How to Make the Perfect White Karahi

Karahi has been eaten by the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and other South Asian countries for generations, and it’s still one of the most popular dishes in the region. The main characteristic of karahi food is its simplicity—the dish doesn’t require many ingredients or cooking skills to make it delicious. 

White karahi involves cooking chunks of chicken in white gravy made from yogurt, crushed garlic, spices and some oil and water until all ingredients blend together nicely and form a uniform sauce. If you’re ready to learn how to make the perfect white karahi, read on!

Step 1 - Preparation

Wash and pat dry your meat. If you are using chicken, ensure that it is free of water. This will make sure that oil is better absorbed. Apply a generous amount of oil over your hands and onto your utensils, in order to help prevent sticking. 

Season your meat with salt and pepper, evenly coating all sides if applicable. Then add half a glass of yogurt into marinating mixture along with half tsp turmeric powder (for its anti-inflammatory properties) a pinch of cumin powder and half tsp garam masala (mix well). Set aside for 4-5 hours or overnight, in refrigerator if desired. 

Step 2 - Cooking: Heat up cooking oil in a karahi/wok/pan at medium heat. Ensure there is enough space between pieces of meat so they can cook properly without touching each other. Cook each side until browned, about 3 minutes per side for chicken and 5 minutes per side for beef/lamb. Add onions and cook until translucent 

(1-2 minutes), then add tomatoes and bell peppers, cook until tomatoes are soft but not mushy 

(3-4 minutes). Add 1 cup water at medium heat, cover with lid until veggies have softened (3-4 minutes). Reduce heat to low; stir in marinade from step 1. Stir well and simmer covered on low heat for 20 more minutes or until cooked throughly. Remove from heat 

Step 2 - Cooking Vegetables

When you’re cooking meat or fish in a karahi, make sure you don’t add salt until the very end. Salt draws out water from meats and that can cause your dish to be watery and bland. Instead, add your vegetables once everything else is almost done. 

They will cook in minutes instead of hours like meat does, which gives them time to soak up extra flavor without over-cooking. 

It also helps make sure your karahi is less salty at mealtime because vegetables don’t absorb as much salt as meat does. Step 3 - Cooking Meat: The key to making a great karahi is cooking it long enough for all of its flavors to come together. 

For beef, lamb and chicken dishes, you should cook it on high heat for about five minutes before adding any other ingredients. Then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so. 

If you want your meat well done, increase the total amount of time by 10-15 minutes more depending on how thick your cut is. Fish takes even less time—just 15-20 minutes total—so keep an eye on it while it cooks! If possible, use fresh ginger root when making Indian food since ground ginger loses its pungency quickly after being peeled and dried. 

You can buy whole pieces of ginger root and peel them yourself using a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Or, you can find pre-peeled pieces in most grocery stores. Either way, it's important to store fresh ginger root properly so that it stays fresh longer (up to three weeks). Here are some tips for storing fresh ginger: Place whole pieces of unpeeled ginger root into plastic bags with holes poked through them (to allow air circulation). 

You could also wrap individual slices with plastic wrap if they won't fit into bags. Store these bags in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer where they'll stay cool but not frozen (you don't want frozen chunks!) Keep whole pieces wrapped tightly in plastic wrap inside a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. Grate only what you need right before using. 

Grated ginger freezes really well too! Just place grated ginger in an ice cube tray and fill each compartment with water. Once frozen, pop each piece out of its tray and put them into a resealable freezer bag to save space. 

Label your bags with the date you froze them so that you know how old they are when it comes time to use them. Remember, freezing doesn't kill bacteria present on foods; it just stops their growth temporarily. 

So always thaw frozen foods completely before eating or cooking with them, then cook thoroughly afterward to kill any bacteria that may have been introduced during freezing or thawing processes. Step 4 - Finishing Your Dish: At this point, your meat and vegetables should be tender and ready to eat. 

To finish your dish, add a little bit of butter or ghee to the pan and swirl it around for a minute or two. This will give your karahi a rich taste that makes it extra delicious. Finally, serve with rice or naan bread for a complete meal! Enjoy! Steps to Cook the Perfect White Karahi

Step 1 - Preparing Ingredients: Wash your hands and all of your utensils before you begin cooking. Clean the pot you’ll be using with soap and water, or run it through a dishwasher cycle. 

