Every family in Lahore has an opinion about karahi. Ours starts with my Nani, who was very clear about two things: no onion, and no premixed masala. "That's not karahi," she'd say, waving a wooden spoon, "that's just curry."
A real karahi is loud, oily, tomato-forward and finished with a snowfall of julienned ginger and slit green chillies. It's what you order on a Friday night at Butt Karahi in Lakshmi Chowk, and it's what I make when my brothers come home from abroad.
It takes 45 minutes, a heavy pan and the patience to let the tomatoes break down properly. That's it.
Why home cooks love this recipe
- Zero onion, zero garam masala — the flavour comes from tomatoes, ginger and slow cooking.
- The "bhunai" (frying the masala until the oil separates) is non-negotiable. Don't rush it.
- Serve with hot naan and don't bother with cutlery.
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in chicken, cut into small karahi pieces
- ½ cup neutral oil (or ghee for depth)
- 6 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 6–8 green chillies, slit
- 2 inches ginger, julienned
- Fresh coriander, roughly torn
Method
- Heat oil in a heavy karahi or wok until shimmering. Add chicken and sear on high heat for 5 minutes until it changes colour and releases its water.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, stir for 1 minute so it doesn't burn.
- Tumble in the tomatoes, salt, red chilli, cumin and coriander seeds. Cover and cook on medium-high for 12–15 minutes — the tomatoes will collapse into a sauce.
- Uncover and turn heat up. Now begins the bhunai — keep stirring and pressing the tomatoes with the back of the spoon for 8–10 minutes until the oil rises to the top and the sauce turns glossy and deep red.
- Throw in half the green chillies and half the ginger. Toss for 2 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Scatter the remaining ginger, chillies and torn coriander on top. Cover for 5 minutes to steam. Serve straight from the pan with hot naan.
Chef's tip
The oil MUST separate and rise — that's how you know the masala is properly cooked. If it hasn't, keep going. Undercooked tomato is what makes bad karahi taste raw and sour.
If you make this recipe, we'd love to see it — tag @saveur or drop a photo in our reader gallery. Happy cooking.