White Chicken Karahi

Ingredients

• 30 g raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
• 800 g bone-in chicken, cut into small karahi pieces, washed and patted dry
• 4 tbsp cooking oil or ghee
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 5 green chillies, 3 slit lengthwise and 2 finely chopped
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp roasted cumin, ground
• 1 tsp white pepper, ground
• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup plain yogurt, full fat, whisked until smooth
• ½ cup fresh cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp ginger, cut into thin matchsticks, for garnish
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked cashews and blend them with 3 tablespoons of the yogurt and a splash of water into a completely smooth paste. Whisk this back into the rest of the yogurt and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a karahi over medium heat. Add the cardamom and ginger garlic paste and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
3. Turn the heat to high and add the chicken. Fry, stirring often, for 8 minutes until the pieces turn white and opaque on the outside, with no pink showing. Do not let them brown.
4. Add the salt, coriander, cumin, white pepper, black pepper, the slit green chillies and the water. Stir well, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until the chicken is nearly tender.
5. Lower the heat to the lowest setting. Add the yogurt and cashew mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly so it does not split. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
6. Pour in the cream and add the chopped green chillies. Cook uncovered on medium-low for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, clings to the chicken and a little oil shows at the edges. The chicken should reach 74°C in the thickest piece.
7. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and adjust the salt. Garnish with ginger matchsticks and fresh coriander, and rest for 2 minutes before serving from the karahi.

Tips

• Whisk the yogurt until smooth and add it on the lowest heat. Cold yogurt added to a very hot pan is the usual reason for a split sauce.
• Keep the heat moderate while frying the chicken. Browning will spoil the pale colour of the dish.
• Use bone-in chicken for the best flavour. Small pieces cook faster and take up the sauce better.
• Adjust the heat by changing the number of green chillies, and remove the seeds for a milder result.