Campsite Chicken Karhai
A rich, comforting, and deeply flavorful karhai made right at the campsite, no fancy kitchen needed, just one pan, simple ingredients, and the joy of cooking under the open sky.
The Our Camping Karhai Tradition 🏕️🍗
Some meals become part of a camping trip simply because everyone loves them—and for our family, karhai has become one of those meals.
Every year when we start planning our camping menu, someone inevitably asks, “Karhai bana rahe hain na?” 😄 And honestly, it has now become a must!
There’s something so special about cooking a steaming hot karhai outdoors. The sizzling chicken, tomatoes and spices, the aroma filling the campsite, and everyone gathering around waiting for dinner, it somehow makes the meal taste even better.
Over the years, our camping karhai has become more than just food. It has become one of those little family traditions we look forward to every year. We keep it simple, cook it in one pan, and enjoy it with naan or whatever we have packed for the trip.
So if you’re wondering whether you can make a proper, flavorful Pakistani karhai while camping, the answer is absolutely yes! You just need a little preparation before leaving home and a good sturdy pan at the campsite.
Here’s the boneless chicken karhai that has earned its permanent place on our camping menu. ❤️
Camping tips
- Marinate chicken at home with spices and yogurt for deeper flavor.
- Pre-chop onions and tomatoes and store in airtight containers.
- Carry a spice mix pouch to save time at the campsite.
- Use a heavy-bottom pan to avoid burning over open flame.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1kg chicken (cut into small pieces)
- 500gms tomatoes (finely chopped or blended)
- 1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorn
- 1 medium onions (sliced)
- 1/2 cup yogurt (optional for richness)
- 4+4 tbsp oil or ghee
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Dum Masala
- 1/2 tsp Crushed Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Whole coriander (Roasted and Crushed)
- 1 tsp Whole Cumin (Roasted and Crushed)
- 4-5 Green Chilies
- Fresh coriander
- Ginger julienne
Instructions
Prep
- Prep your chicken at home by marinating chicken with all the dry spices, ginger garlic paste
- For tomato base, heat oil in a pan add black peppercorn.
- Add diced tomatoes and let it cook till it turns into thick paste.
- Let it cool down to room temperature.
- Now freeze it to be used later.
Campsite cooking
- Make sure that you remove the chicken from the cooler if it’s still frozen and leave it to thaw.
- Heat oil in a heavy pan or camping karhai over medium flame.
- Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
- Add chicken pieces and cook until they turn white and lightly golden.
- Mix in tomato paste made earlier and Cook until oil begins to separate.
- Add yogurt (optional) and simmer for 8–10 minutes until chicken is tender and coated in thick masala.
- Finish with dum masala mentioned above, fresh coriander, green chili and ginger julienne.
- Serve hot with naan, roti, or steamed rice right by the campfire.
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