Chicken Keema Karahi

Ingredients

• 500ml (2 cups) rapeseed (canola) oil
• 700g skinless chicken thighs, finely minced with a sharp knife
• 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 2 – 4 green bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 5 – 6 tomatoes, quartered
• 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock or water
• 5 green bullet or finger chillies, roughly chopped or in half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 x 5cm (2 inch) ginger, julienned
• 3 tbsp coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large karahi or wok over a medium high heat. When visibly hot, add the finely chopped chicken and move it all around in the hot oil. Fry for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and justbeginning to get crispy in places. Pour out all but about 70ml (1/4 cup) of the oil. You can discard the oil or strain and use it in another dish.
2. Stir the garlic and ginger paste into the chicken and continue frying and stirring for about a minute. Add the bird’s eye chillies and ground spices and stir well to combine. Then add the quartered tomatoes and chicken stock or water. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pan to continue simmering for about 5 minutes.
3. Take the lid off the pan and continue cooking. As the sauces simmers and thickens, the tomato skins will begin fall off. Fish them out. It is not hugely important that you do this but that is how it’s done at dabba restaurants for better presentation. As the curry continues to cook, the remaining oil will begin to rise to the top. If you wish, you could skim this off the top or leave it in which is more authentic and delicious too.
4. Stir in the bullet chillies and let them cook in the hot keema for a couple of minutes. They should look fresh and not completely cooked.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then garnish with the julienned ginger and coriander (cilantro) to serve.