Ajwain Chicken | Nick Karnik | The Kitchen
indianchicken

Ajwain Chicken

Chicken marinated in dahi, then finished in butter with coarsely crushed ajwain.

01  Scale
1
batches ×1
Start to eat
Actually you
Pans2
Bowls2
02

Ingredients

As written
500 gchicken (bone-in or boneless thighs work best)चिकन · चिकन
½ tspturmeric powder (halad)हळद · हल्दी
1 tspsalt, adjust to tasteमीठ · नमक
4 clovesgarlic, finely minced or gratedलसूण · लहसुन
½ cupsplain yogurt (dahi)
1lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp)लिंबू · नींबू
1 tspred chili powder, adjust to heat preference
½ cupswater, for cookingपाणी · पानी
2 tbspbutter (or ghee for richer flavor)लोणी · मक्खन
½ tspajwain (owa / carom seeds), crushed coarse
1 tspchicken masala or garam masalaगरम मसाला · गरम मसाला
03

Pots & pans

As written
1kadai or wokकढई · कढ़ाई
1second wok or skilletकढई · कढ़ाई
04

Mise en place

All of this before the heat goes on

1The marinade

500 gchicken (bone-in or boneless thighs work best)चिकन · चिकन
½ tspturmeric powder (halad)हळद · हल्दी
1 tspsalt, adjust to tasteमीठ · नमक
4 clovesgarlic, finely minced or gratedलसूण · लहसुन
½ cupsplain yogurt (dahi)
1lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp)लिंबू · नींबू
1 tspred chili powder, adjust to heat preference
½ cupswater, for cookingपाणी · पानी

2The masala butter

2 tbspbutter (or ghee for richer flavor)लोणी · मक्खन
½ tspajwain (owa / carom seeds), crushed coarse
1 tspchicken masala or garam masalaगरम मसाला · गरम मसाला
05

The order

In order
01PrepIn a large bowl, combine the turmeric (halad), salt, garlic, yogurt (dahi), lime juice and red chili powder.
02PrepAdd the chicken and coat it well.
03Hands offCover and refrigerate.1h
04HeatPut the marinated chicken into a kadai over medium heat with 1/2 cup water.
05HeatCover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is mostly cooked through and tender.12m
06HeatIn a second wok or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
07HeatAdd the coarsely crushed ajwain (owa) — not too fine, but coarse — and let it sizzle about 30 seconds, until aromatic.
08HeatAdd the chicken masala or garam masala and stir briefly.
09HeatTransfer the cooked chicken, with some of its liquid, into the masala butter.
10FinishMix well to coat the chicken evenly and simmer together, uncovered.5m
07

Eat it with

Hers

Roti, paratha, or steamed rice.

06

Variations

Hers

Garnish with fresh coriander or a squeeze of lemon for a fresh finish.

For extra depth, you can add a pinch of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) when combining the chicken with the masala butter.

08

Other people’s versions

Links only — nothing copied
Butter Chicken / Chicken MakhaniChef Sanjyot Keerthe classic version, not hers
09

Notes

Her own outline is terse: it gives the method — marinade, chicken into the kadai with water, butter and coarse ajwain in a second wok, then the two combined — but no quantities. The quantities and the wording here come from an LLM-expanded version of the same recipe, which is why this is filed as adapted rather than reproduced.

Her vocabulary, noted: halad = turmeric, dahi = curd, owa (she also writes anees) = ajwain / carom seeds. She specifies the ajwain is crushed coarse, "not too fine but coarse".

The marinade is recorded at its 1-hour floor, the time she commits to. The source says up to 4 hours is the better result.

No story. No ads. Adapted from Chhaya Karnik · Changed: her outline gives the method; the quantities and the wording come from an LLM-expanded version