Kadai Chicken

            It’s time for chicken dishes again. I prefer to eat chicken in the cold season rather than in the hot. In fact it helps fighting the chill to some extend. I made Kadai chicken the other day to kick start my enthusiasm.. to pull myself up in this cold weather. When you are engrossed in making a food you love, you seldom notice the surroundings or how horrible the climate is. The only thing that exists then is the dish you prepare, its delicious whiff and the warmth of your much cherished stove.


           My earlier experiments in kitchen were more often, trying out the dishes I had from the Muglai and Arabian restaurants we frequented in Kuwait. It so happened that the Kadai chicken which we had from one of the Muglai restaurants hooked us to the extend that we visited it frequently just to have that little kadai(iron pot) of delight once again. By much trials and errors I reached a recipe some where near to the original.


            Kadai Chicken is a traditional Muglai dish prepared by cooking chicken with spices and condiments in a Kadai or special cast iron wok. Cooking it in an iron wok gives it a distinct flavor which is essentially the ‘Kadai chicken flavor’. Using freshly ground red chillies and coriander seeds is the key to attaining the original piquant taste.

Coming to the recipe..

Kadai Chicken

Things you need:

Chicken ,cut to small pieces - 1kg
Dry red chillies                    -  4 to 5
Coriander seeds                  -  4 tbsp
Ginger,finely chopped          -  2 tbsp
Garlic,finely chopped           -  2 tbsp
Oil/ghee                               -  45 ml
Tomatoes,finely chopped      -  7
Red chilli powder                  -  2 tsp
Turmeric powder                  -  1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder          -  1 tsp
Corriander powder                -  1 tsp
Kasoori methi powder           - 1 tsp
Green peppers/ Capsicum      -  2 (optional)
Corriander leaves                   -  to garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

• Grind the corriander seeds and dry red chillies in a blender. Wash and drain the chicken pieces. Heat an iron wok or Kadai and add 3 tablespoon of ghee to it. Add the powdered corriander and red chillies to it and stir in low heat .Add ginger and garlic to it and stir until aroma comes out. Add the tomatoes , red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Cook this in medium heat until the tomatoes become mushy. Now add the chicken pieces and salt and cook it in medium heat covering the Kadai with a lid. Stir occasionally to avoid the gravy from sticking to the bottom of the kadai.
• Add 1 tbsp of oil to a frying pan and add coriander seeds and chopped green peppers. Soate for a few minutes and add this to the chicken gravy. Add garam masala powder and kasoori methi powder and mix well. Remove the kadai from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chappathis, nan or parottas