Monday, October 25, 2010

Karahi Chicken

In India and Pakistan some of the dishes are cooked and served in a  ‘karahi’ (also spelled karai, kadai, kadahi or kadhai). For those who do not know a  karahi is a circular, deep, bowled dish and is similar in shape to a wok.It is usually made of cast iron but stainless steel, copper and non-stick versions are also available.

Karahi chicken is a popular dish all across Pakistan . Whether you dine in an upscale fancy restaurant or visit a road side vendor, this chicken dish is always on the menu.Karahi chicken is the only dish ( I know of ) that has countless versions .Basically it’s a tomato based clingy gravy dish but it is cooked in a number of ways with slightly different taste according to the ingredients added other than tomatoes.

I am sharing my version of karahi chicken that is easy , quick , robust , tangy  and off course spicy .With its exotic aromas of fresh ginger,freshly ground whole black pepper , red chilies , coriander and bountiful of tomatoes …this is one dish sure to tingle your taste buds !!

Karahi chicken -2



What you need :
  • Chicken : 12oo gms ( skinned ,cut and washed )
  • Onion : 2 – 3 ( medium , finely chopped )
  • GG paste : 1 tbsp
  • Tomatoes : 500 gms ( chopped )
  • Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder : 1/2 tsp ( up to your tolerance level )
  • salt : 1.5 tsp ( up to taste)
  • Garam Masala : 1/2 tsp
  • Oil : 1/2 cup
Karahi Masala :
  • Whole Coriander : 2 tbsp
  • Whole Black pepper : 3/4 tbsp
  • Dried Red chili : 6-7 
  • Whole Cumin : 3/4 tbsp
Crush or pound all the ingredients using mortal / pastel .

Garnish :
  • Ginger : 1 inch piece ( chopped finely )
  • Fresh coriander : 2 tbsp ( chopped)

How To :
  1. Heat oil in a wide pan . Add onions and fry till they are lightly browned.
  2. Add in the GG paste and fry a little .
  3. Throw in the chicken and fry till its no longer pink .
  4. Add in salt , turmeric , chili and garam masala , stir and cook for 2 minutes .
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook (stirring in-between|) till most of the water ( tomato water ) dries out and the oil starts to ooze out a bit.
  6. Now add in your karahi masala , mix in and adjust seasoning .
  7. Reduce flame to very low , cover the pot and let gently simmer for about 10 minutes .
  8. Karahi chicken is ready . Garnish with Ginger and coriander.
  9. Serve with naan , chapati or boiled rice .
Note :
  • Instead of chicken you can use boiled mutton/lamb .
  • Vegans can try this with paneer(cottage cheese)/tofu/gobi(cauliflower).

Karahi chicken -1
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Friday, October 22, 2010

A personal note about aromas !

Until I was 23, my sole cooking experience was boiling a few eggs and that too under the “watchful eyes” of my father. Being the only child has severe side effects (along with the perks) and one of them is my parents never considered me big enough to do something as “dangerous” as cooking. Remaining blissfully clueless about all things culinary, my “cooking affair” started after seeing my sister in law cooking lip-smacking dishes. Its then I realized good food make people happy and I decided that I should do that too. Seeing my passion, enthusiasm and determination, to my surprise my parents supported me in all possible ways (best of all being the “guinea pig “for the dishes I made)….. So after overcoming countless culinary hurdles and blunders … here I am today, with Rare Aromas in front of you.Successful experiments in cooking are known as recipes. Rare Aromas is the collection of all these experiments of mine, that have proved to do one thing very well “MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY “

I never thought I would ever own a cooking blog .My friends “inspired” me to have one. They keep asking the same recipe over and over again because they keep losing it. I was really fed up of writing\ telling the same recipe so I thought a blog would be my savior, and I was right. I no longer have to re-write the requested recipe :). Rare aromas is my very own personal “electronic recipe journal “for my friends, family and all of you wonderful people out there.

I am no chef neither I want to be .I am just the girl next door who strongly believes that anyone can cook and that too with confidence. All you need is just a bit of motivation and a pinch of inspiration. Rare aromas is my part of inspiring and motivating others and is all about everyday Pakistani cooking with some “international bites “.You won’t find any “funky” recipes here , it’s just my humble efforts to simplify everyday food my way. I have tried to make recipes as easy and confusion free as possible but still if you have any questions regarding any of the recipes then “buzz” me; I am just a click away.

Go ahead! 

Enjoy and spread “ aromas” of happiness , that’s what life is meant for.

Happy Cooking !!

Sadia Naseeb

P.S:
I would like to extend my immense gratitude to “Lubna Kareem , Mona Hsn and Sia for guiding me so lovingly about blogging .Thank you ladies,without your kind guidance I would have lost in the blogging world. 
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