Charsi Chicken Karahi - Hinz Cooking - A Food Blog with Simple and Easy Dinner Recipes (2024)

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Charsi Karahi is the famous Peshawari chicken karahi recipe prepared with tomato, ginger garlic and black pepper. Yes, it's undoubtedly salivating and makes me super excited to make this authentic and original Peshawari chicken at home that we used to eat at street food.

Believe me, it's simple and extremely easy to prepare at home with minimal ingredients. Best to serve with Pakistani naan.

About Peshawari Chicken Karahi

Peshawari chicken is the specialty of Peshawari food and Peshwari chicken karahi is on top of the list. Why? because of its flavor and delectable stomach-crunching aroma that spreads so fast to starve nearby people and bring them on dining to eat.

The best thing that I loved about Peshawari chicken karahi is the ingredients. You don't need a list of spices to add. Just salt and black pepper are enough to reveal this amazing taste. Now I am justified and convinced that how the two seasoning ingredients are eligible to elicit the great taste of Karahi. Yes, the less is more!!

In karahi recipes, tomato and green chilies are the secret ingredients (not secret now) that bring all the taste with the technique of high heat cooking.

So to make this Peshawari chicken karahi, you just need oil, golden pieces of chicken, ginger garlic, and the seasoning of salt and black pepper. That's it! garnishing of julienne ginger makes a perfect flavor of chicken with Peshawari naan.

Looking for winter comfort food ideas: Try this Charsi Karahi

What is Charsi Karahi?

When I first heard the name then I was a little confused and remembered to have a discussion with my brothers that why is it Charsi Karahi? Isn't it any other name to give to this amazing recipe? Well, it's a perfect name I guess to get attention. As people get attracted to this unique name and once they eat they become fan of this recipe.

I remembered when I moved to Dubai, I was asking my husband (not a karahi lover) to find the best location to eat Karahi and biryani in Dubai. Then explore several places in Satwa and Karama and finally reached Truck Adda to meet my real Charsi karahi flavor. In a period of 10 years, explored so many good places in Sharjah and Ajman to taste incredible and tasty Pakistani food.

Origin

So, I was delving into the 'Charsi' name. As per my research the random name given to this recipe. In Peshawar, there is a famous restaurant by the name of Nisar Charsi Karahi in Namak Mandi, started making this karahi and the flavor spread worldwide to make it popular. Isn't it amazing? and give a vibe to be a proud Pakistani. Hats off!

On a personal note: If you are planning to visit Peshawar then give a try at Nisar Charsi Karahi as they are the founder of this recipe and people love to visit their place to taste the original and authentic flavor of Peshawari chicken karahi. Let me tell you my honest experience, when I first tried this recipe, I become fan and totally overwhelmed and in love with the flavor and aroma. Being a Karachi girl, I always feel, the karahi flavor is somewhere engraved in me so always look for different types of karahi recipes that you can also find in my blog.

Charsi Karahi Ingredients

Chicken: Used skinless chicken with bones. Thighs, legs, and breast parts make the perfect flavor of Charsi karahi.

Cooking oil: Canola oil is used. Not much just a tbsp.

Garlic: Fresh garlic paste will add a perfect garlicky flavor to Karahi.

Tomatoes: Big tomatoes cooked with chicken on steam then removed the skin and blended in Karahi.

Green Chilies: Prefer to use Karahi green chilies (Jalapeno chilies famous as moti hari mirch in Pakistan and India).

Seasoning: Just salt and black pepper powder.

Water: Added to tender chicken and thicken the curry.

Butter: Added a cube of unsalted butter and give a quick stir while finalizing the steps before dishing out.

Julianne Ginger: Garnish with thin slices of ginger (Julianne ginger).

How to Make Charsi Chicken Karahi

Selection of Pot/Pan/Wok

It's a best practice to get the right pan to make this karahi. An iron skillet or wok is preferred. You can use a nonstick pan or titanium pot to make this recipe. Avoid using steel, aluminum, and thin body pans as they may stick to the bottom which will change the taste of your charsi karahi.

Method

In a deep wok/pan, heat up oil and add chicken pieces, and shallow fry on high heat until the chicken started to change color and transform to a slight golden tone.

Then add freshly prepared garlic paste and saute with chicken pieces on high heat. Sprinkle salt! Add fresh tomato cubes and green chilies. Add water and cover for 20 minutes to tender chicken on low/medium heat.

After 20 minutes, carefully remove the tomato skin (with the help of a fork) and blend the tomatoes using the same fork or spatula to make a smooth and thick curry texture.

As the oil gets visible on the karahi surface then sprinkle black pepper and give it a good mix.

Garnish with butter and julienne ginger.

Chicken Charsi Karahi is ready to serve! enjoy it with your family and friends.

It's a super quick and easy recipe of Peshawari Chicken Charsi Karahi that anyone can easily make at home even if you are a beginner. Give it a try this weekend and I am sure you will fall in love with the taste. Don't forget to share your experience in the comment section. I love to talk there!

Charsi Karahi Video

So let's move to the kitchen and start making this quick, easy, and delicious 'charsi karahi' recipe step by step in an easy way. Watch the recipe video so it will be easy for beginners to follow the quick steps.

Easy Tips

These little tips and techniques will help to get the restaurant style flavor of Charsi Karahi. I try to incorporate these tips to authenticate the real taste.

1. Take fresh chicken. Avoid frozen to get the best result.
2. Use chicken without skin and with bones.
3. Always cook chicken on high heat even if you are making it at home. Manage the temperature and it will give you the same restaurant style flavor.
4. Never add any spice before frying the chicken.
5. Use pulpy tomatoes without skin to make a karahi curry.
6. Always remove tomato skin to create the best texture of karahi.
7. Only add black pepper to make it spicy. Don't use any other spice otherwise, the taste will compromise.
8. Thicken the curry as per your taste. Cook at high heat to get thick curry or simmer at slow heat to enjoy semi thick which is comforting to have a bite with naan.

Serving

Charsi Karahi serves as the main course so you can add naan or chapati to it. Rice is also an option but it's optional as the real taste of this Peshawari chicken blend with tandoori naan.

If you are planning this recipe for a party then add side dishes like Shami kabab, tomato sauce, pulao, fry keema, tadka dal, or samosa.

More Karahi Recipes

Share this charsi karahi recipe with your family and friends. It would be great if you leave your feedback in the comment box. If you make this recipe at home then share a picture with the hashtag #hinzcooking