Sumayya Usmani recipe: Karhai ginger chicken
Glasgow-based food writer and cookery teacher Sumayya Usmani draws on her childhood in Pakistan for her inspiring recipe for Karhai ginger chicken
On the days I was greeted with the hot citrus tang of fresh ginger from my grandmother’s garden as it was sliced artfully into julienne pieces, I knew I was getting Pakistani-style ginger chicken for supper. This is a dish found in every restaurant and home in Pakistan and it is simple and quick to make, with bursts of raw ginger added at the end for a fresh finish. Serve with a daal and rice – and you can substitute chicken with boneless duck or turkey for a fuller flavour.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp each of garlic purée and grated ginger
- 200g chicken breast cut into 5cm chunks
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into julienne
- handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 10 mint leaves, chopped
Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Time to cook: 30 mins
Method
Karhai ginger chicken
1 Heat the oil in wok-style pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the cumin and allow to splutter for 30 seconds. Add the garlic purée and grated ginger and fry for a further 30 seconds, or until the smell of raw garlic disappears.
2 Add the chicken to the pan and fry until it is sealed all over. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened, then add the tomato purée and the yogurt and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the oil starts to separate. Add the red chilli powder, black pepper, turmeric and salt and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until the chicken is done. Add the butter before turning off the heat and letting the butter melt.
3 Before serving, add the julienned ginger, coriander, green chillies and mint, and stir through.
• Summers Under the Tamarind Tree by Sumayya Usmani is published by Frances Lincoln, £20