Chicken White Karahi
چکن وائٹ کڑاہی
White karahi is the pale, creamy cousin of the classic tomato karahi. There is no red chili and no tomato here; the heat comes from crushed black pepper and plenty of green chilies, and the body from yogurt and cream. It became a hit at Pakistani barbecue restaurants and is now a popular dawat dish. The method stays true to a : fry the chicken hard first, then let the yogurt cook down until the oil separates, and add the cream only at the end.
- ⏱ Total: 50 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 35 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the oil in a over high heat. Add the chicken and fry, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until all the pieces have turned white and the pink is gone from the surface. Do not let them brown much; the dish should stay pale.
Add the ginger and garlic paste, the crushed green chili paste and the salt. Stir for 2 minutes until the raw garlic smell is gone.
Lower the heat to low and wait a few seconds. Pour in the whisked yogurt while stirring continuously, so it does not split. Cover and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender.
Uncover and turn the heat up to high. Add the black pepper, white pepper and cumin and do the for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the yogurt has cooked down, coats the chicken and the oil separates at the edges.
Lower the heat. Stir in the cream, the slit green chilies and half the ginger strips, and cook gently for 2–3 minutes until the sauce turns thick and glossy. Do not let it boil hard.
Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Top with the rest of the ginger and the coriander, and serve straight from the karahi with hot naan.
Kitchen notes
Yogurt splits if it hits a very hot pan or is cold from the fridge. Use room-temperature yogurt, whisk it smooth and add it on low heat while stirring.
Crush the black pepper fresh in a mortar. Ready-ground pepper loses its punch, and pepper is the main source of heat in this dish.
Keep the colour pale: no turmeric, no red chili and no deep browning of the chicken.
What makes it white
A white karahi follows the same idea as a regular : small bone-in chicken pieces, high heat, no added water and serving in the pan. What changes is the masala. Instead of tomatoes and red chili, it uses yogurt for tang, cream for richness and black pepper and green chilies for heat. The result is pale, creamy and peppery, with the fresh bite of ginger on top.
It became popular at barbecue and karahi restaurants in Lahore and Islamabad and is now a regular at dawats, often cooked next to a red chicken karahi so guests can try both.
The key technique
Two things decide the result. First, fry the chicken until white but not brown, so the colour stays clean. Second, handle the yogurt gently: room temperature, whisked smooth, poured in on low heat while stirring. Once the chicken is tender, turn up the heat and do a short until the oil separates. This step cooks off the raw yogurt taste and is what makes the dish a karahi rather than a qorma. Cream goes in last, on low heat.
Variations
- Mutton white karahi: cook the mutton covered with the ginger, garlic and a cup of water until tender (about an hour), then continue from the yogurt step.
- Afghani touch: add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and a pinch of with the cream.
- Boneless: use boneless thigh and shorten the covered cooking to 8 minutes.
Storing and serving
Serve white karahi with naan or roti, a green salad and lemon wedges. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring gently; strong heat can make the sauce separate.
Questions people ask
Why did my white karahi turn grainy?
The yogurt split, usually because it went into a very hot pan or was not whisked. It still tastes fine. Next time lower the heat before adding the yogurt and stir constantly for the first minute.
Can I make it without cream?
Yes. Use 1.5 cups of yogurt instead of 1 cup and finish with 2 tablespoons of butter. It will be lighter and a little tangier.
Is white karahi very spicy?
It has a clean, peppery heat rather than a burning one. For a milder dish, reduce the black pepper to 1 teaspoon and remove the seeds from the green chilies.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 590
- Protein
- 45 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
