By Aditi Saraswat
April 13, 2026
Dhaba-style kadai chicken is richer and smokier than the regular chicken curry. Cooked with bold spices, it gives that roadside flavour that feels a bit charred, intensely spiced, and pairs perfectly with hot rotis or rice.
500 g chicken (bone-in) 3 tbsp mustard oil 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 2 onions (roughly sliced) 3 tomatoes (chopped) 1 capsicum (chunky pieces) 1 tbsp coriander seeds 3 dried red chillies 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp garam masala ½ tsp turmeric powder 1½ tsp red chilli powder Salt to taste Fresh coriander for garnish 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed)
In a pan, dry roast coriander seeds, red chillies, cumin, and peppercorns until they turn aromatic. Coarsely crush them to make a bold masala.
In the same pan, heat mustard oil until it reaches the smoking point, then cool it a bit. To this, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté briefly until its raw smell fades away.
Add the sliced onions to this and cook on high until they turn brown a bit, but not burnt.
To this, now add tomatoes, turmeric, salt, and chilli powder. Cook until it turns soft and a bit chunky, maintaining the texture.
Now, add the chicken pieces and cook on a high flame, and keep stirring it constantly so it sears well. Add the prepared ground masala and capsicum to this.
In the end, add garam masala, crushed kasuri methi, and fresh coriander from the top. For some extra smokiness, cover it for a short time, adding a hot coal to serve hot with rice or roti.