Kadai Chicken with Curry is among the popular chicken recipes offered at restaurants in India .This is a north Indian enjoyment in which chicken is prepared together with freshly ground spices as well as distinct flavours of capsicum that is the specialty if this dish . For vegetarians, you can take a look at my Kadai paneer recipe .
Kadai Chicken Recipe – Ingredients
- Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2
- Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: North Indian
- Chicken – 10 small pieces
- Big Onion – 1 finely chopped
- Green Capsicum – 3 tbsp chopped into bite sized pieces
- Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – a generous pinch
- Lemon juice – 1 tsp
- Tomatoes – 2 big or pureed
- Fresh Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped finely
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Bayleaf – 1/2
- Cloves – 2
- Cardamom – 1
To roast and grind to a dry powder:
- Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
- Pepper corns – 1 tsp
- Jeera – 1/2 tsp
- Dry Red Chilli -3
- Cinnamon – 1.4 inch piece
Method:
- Dry roast the ingredients listed under ‘to roast & grind’ to golden brown then grind it to a semi coarse powder,Set aside.Kadai Chicken Recipe – Step1
- Heat a pan add a tsp of oil and toast capsicum until crispy(this step is purely optional)…dont let it brown, set aside. Clean chicken , wash it well then add half of roasted powder along with ginger garlic paste,salt, lemon juice turmeric powder and marinate it and set aside.Kadai Chicken Recipe – Step2
- Heat a kadai / pan with oil – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ then add onion,ginger garlic paste let it slightly brown.Then add tomato puree along with remaining roasted powder.Kadai Chicken Recipe – Step3
- Mix well and let it cook till raw smell of tomato and masalas leave.Add required salt…Then add chicken pieces and saute for 3mins until the raw texture of chicken changes.Add little water say 1/2 cup , cook covered for 10-12 mins until chicken pieces turn soft or pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.Kadai Chicken Recipe – Step4
- Allow water to reduce and let oil sepearate, at this stage add toasted capsicum give a quick stir. Let it cook in medium flame for 3mins for capsicum and chicken to blend well and the masala to coat well.Finally garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.
- You can pressure cook chicken for 4-5 whistles along with masalas else cook it just by keeping covered as per your preference.
My Notes:
- I did not add extra red chili powder – if you want you can add a tsp if you want more spicy gravy.
- Adding lemon juice to marinade chicken will make the chicken soft.
- You can use an iron kadhai for a nice flavour…I used my pressure pan as I chose to pressure cook my chicken as its quicker.
- Toasting capsicum is just optional…you can add it to the gravy as such too. I toasted it to make it crispy and added it only at the last stage to retain its crispness.