Balochi Chicken Karahi

Ingredients

• Juice of two lemons
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 900g (2 lbs) whole chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
• 250ml (1 cup) ghee
• 4 heads of garlic, skinned and roughly chopped
• 7 medium green chillies, left whole and seeded if you prefer less spicy
• 3 tbsp plain natural yogurt
• 4 green bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 4 tbsp coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
• 1 thumb sized piece ginger, julienned

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the lemon juice, salt and turmeric for about 20 minutes. If it a rush, just get cooking.
2. When ready to cook, heat the ghee over high heat. When visibly hot and bubbly, add the marinated chicken and stir it around in the ghee to brown for a few minutes.
3. When the chicken is about half cooked, stir in the garlic and whole chillies and fry for a few more minutes until the whole chillies are beginning to blister.
4. Transfer the chicken, garlic and chillies to a plate using a slotted spoon.
5. Now add the yoghurt. You don't need to worry about it curdling, Just stir hard and fast until it has cooked into the ghee.
6. Stir in the ground spices, finely chopped chilies and kasoori methi. The ghee mixture will become red in colour.
7. Return the chicken, chillies and garlic to the karahi and cook until the chicken has completely cooked through and you are left with a thick and butter sauce that coats the meat.
8. Season with salt to taste and garnish with coriander (cilantro) to serve.