Courtesy Fatima Rasool Ahmed

Wash and drain your chicken pieces. Chop 2 big onions and braise in quite a bit of ghee with 2 whole garlic cloves till transparent and garlic is soft.

Separately blanche 4 big tomatoes. Remove skin when soft and chop fine.

Once onions are transparent and garlic is soft.  Crush up the garlic with a spoon. Add in 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. Braise for a minute or 2. You can use ready crushed finger or garlic. But using fresh ginger and garlic lands to the authentic Pakistani flavours.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the onions and cook for 5 minutes, covered, until the onion and tomato is well blended.

While that’s cooking. Take 1/2 cup of yoghurt and add

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Haldi/Arad

1/2 teaspoon each

Dhana powder

Jeera Powder

Garam masala powder

Rough red chilli powder

Fine red chilli powder

OPTIONAL –

1/2 Tablespoon

Shan or any other Chicken Karahi spice

Mix spices well into the yoghurt

Add chicken into the onion tomato mix and fry till chicken changes colour. Cover with lid and leave to cook till chicken is half cooked. Approx 15mins

Add in yoghurt mixture and mix well with chicken. Cover and leave to cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked and oil comes up.

Garnish with slices of fresh green chilli, ginger julienne and fresh chopped dhania.

Serve with roti or tandoori naan