Kadai Chicken

Most Indian restaurants serve Kadai chicken, which is almost always served in a kadai :) (Indian wok). After importing a new copper bottom kadai from back home I decided to make some along with Paneer Kadai.

In US kadai chicken is a tomato based gravy which is very different from the one we generally had in India. In India it’s made more drier and gets it’s flavor from freshly ground dry roasted spices. I present here the later version.

Ingredients

• 1kg. chicken
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 large tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper cut into cubes
• 1/2 onion cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 2” ginger
• 15 cloves garlic
• 6 red chilies
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 4 tbsp. oil
• Salt to taste
• Dry roast and coarsely grind the following ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 8 black peppercorn

Procedure

Grind red chilies, garlic and ginger in a fine paste. Dry roast and coarsely grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns.

Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions to it. Fry on medium heat till they turn golden brown. Add 2 tbsp. red chili, ginger, garlic paste along with half of the coarsely ground powder. Sauté on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes along with salt and sugar and fry them till they turn pulpy. Add chicken and mix them well so all pieces are nicely coated with the spice mixture.

Add chopped cilantro and the rest of the ground spice powder. Give a real nice mix and then cook it covered on medium heat till chicken is done.

Add onion and bell pepper cubes to it and stir everything on high heat for a minute.

Turn off the heat and serve hot.