Kadai Chicken is a popular dish which many of us wish to have in a restaurant. At least, it is my family’s one of the top favorites. It has a thick gravy and is a good accompaniment to both roti and rice.
My laptop is a mess and the control-freak, organized me was screaming in my head for the last few days. I was thus going through the pictures to sort and I found these. Oh My God! I had prepared this dish about an year ago and haven’t posted the recipe yet!
Memories started flooding my mind and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. More than the recipe or the dish itself, these pictures hold a place in my heart.
It was on one beautiful Sunday afternoon that P (my husband) had brought home a DSLR Camera. I was constantly and continuously pestering him on the idea of buying one and he got from friend so that I could get the hang of it. Well, I sucked! Big time and I let P do the photography.
Mildly flavored with spices, this recipe is easy to prepare. It’s flavor comes from the red gravy and the capsicums sauted along with onion and chicken.
“Oh, P! Focus on the food, please!!” 🙁
“But No! He loves the flowers that bloomed in his garden!”
It is called so because it is cooked in a Kadai or an Indian style wok.
- 500 gm Chicken boneless
- 1 cup water
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt as required
- 1 tbsp Peppercorns crushed
- 1 tbsp Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 3 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 1 Onion quartered
- 2 Tomatoes pureed
- 1 Tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 Capsicum quartered
- 3 Green chillies split
- 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/2 cup Chicken stock
- 2 tbsp oil
- Turmeric powder a pinch
- Kastoori Methi a pinch
- Salt as required
- Dry roast dried red chilies, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds on low flame. Cool and grind them to powder. This is Kadai Masala and you can keep the extra masala for later use.
- In a pressure cooker, boil water, garlic, salt, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Add chicken to it, mix well and pressure cook for a whistle. Reserve the water for chicken stock.
- Heat oil in a kadai and add finely chopped onions. Saute till golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and mix well.
- Add finely chopped tomato and cook till oil separates and the tomato gets mushed up and pasty.
- Add the masala powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and 1/2 tbsp of kadai masala) and mix well.
- Add tomato puree and mix. Cook covered for about ten minutes in low flame. Stir in between. Add chicken stock if it is too dry. (I wanted a dry version, hence did not add)
- When ready, add green chilies, quartered onions, tomato and capsicum. Mix well.
- Add chicken, kastoori methi, 1/2 tbsp of kadai masala, 1/2 cup chicken stock and cashew paste and mix well. Cook for another five minutes till the gravy thickens.
- Serve hot with rice or rotis.
5,126 total views, 3 views today
Preethi says
January 9, 2017 at 7:40 amI tried this recipe today and it came out really well. Hubby and the kids simply loved it, Nowadays, your blog is my guide for new recipes and most of the times they come out amazingly well, I usually have he tendency to spoil the simplest of recipes, luckily your blog works great for me. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful recipes ( with detailed steps).
rajlakshmi says
February 24, 2016 at 5:49 pmLoved the photography 😀 and thanks for the recipe… I think I prepare a fashion version of it… more like a novice version. You site looks different… I love the new layout 😀
Shalini says
March 6, 2016 at 3:48 pmThanks for noticing, Raj! Hard work I tell you- this site revamping. Thanks for your kind words! Le tme know your version of the recipe! 🙂
Eli says
February 23, 2016 at 11:33 pmOh, thats a chicken dish I didn’t know about. Looks like a great recipe though- yum spices….. And the pics makes me wanna rush to the kitchen noooow – to start. Great pics , and lovely with the colors of the flowers and the chili too:-) Awesome!!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:21 amThanks very much, Eli. If you try the recipe in your kitchen let me know how it turned out! 🙂
Parul says
February 23, 2016 at 6:18 pmHey – This sounds a great recipe. I am going to give it a try. So bookmarking your page. Thumbs up to P’s photography. Beautiful pictures and I am hungry 😛
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:21 amHeee.. Thanks, Parul. I wish he was here to take all my food pics!
Shilpa Garg says
February 23, 2016 at 6:17 pmThis post and pictures reminded me of the Kadai Chicken I had last month at a Pakistani joint – Wah Ji Wah in Kuwait. Oh my, it was yummmmmm and simply melted in the mouth!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:22 amOh, I read about your Kuwait cuisine adventure. You stuffed yourself with Arabic food as well. 🙂
Fab says
February 23, 2016 at 5:52 pmOoh, that looks like a yummy dish!! I love the whole spices that go into a kadai recipe!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:23 amThanks very much. Welcome to my space 🙂
Alana says
February 23, 2016 at 4:41 pmShared and pinned. Oh, those freshly ground spices!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:23 amThanks, Alana 🙂
Vasantha Vivek says
February 23, 2016 at 12:31 pmLooks yummy and mouth watering.
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:24 amThanks, Vasantha. Try and let me know 🙂
Obsessivemom says
February 23, 2016 at 11:11 amThis one is such a staple dish for the non-vegetarians of the family. Kadai paneer and kadai chicken and we’re done!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:48 amOh I love Kadai Paneer as well 🙂 Thanks, Tulika.
Nisha Sanjeev says
February 23, 2016 at 10:48 amLove your plating Shalini… outdoor shoot!
Shalini says
February 24, 2016 at 7:24 amHaha! Wanted to try something new and P was more fascinated with the flowers! 😛