Chicken is very healthy and helps in boosting immunity system. It has very high protein content and also provides help your body in weight loss. City of Peshawar introduced so many unique dishes to Pakistani cuisine and the world. The food from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is extremely unique and special in its own way as it is simple, cooked with minimal spices and presented in its pure form without over garnishing, chutneys and condiments. Khyber pakhtunkhwa is famous for its meat dishes even the charsi karahi is mutton based dish but it evolved quickly and became a chicken dish too. Now in almost every famous restaurant of Pakistan the chicken version of this karahi can be found in their menu card.
Karahi is a popular curry of India and Pakistan with juicy tender pieces of chicken simmered in beautiful tomato masala and spices. Here I am sharing the authentic recipe of Peshawari charsi chicken karahi with its unique flavors. Although there are so many recipes on internet claiming the original recipe of Peshawari chicken karahi but you need to remember few things about the authentic recipe.
In Peshawari charsi karahi onion, ginger, garlic or peppers are not used, only with salt, tomato and green chilies the flavor is developed. Also this Shinwari chicken karahi uses a lot of cooking oil for frying the chicken but the extra oil taken out after the chicken is fried. If you want you may add all the other ingredients as per your choice but then it will not be original charsi chicken karahi.
In a wok add cooking oil and chicken, turn the flame to high and fry the chicken in this oil. Stir quickly as the chicken may stick to the bottom in the start.
Add the salt and cook the chicken till it turns brown, stir it in between so that chicken may evenly fried from all sides.
After 7-8 minutes the chicken will start to brown, add whole tomatoes in the chicken now. There is no need to chop or peel the tomatoes as they will be mashed after frying.
After few minutes the tomato peel will get soft so remove it at this stage.
Remove the excess oil from chicken.
Mash the tomatoes with the spoon in the chicken and then add chopped green chillies in it. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
As the tomatoes are well mixed and properly mashed with chicken turn off the flame.
Serve this Peshawari charsi chicken karahi with roti or naan.
_________ Note: You may add black pepper as per your taste if you want to.
