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    Home » Indian

    Chicken Karahi - Instant Pot & Stove Top Recipe

    Published: Mar 23, 2022 · Modified: Mar 30, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 62 Comments

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    Chicken Karahi or Chicken Kadai is a spicy, homestyle chicken curry with fragrant spices and fresh ginger. Here is an EASY recipe that explains how to make this flavor-packed and authentic tasting chicken curry in just a few simple steps using Instant Pot or a skillet.

    chicken karahi served with rice and naan

    Note: Original post published in Oct 2018 has been updated with new photos and a video.

    Jump to:
    • What is Karahi
    • Why Should you make Chicken Karahi in the Instant Pot
    • Ingredient Spotlight
    • Tips and substitutions
    • Steps
    • Serving
    • Stove Top
    • More Instant Pot Chicken Curries
    • Recipe

    What is Karahi

    Karahi is also known as Kadai/Kadhai is a thick, circular, metal cooking pot, similar to a wok. It is used in Indian cooking for curries, sautéing vegetables, and especially deep frying.

    Chicken Karahi is a popular North Indian and Pakistani curry, and you can find it on most restaurant menus. Often, the roadside dhaba's will have this spicy, homestyle curry on the menu which is often enjoyed with hot naan or roti right from the tandoor.

    chicken karahi garnished with cilantro and julienned ginger

    Why Should you make Chicken Karahi in the Instant Pot

    This past summer, I taught young college students how to cook traditional Indian dishes in the Instant Pot. When I got a request for Chicken Karahi, I decided to try my stovetop recipe in the Instant Pot. The result was:

    • a practical and easy curry, that my students could make and enjoy in under 30-minutes
    • hands-free recipe compared to the original traditional stovetop recipe
    • perfectly cooked chicken every time
    • And best of all, authentic and hearty tasting curry
    karahi chicken served with naan

    Ingredient Spotlight

    1. Chicken - Boneless chicken thighs work best fot this recipe. You may use chicken breasts instead with the same pressure cooking time and allow full natural pressure release. If you decide to use bone in chicken, or chicken drumsticks increase the pressure cookign time to 8 minutes followed by natural pressure release.
    2. Spices - Garam Masala - I highly recommend my homemade garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder that adds vibrant red color to the curry with out adding too much heat, ground cumin and coriander add earthy tones and body to the curry while turmeric adds peppery-woody taste and a deep golden color to the curry.
    3. Ginger - Finely diced ginger adds a perfect zing and a lot of flavor in this dish. It is also used to garnish the dish along with cilantro.
    4. Tomatoes - I use Pomi chopped tomatoes in this recipe. Not only do they taste just like fresh tomatoes, but they are super convenient and add a vibrant red hue to the curry. Especially when fresh tomatoes are not in season, I like to stock up on these tomatoes that come in BPA-free cartons. Once you open the carton, you can store them for up to 5 days in the fridge.
    ingredients to make chicken kadhai
    Spices

    Tips and substitutions

    1. Kashmiri red chili powder can be substituted with any mild chili powder or paprika
    2. Make sure to dice the ginger very small
    3. To make the curry less spicy, half the red chili powder, garam masala, and ginger
    4. If you enjoy spicy curry, you can add a sliced jalapeño along with the onions
    5. Add 1 inch cubes of red and green peppers to the curry after it is pressure cooked. Cook on saute mode for 5 to 7 minuts as the peppers get slightly cooked and still have a nice bite to them
    Chicken Karahi served over rice with naan in a white bowl

    Steps

    Step by step instructions to make this insanely delicious Chicken Karahi in the Instant Pot pressure cooker:

    • Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Next, add onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process. Add the chicken, tomatoes, spices and stir well. Close the Instant Pot lid with the pressure valve to sealing and pressure Cook for 5 minutes. (photos 1 - 4)
    photos one through four showing how to make chicken karahi in the Instant Pot
    • Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then release all remaining pressure. Open the Instant Pot lid and give a quick stir. Set to Sauté mode and cook for 5 minutes as the curry continues to thicken. Garnish with cilantro and ginger (photos 5 - 6)
    Chicken Karahi in the Instant pot garnished with cilantro and ginger

    Serving

    Serve chicken karahi with Roti, Parathas, or Naan and Raita. For a gluten-free meal serve with Jeera Rice, Basmati Rice, or Brown Rice. Serve with cauliflower rice for a low-carb ketogenic meal.

    chicken kadai served over rice in a white bowl

    Stove Top

    Do not have the Instant Pot? Here are steps to make Chicken Karahi on stove-top:

    1. Heat oil in a medium wok or a skillet. Then, add onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process.
    2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, all the spices and stir well.
    3. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked stirring frequently. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed if the curry starts to stick to the pot.
    4. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.
    chicken curry served in a karahi

    I often serve a cooling yogurt drink called "Mattha" in India with this spicy chicken curry. Lots of people asked for the recipe and here it is:

    • 1 cup of plain yogurt
    • 3 cups cold water
    • 1-inch ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 green chili or ½ jalapeño
    • ¼ cup cilantro
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar

    Instructions: Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy chilled.

