Indian Restaurant Style Kadai Chicken Recipe — Naren’s Kitchen

Kadai chicken curry final look

Many Kadai chicken recipes available are suited exclusively for naan bread or Basmati rice. Let me present a tasty but picky recipe that can taste well with both the options.

Pre-preparation

1. Wash 400–450 grams of chicken breasts thoroughly and dice them into medium-sized cubes.
2. Add the following ingredients to the chicken and marinate it for at least 30 minutes (2 hours for best results). Do not freeze, keep at room temperature:
   1 tablespoon of spicy red chili powder
   3/4 tablespoon of salt
   1/4 tablespoon of turmeric
   1/2 tablespoon of coriander powder
   1/2 tablespoon of ginger paste (ginger-garlic paste also works)
   1 tablespoon of sour curd or yogurt (Greek or Turkish)
3. Dry-fry 10 cashews in a pan and then grind them coarsely using a coffee grinder or similar tool. Take this “cashew powder” into a separate bowl.
4. Chop a tomato into a few pieces and grind those pieces with 2 garlic cloves, 2 chopped green chilies, and 5 tablespoons of water in a coffee grinder or similar tool to make a thick paste. Take this “tomato puree” into a separate bowl
5. Chop 1 onion and 2 green chilies into small diced pieces separately

Cooking:

1. Set the stove to medium heat and place a stainless steel cooking pot on it.
2. Add 5 tablespoons of sunflower or avocado oil to the pot.
3. Once the oil is heated, add a tablespoon of regular cumin seeds. You should see the cumin seeds popping and releasing flavor into the oil. Also, add a small stick of cinnamon (maximum length: 1.5 cm).
4. Add the chopped green chillies to the pot and wait for a few seconds for them to release their flavor.
5. Add the chopped onion to the pot and mix well.
6. Add 1/4 tablespoon of salt to the pot to help the onions cook well.
7. Wait for 2 minutes.
8. Now, add 1/4 tablespoon of turmeric and 1/4 tablespoon of ginger paste to the pot. Cook until the raw aroma of ginger disappears.
9. Once the onion pieces turn light brown, add 2 tablespoons of Kashmiri chilli powder, 1/2 tablespoon of coriander powder, 3/4 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of garam masala (a spice blend), and mix everything well.
10. Wait for 2 minutes.
11. Add cashew powder and tomato puree to the pot. Mix everything well.
12. Wait for 5 minutes.
13. Add the marinated chicken to the pot, mix well, and cover the pot with a lid.
14. Wait for 2 minutes, then mix everything again, and wait for 3 more minutes.
15. Add 1 cup (or 1/2 coffee mug) of water to the curry and mix it well.
16. Wait for 10 minutes.
17. Check the meat by tasting a piece with a spoon and turn off the stove. If meat is cooked, your curry is ready. Otherwise heat for few more minutes. Also, if required, add 1/4 tablespoon of salt.
18. Leave the cooking pot to cool for 5 minutes.
19. Garnish the curry with chopped coriander and a teaspoon of butter or ghee.
20. Serve the curry with naan bread or basmati rice.

Follow this recipe and you won’t be disappointed in your next Kadai chicken curry preparation. Please let us know about your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading.