The only karahi recipe you need

Half a kilo of bone-in chicken, four large tomatoes (skinned and seeded), two green chillies, an inch of ginger, a quarter cup of oil. That's it.

Heat the karahi over a medium flame until a drop of water dances. Tip in the oil. Add the chicken — bone side down first — and let it brown for six minutes without touching it. Now add the tomatoes whole; they will hiss. Crush them with the back of your spoon as they soften. Salt, half a teaspoon of red chilli, half a teaspoon of black pepper.

Lid on, flame low. Twelve minutes. The chicken should be tender; the tomato should have collapsed into oil. Pull off the heat. Now: julienned ginger, slit green chillies, a generous sprinkle of fresh coriander. Stir once. Serve with naan from the tandoor down the street, never with rice.

The trick is the karahi itself — hand-hammered mild steel develops a black patina that no non-stick coating can match. Ours is the KitKraft Heritage 28cm. We sell it at every store.