Chicken Karahi

Chicken karahi is a popular poultry dish in Pakistan and North India. In its name, the word karahi refers to a thick and deep cooking pot, similar to a wok, in which the dish is prepared. The dish also includes red chili powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger, allspice, cardamom, tomatoes, and garlic. The dish is known as gosht karahi when made with mutton. It's usually served with rice, roti, or naan.

Karahi is said to have originated in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly Northwest Frontier) province, which makes sense given the cuisine's heavy use of meat and black pepper.

The rich, tomatoey base of chicken karahi is distinguished by a fragrant finishing of green chili peppers, cilantro, and slivers of ginger. Karahi is named after the pan in which it was first cooked – a heavy, often cast-iron pan similar to a wok but rounder and with a flatter base. Traditionally, meat would be simmered and stir-fried over an open fire in this karahi.