    More Instant Pot Chicken Curries

    • Healthy "Butter" Chicken
    • Chicken Vindaloo
    • Weeknight Staple Chicken Korma
    • Mom's Authentic Chicken Curry
    • Quick and Easy Kheema Curry 
    • Royal Mughlai Chicken Korma
    • Classic Restaurant-Style Chicken Tikka Masala

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    karahi chicken served over basmati rice along with naan, sliced onions and lemon wedge
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    4.56 from 105 votes

    Chicken Karahi

    Chicken Karahi or Chicken Kadai is a spicy, homestyle chicken curry with fragrant spices and fresh ginger.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Wok

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • 1 yellow onion finely diced
    • ¼ cup ginger finely diced
    • 2 tablespoons garlic minced
    • 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs patted dry and cut into 4 pieces each
    • 1½ cups canned diced tomatoes **
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

    Garnish:

    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • ¼ cup ginger julienned

    Instructions

    • Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process. Tip: Make sure the bottom of the pot has no browning after sautéing the onions. If you see any browning, press Cancel on the Instant Pot and add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spatula to remove all of the brownings.
    • Add the chicken, tomatoes, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground turmeric, and salt. Stir well.
    • Close the Instant Pot lid on with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then release all remaining pressure by turning the pressure release valve from sealing to venting.
    • Open the Instant Pot and set it to Sauté mode. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes as the curry continues to thicken. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.
    • Serve hot with naan or parathas and rice. For a low carb meal, serve mushroom masala over cauliflower rice. Add a side of cucumber salad for a delicious meal.

    Video

    Notes

    Notes:
    1. Boxed or canned diced tomatoes can be substituted with 4 ripe plum or roma tomatoes. 
    2. Substitute Kashmiri red chili powder with any mild chili powder
    3. Make sure to dice the ginger very small so you do get big pieces of ginger in the curry
    4. To reduce the spice in this curry, reduce the quantity of red chili powder, garam masala, and ginger by half
    5. To make the curry more spicy and hot, add a sliced jalapeño along with the onions
    6. You can either use fresh tomatoes or box/canned chopped tomatoes in this recipe
    7. Make sure the bottom of the pot has no browning after sautéing the onions. If you see any browning, press Cancel on the Instant Pot and add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spatula to remove all of the brownings.
    Stovetop Recipe: 
    1. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Then, add onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes on medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. Use a glass lid to speed up the process.
    2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, all the spices and stir well.
    3. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked stirring frequently. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed if the curry starts to stick to the pot.
    4. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1189mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Hans Dieter Susser says

      October 04, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      And then there is "Karachi Butter Chicken" 🙂
      .
      https://chefsopinion.org/2015/03/05/pakistani-butter-chicken/

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 04, 2018 at 10:23 pm

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    2. Asim Fareeduddin says

      October 05, 2018 at 10:18 am

      Can you use bone-in chicken for this? Maybe leg quarters or whole chicken? If so, how would you adjust the cooking time in IP?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 05, 2018 at 12:01 pm

        Hi Asim, Yes you can. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces I would add extra 2 to 3 minutes. For example if I cooked this with let quarters I would cook for 8 minutes.

        Reply
    3. Charlene says

      October 05, 2018 at 8:53 pm

      Yum i made this tonight and it turned out delicious! I ended up using chicken breast tenders.. it was very spicy but next time will cut down a bit on the spice like you mentioned in the post. Will definitely be making often!! Thanks!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 05, 2018 at 10:20 pm

        Thank you for the feedback. Please rate the recipe too 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tanzila Sajid says

      October 05, 2018 at 9:58 pm

      Thank you for the recipe. It looks amazing.