Step 2 - Cooking Vegetables: Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pot on medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, ginger root and green chilies for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes and peas. Stir for 2 minutes until vegetables are slightly cooked. Remove from pot onto a plate for later use in step 5 . 

Step 3 - Preparing Meat: Add meat to pot on high heat. Cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Remove meat from pot onto a plate for later use in step 5 . 

Step 4 - Finishing Up: Return vegetable mixture to pot. Mix well. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder (optional). Mix well again and cover with lid leaving small opening so steam can escape while cooking (be careful not to burn yourself!). Cook covered on low heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft enough that they can easily be mashed between two fingers when pressed against them lightly. 

Step 5 - Finishing Up: Mash vegetables into small pieces by hand (or puree them if you prefer). Return vegetable mixture back into pot and mix well again. Bring to boil on high heat. Turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. 

Serve hot with naan bread or rice. Enjoy! This recipe is quite simple to make and tastes great with either rice or roti. I usually serve it as part of my meal but sometimes I like eating just karahi because it's filling enough as a main course itself. 

This recipe serves about 6 people depending on how much each person eats but usually I eat about half a cup of karahi at each sitting which makes one serving for me. 

If you don't have leftover meat or vegetables lying around then you'll need to cook some extra onions, garlic, ginger root and green chilies along with some extra spices such as cumin seeds and/or coriander seeds. 

You may also want to add more tomatoes than what's listed above since they're used twice in different steps of the recipe.

Step 3 - Preparing Meat: If you're making chicken karahi then cut up a whole chicken into bite sized pieces. If you're making beef karahi then cut up a couple of pounds of beef sirloin steak into bite sized pieces instead. 

You can use any type of meat that's not too fatty or salty but stay away from fish since it tends to stick together and will ruin your pot. 

Also, avoid using excessively spicy meats like goat or pork because they'll end up being too spicy for most people's tastes and nobody likes wasting food. Step 4 - Finishing Up: Add meat to pot on high heat.

Step 3 - Simmer Chicken Broth

Pour 4 cups chicken broth into a pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer while you continue with 

Step 4. You can use any kind of chicken broth you like, but I prefer chicken broth concentrate or low-sodium chicken broth. 

The cooking time will be shorter if you use concentrated broth as opposed to regular water with bouillon cubes; it's just that much more flavorful! If using concentrated or low-sodium stock, make sure not to add too much salt in 

Step 6. Chicken broth sold in boxes is also perfect for making karahi! Just remember, DO NOT ADD ANY SALT! You'll add all of that later when you taste it during cooking 

(Step 7). So far, we've only added salt once - to our meat marinade in 

Step 2. Adding additional salt here would give your dish an overly salty flavor and it won't be cooked long enough for your palate to detect how much salt was added at that point. Since chicken breasts are already so lean, we don't want them getting even drier from adding too much liquid and overcooking them at this stage. That said, don't worry about salting it later - I promise it won't end up being too salty! :) 

And yes, you can always adjust it at Step 7 based on personal preference. In fact, please do! It's what makes cooking fun and delicious! :) And now back to my original tip...you could also use chicken soup made from scratch by boiling bones or leftover rotisserie chicken carcass in water until they dissolve into a broth. 

This may take several hours though depending on how strong you want your broth to be. If doing so, just skim off any fat that floats to top before proceeding with recipe. Using homemade chicken broth gives a very different result than using store bought broths because they're usually full of MSG, preservatives and other additives. 

But hey, if you have some homemade chicken broth lying around then go ahead and use it! I'd love to hear how it turns out! :) 

Oh yeah, one last thing: Please try to avoid canned broths. They tend to be very salty and aren't anywhere near as flavorful as freshly made ones. 

However, if you're really strapped for time or ingredients then go ahead and use canned chicken broth instead of water with bouillon cubes or powdered concentrate. Just don't expect it to turn out quite as well as if you used fresh homemade stock! Ok, back to my step-by-step guide... it's gonna be good, I promise! :)

Of course, you could also use frozen chicken broth in a pinch. Just defrost it first before pouring it into the pot. And if you want to make your own, there are plenty of recipes online for bone broth.

