Kadhai Chicken
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
With Ramadan in full swing, Kadhai Chicken is a classic dish that is often enjoyed after iftar, the post sundown evening meal when the day long fast is broken. Kadhai is like a Chinese wok except that it often has a flat bottom and just like a wok, it helps cook food rapidly and evenly, particularly over a high flame. There are many iterations of kadhai chicken, some with onions, some without. Some with yogurt and some with coconut milk if you want a saucier version. However, is best to cook it with bone-in chicken as the juices of the chicken flow into the sauce to add flavor and depth.
Here is a simple one where fresh tomatoes, garlic and fenugreek create the base of the sauce peppered along with some spices that add notes of brightness. I added potatoes as they also absorb the flavors of the chicken beautifully. Serve the kadhai chicken with simple white rice perfumed with whole green cardamom pods. Slice some purple cabbage thinly, add mint leaves, a touch of salt and lemon juice and you have a beautiful meal to celebrate at the end of a day!