You’ve likely spotted kadai chicken on Indian restaurant menus—now you can recreate those delicious flavors in your own kitchen! This kadai chicken recipe stands out among the popular North Indian chicken curries for its unique taste, texture and aroma. Unlike smooth, rich & creamy curries such as butter chicken or chicken korma, it doesn’t use heavy cream and the sauce has a lot of texture. Kadai chicken gets its robust flavors from the traditional cooking in a kadai (Indian wok), which helps develop bold & smoky flavors akin to dhaba-style cooking that you will find in roadside eateries across north india. This recipe is different from pakistani karahi chicken. Though they share some similar ingredients, the cooking methods give each dish its unique taste. There are a few steps to this kadai chicken recipe. You will marinate the chicken for an hour or two. Then prepare the kadai masala and then go on to making the kadai chicken curry. I would set aside about 30-35 minutes for the cooking process (longer if you are using bone in chicken).
What is a Kadai
Kadai Chicken gets its name from the “kadai,” a circular, thick, deep wok-like pot commonly used in South Asian kitchens. Indian wok is incredibly versatile, perfect for stir-frying, slow cooking, deep frying, or any other cooking task you can think of. The kadai’s thickness helps retain heat to ensure even cooking, while its wide, concave shape allows liquids to evaporate fast, so the chicken sears as we stir fry it to keep the kadai masala from getting watery. If you’re wondering what to use in place of a kadai, I recommend a braiser due to its wide, shallow shape. However, a Dutch oven will also do the job perfectly! Since kadai chicken is rich in tomatoes, I suggest using an enameled, hard-anodized, or stainless steel pot to avoid any metallic taste that can sometimes develop in tomato-based sauces.
Kadai Chicken
What sets apart kadai chicken from your regular chicken curry is the star ingredient - aka the kadai masala. If you know me, we love making our own spice blends, so we’ll grind our own kadai masala to make sure that it’s fresh and we get the best flavor. Kadai masala is a hot, pungent spice mix that is notably spicy. My homemade version combines four main whole spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, and dried kashmiri chilies. The whole spices are dry-roasted and we add them in two stages—during cooking to deepen the kadai sauce’s flavor, as well as a finishing spice. The recipe I am noting down will make extra kadai masala powder which you can keep at hand to make other kadai recipes such as kadai shrimp or kadai paneer. Onion petals and bell peppers, though optional, bring a crunchy contrast to the intense flavors of the thick gravy. Soft, caramelized onions add a sweet bite to balance the heat, and while green peppers are traditional, I prefer colorful ones—especially red—for their sweetness and visual appeal.
Ingredients
Chicken - I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs in my curries. The dark meat is full of flavor and can stand up to the stir frying that’s involved while making this dish. Cut chicken thighs in 2 inch pieces. Chicken breast will dry out so I don’t recommend. If you want to use bone in chicken- you can! Either use skinless chicken drumsticks and thighs or if you have a butcher near you get “curry cut” chicken. Onions - I use red onions for thier sweetish flavor but yellow onions will work fine. Tomatoes - Use canned tomato sauce or tomato puréed for a concentrated tangy tomato flavor. I tested the recipe with fresh tomatoes and felt that the tomato flavor was bit lacking and also they took forever to cook out. Bell Peppers - Use any kind you like. But can skip them too if you do not enjoy. Yogurt - Needed for marination. Yogurt tenderizes the chicken during marination as well as helps keep it moist when we are going to cook the chicken on high heat. I use whole greek yogurt in my cooking. If you have indian style plain dahi at home, that works beautifully but make sure that dahi isnt too tart. Mustard oil - The sharp pungency of mustard oil brings out the authentic Punjabi flavors of kadai chicken. Substitute with any neutral cooking oil you use at home. Spices - Other than kadai masala powder, we need ground spices like red chili powder & garam masala powder and few whole spices like bay leaf and cinnamon for tempering. Other Ingredients - ginger garlic paste, salt green chilies, ghee or butter (to finish)
Kadai Masala Spices
Coriander Seeds - They add a citrusy note to the kadai masala and are one that help in balancing the consistency of the sauce. Cumin Seeds - Add a warm earthy note. Whole Black Pepper - They have a sharp taste and make the kadai dishes quite peppery. Kashmiri Dried Chilies - When we roast the chilies, their seeds also roast which when ground add a smokiness to the kadai spice powder. Cloves - Are very aromatic and have a strong warm flavor. In the kadai masala they add a hint of sweetness and warmth. Fennel Seeds (Optional) - Are very aromatic and have a strong taste. We need just a little bit for their anise like flavor.
Instructions
Marinate Chicken & Prepare Kadai Masala
Note - This kadai masala is quite hot. If you think you cannot handle the heat, I suggest starting with ½ tablespoon and then adding more gradually as per your taste.
Stir Fry Onion & Peppers
Make Kadai Chicken
Recipe Tips
The kadai masala powder that we prepare is quite hot. If you think you cannot handle the heat, I suggest starting with ½ tablespoon and then adding more gradually as per your taste. Though you can adjust the spice levels as per your taste, don’t make kadai chicken too mild because then are deviating from its authentic taste. If using bone-in chicken pieces, you will need to cover the cooking pot to make sure that the chicken is cooked to the bone. Adjust the cook time as needed. Many restaurants also add tomato slices besides onion and bell peppers. You can do so too. Cut tomatoes in long sections and take out the seeds. No need to char the tomatoes, add directly towards the end and let soften.