I personally haven't tried making my own bone broth yet, but am looking forward to trying soon. Some people say the flavor isn't as good as the boxed variety and others say there isn't much difference. 

My guess is that it depends on what bones you use and how long you cook them for. Cooking times vary widely depending on which method people use to extract their bone broth , so feel free to experiment with various methods yourself to see which yields the best results.

Step 4 - Stir in Coconut Milk

In a large skillet or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and green chilies and sauté until softened. Stir in karahi masala, ginger, garlic and chili powder (or red chili paste) and cook until fragrant. Stir in broth, water and chickpeas; bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Season with salt (1 teaspoon if desired). Stir in coconut milk, cover pan and remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork before serving. Serve warm with naan bread or rice. Enjoy! 

Step 1 - Prep Ingredients: For an authentic flavor, use garam masala and not curry powder. You can find it at most grocery stores or Indian markets. The ingredients are whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, bay leaves and cloves that have been ground into a fine powder. 

If you don't have garam masala on hand, you can make your own blend by mixing together 2 tablespoons each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds along with 1 tablespoon black peppercorns and 3 bay leaves. To prep fresh ginger, peel off any tough outer layers using a spoon. Then grate using a microplane grater or zester. Or, you can also mince finely with a sharp knife. When measuring out dried spices, be sure to stir them together first so they're evenly distributed throughout your dish. To easily measure out one cup of dried spices without having to scoop them out of their container, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir well before transferring to another container for storage. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light . 

Step 2 - Cook Onions & Chilies: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped green chilies and cook for 30 seconds more. Reduce heat to low and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Step 3 - Cook Garlic & Ginger: While onion mixture is cooking, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil to same skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in minced garlic and minced ginger; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light. 

Step 4 - Brown Chickpeas: Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add browned chickpeas and sauté for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light . 

Step 5 - Sauté Spices: Return skillet to medium-high heat. Stir in karahi masala, ginger, garlic and chili powder (or red chili paste); cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Stir in broth, water and chickpeas; bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt (1 teaspoon if desired). Stir in coconut milk, cover pan and remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork before serving. Serve warm with naan bread or rice. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Cooking Light . 

Step 6 - Stir in Coconut Milk: In a large skillet or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and green chilies and sauté until softened. Stir in karahi masala, ginger, garlic and chili powder (or red chili paste) and cook until fragrant. Stir in broth, water and chickpeas; bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt (1 teaspoon if desired). Stir in coconut milk, cover pan and remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork before serving. Serve warm with naan bread or rice. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Step 7 - Garnish: Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Step 8 - Keep Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on stovetop or microwave. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Step 9 - Freezer Storage: Cool leftover karahi completely, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on stovetop or microwave. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Cooking Light .

Step 5 - Serve it with Naan, Rice or Roti

Naan is my favorite when it comes to Indian food. Naan is a type of leavened bread, baked in a clay oven called Tandoori. It is similar to an American biscuit or bagel. 

Traditionally, it was cooked over charcoal but nowadays electric tandoors are used instead. Traditionally it is served with ghee which is clarified butter but nowadays vegetable oil can be used as well. 

The recipe for naan varies from region to region depending on local tastes and preferences. However, traditionally all types of naans are unleavened and baked at high temperatures in tandooris in sizes varying from family size up to 50 feet long! 

A variation of naan is stuffed paratha which has filling inside and is then rolled out into a thin sheet before being cooked. Roti is another type of flatbread that goes very well with curries. 

It can be made using whole wheat flour, atta flour (whole wheat flour), maida flour (refined white flour) or any combination thereof. They are usually thicker than chapatis and softer than parathas due to their thickness. 

Rotis come in many varieties including whole wheat roti, multi-grain roti, plain roti etc. Some famous dishes that use rotis include Aloo Paratha (stuffed whole wheat flatbread), Paneer Paratha (stuffed paneer flatbread) etc. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about how to make karahi and I hope you try making some delicious karahi at home soon! Please feel free to leave your comments below!

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For the marinade, add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Add the chicken pieces and coat evenly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. 

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.