (garnish); 1 small bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes (garnish)

The signature of kadai chicken is its coarsely ground masala — fennel, cumin, whole red chilli and coriander seed dry-roasted and cracked in a mortar, not powdered. That textured spice base, along with the capsicum garnish fried until just blistered, is what makes this taste unmistakably like a roadside dhaba.

1 hr 15 minServes 6 medium

Method

Marinate the chicken in yogurt, turmeric and salt for 30 minutes .
Dry-roast the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chillies and coriander seeds in a dry pan for about 2 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip into a mortar and crush coarsely — do not grind to a powder.
Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add the crushed garlic pod, cumin seeds and finely chopped ginger-garlic; let them splutter for 30 seconds .
Add the marinated chicken and fry for 15 minutes , turning, until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the chopped onions and fry for 10 minutes until golden, adding a little more oil if needed.
Add the peeled tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes . Stir in the kasoori methi, chilli powder and the coarsely crushed masala. Cook for 2–3 minutes .
Return the chicken to the pan, mix well, pour in 1 cup water and cover. Simmer on medium heat for 6–7 minutes .
Stir in the garam masala and fresh cream, cover again and cook for 5 more minutes . The chicken should read an internal 74 °C / 165 °F at the bone with no pink — give it a few more minutes covered if not.
In a separate pan, fry the onion and bell pepper cubes in a little oil for 1–2 minutes — they should stay crunchy. Scatter over the chicken just before serving.

Cook's note. Canned unsweetened tomatoes work well here and save the peeling step.

The story

Kadai is both the name of the wok-like vessel it is cooked in and the style of cooking it describes — high heat, minimum liquid, maximum char and flavour concentration. This Punjabi dhaba staple became famous across North India as highway truckers and travellers ate it from makeshift kitchens set up by the roadside.