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Restaurant Style Kadai Chicken

Kadai Chicken is a restaurant favorite North Indian chicken curry, cooked in the traditional kadai with tender chicken and a rich blend of aromatic spices, along with crunchy onions and capsicum. It is easy to make this dhaba-style kadai chicken at home with this authentic recipe.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 322 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 750 grams Chicken with bones cut into small pieces, skinless
  • 3 tablespoon oil divided
  • 3/4 cup onion cubed into 1 inch pieces and petals separated, can also use pearl onions
  • 3/4 cup green bell pepper cubed into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 3 Dried Red Chili Whole
  • 1 1/2 cup onions finely chopped, I used yellow onions
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 inch ginger grated
  • 3 tomato medium, pureed, about 1.5 cups puree
  • 1/4 cup yogurt whisked
  • 1/2 cup water (1/3 cup for instant pot method)
  • 1-2 green chili pepper slit vertically into 2*
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • cilantro leaves to garnish
Kadai Masala
  • 3 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 Whole Dried Kashmiri Red Chili Pepper
Spices
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste

Instructions

Make Kadai Masala
    Cup of Yum
  1. Take a pan & dry roast all the ingredients mentioned for Kadai Masala on low heat for 2-3 mins. Cool & rough grind the masala. Take out 4 teaspoons of this masala for the chicken. You can store the balance for future use.
Saute Onions & Bell Peppers
  1. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a pan on medium heat. Sauté the capsicum & onion petals in the pan for 2-3 minutes until they look blistered. Remove & set aside.
Make the gravy
  1. In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
  2. Add the cumin seeds and dry red chilies. Saute for 30 seconds until cumin changes color.
  3. Add the chopped onions. Sauté for around 7-8 mins on medium heat till the onions are light brown.
  4. Add the ginger and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell is gone. Add the tomato purée & fry on high to medium for 2-3 minutes till the purée is cooked.
  5. Add all the spices - turmeric, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder & salt. Stir and saute for 2-3 mins till the masalas are cooked & oil separates.
  6. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cook the chicken pieces on medium for another 5 minutes so that they are browned & coated with the masala.
  7. Turn the heat to low & add the whisked yogurt while stirring continuously. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the yogurt is cooked.
  8. Add the 4 teaspoons of the Kadai Masala, stir, and saute for 2 minutes.
  9. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes till the chicken is tender.
  10. Add the sautéed onion and capsicum we had set aside. Give a gentle stir.
  11. Add garam masala and green chili. Stir & cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  12. Garnish the curry with cilantro leaves. Kadai chicken is ready to be served with naan or roti.
Instant Pot Method
  1. Follow the steps to dry roast the spices on saute mode in the instant pot and grind them to make kadai masala in a spice grinder.
  2. Follow the steps to saute the onions and bell peppers. Save to add them at the end.
  3. Follow the steps to make the gravy using the saute mode of the instant pot. The main change here is to add 1/3 cup of water. Once all the ingredients including chicken, spices and water are added, then press cancel and close the lid of the instant pot. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Then let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and open the lid.
  4. Add the sauteed onions and bell peppers we kept aside. If there is any excess liquid in the curry, you can put on saute mode for a few minutes to thicken the gravy. Add the finishing ingredients of garam masala, green chili and cilantro leaves. Kadai chicken is ready to be served. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai, Birdeye, or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don't forget to adjust to your taste. 
  • Adjust the spice levels according to your taste preferences by varying the amount of red chili powder and green chili peppers.
  • I did not marinate the chicken for this curry. However, if you prefer, you can marinate the chicken with the yogurt and spices listed in the ingredients and use that when making the curry.

Nutrition Information

Calories 322kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 11g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 65mg (22%) Sodium 494mg (21%) Potassium 630mg (18%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 1182IU (24%) Vitamin C 85mg (94%) Calcium 76mg (8%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 322

% Daily Value*

Calories 322kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 494mg 21%
Potassium 630mg 13%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 1182IU 24%
Vitamin C 85mg 94%
Calcium 76mg 8%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.