      What is the size of your instapot?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 05, 2018 at 10:19 pm

        Thank you! I cooked this recipe in my 6-QT

        Reply
        • Ayesha says

          December 18, 2019 at 11:01 pm

          Hi Archana,

          Would the cooking time differ ( in all recipes) if a larger instant pot is used ? 8-QT

          Reply
          • Archana says

            December 18, 2019 at 11:07 pm

            Same cook time in 8 QT too.

            Reply
    5. FARIDA BANU says

      November 08, 2018 at 5:35 am

      Looks delicious. The step by step process is clear and super recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 08, 2018 at 3:21 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Archana says

      December 03, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      Hi! Do you mean 1/4 cup ginger before dicing or after dicing? I generally grate my ginger in the micro plane to get small pieces - so how much of that? 1-2 tablespoons? Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 04, 2018 at 9:59 pm

        1/4 after dicing. Yes you can add 2 tablespoons of grated

        Reply
    7. Yamini says

      January 11, 2019 at 9:43 am

      Great recipe, just made it last night for the family and they loved it. "Homestyle" is the right word - tastes like what my mom makes! So simple with the Instapot, as usual I have to remember to double your recipes because I never get to enjoy leftovers!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 12, 2019 at 11:43 am

        Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    8. Aine says

      January 30, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      Hi/ can we use beef to make a beef karahi? How would that change the total cook time in the IP? Bought your book btw! Thank you!

      Reply
    9. banazer noor says

      February 21, 2019 at 6:17 pm

      your recipes are awesome I like all recipe and try at home.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 21, 2019 at 9:41 pm

        Thank you SO much! Do rate them when you get a chance.

        Reply
    10. banazer noor says

      March 28, 2019 at 6:50 pm

      GOOD RECIPES WEBSITE I LOVE IT WELL DONE.5 stars

      Reply
    11. Alex says

      April 13, 2019 at 4:35 pm

      Can I whole chicken cut into small or medium pieces and how to adjust time in instant pot5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 14, 2019 at 1:32 pm

        Yes you can. I would increase the pressure cook time to 8 mins.

        Reply
    12. Khadija says

      April 29, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      My husband said this was the best dish I've ever made in the 5 years we've been married! It was delicious, thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 01, 2019 at 4:54 am

        Thank you so much for that feedback !!

        Reply
    13. Chris says

      May 29, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      This recipe is amazing. It is very easy to make, and it comes out restaurant quality every time.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 30, 2019 at 7:56 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    14. James Strange says

      June 07, 2019 at 11:59 pm

      When I worked in Pakistan this was one of my favorite dishes to eat. Your version looks easy and delicious.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 09, 2019 at 3:16 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    15. Purvi says

      August 01, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      Hi if we use fresh diced tomatoes, will the recipe come out just as good?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 01, 2019 at 3:11 pm

        Yes! You can use fresh tomatoes

        Reply
    16. Jennifer says

      September 18, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      The entire family loved it. I did mix in chicken breasts also. Next time I will take them out prior to the saute because they were slightly dry. Thighs were perfect. I did add a touch of cornstarch because the sauce didn't thicken quite enough at the end. SUPER EASY and QUICK.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 18, 2019 at 6:31 pm

        Thank you for the feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed it

        Reply
      • Kim says

        May 14, 2020 at 8:41 am

        Absolutely delicious! I will also make sure to not use breast meat. Chicken supplies have become a little unreliable at the grocery!5 stars

        Reply
    17. Mohit says

      March 05, 2020 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. Going to try this, this weekend. Since i'm on a diet I was wondering if I need to alter anything described here if I was using chicken breast + limited oil to 0.5tsp per 4oz of chicken? Thanks5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 06, 2020 at 5:34 pm

        It will work great, follow the same cook times and allow 10 minutes natural pressure release. This will make sure the chicken breasts are tender and not dry.

        Reply
    18. Sai Pradyumna says

      April 06, 2020 at 1:27 am

      Do you need to add any water before the pressure cooking step? Considering that this recipe doesn't use a marinate, won't a lack of liquid lead to a BURN message?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 06, 2020 at 5:56 pm

        Make sure that no food is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then when the Instant Pot starts to cook the chicken it releases enough water to build the pressure.

        Reply
        • Sai Pradyumna says

          April 08, 2020 at 1:57 am

          Thanks for the advice. It came out really well.5 stars

          Reply
    19. Ruby says

      April 09, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      How much time for the chicken tenders?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 10, 2020 at 7:43 pm

        4 minutes pressure cooking will be perfect.

        Reply
    20. Saralyn says

      May 08, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      This was delicious!5 stars

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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