Blistered Tomato Chicken Karahi

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

The classic Lahori wok-cooked curry: bone-in chicken seared hard, then simmered with fresh tomatoes until the oil splits and glosses the sauce. No onions, no fuss — just ginger, green chilli and crushed spices doing the heavy lifting. Ready in under an hour and better than any takeaway.

Per serving: 520 kcal · 45.0g protein · 12.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed, cut into curry pieces
• 5 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
• 6 medium ripe tomatoes (about 700g), roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp ginger paste, plus 30g fresh ginger cut into fine matchsticks to finish
• 3-4 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp full-fat natural yoghurt, whisked
• Large handful coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Naan or plain rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a wide karahi, wok or heavy frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken pieces in one layer and sear for 6-8 minutes, turning, until browned all over.
2. Add the crushed garlic and ginger paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant, scraping the base.
3. Tip in the tomatoes, slit green chillies, crushed coriander, cumin and peppercorns, chilli flakes, turmeric and salt. Stir well, cover and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse.
4. Uncover, raise the heat and cook hard for 10-12 minutes, mashing the tomatoes against the pan, until the sauce thickens and the ghee separates and pools at the edges — this is the sign of a proper karahi.
5. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the whisked yoghurt a spoonful at a time so it doesn't split, then simmer 3-4 minutes until glossy. Check the chicken is cooked through and the sauce clings.
6. Sprinkle over the garam masala, ginger matchsticks and coriander. Rest 2 minutes off the heat, then serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges and hot naan.