Today I have one of the most popular chicken recipes in Indian Cuisine…Indian Curry Chicken! This curry is made with aromatic spices from your pantry, onion, tomato, and chicken pieces. It is a great recipe that is easy to make and full of flavor. Have it on the dinner table in about 35 minutes!
Try my Thai Peanut Curry Sauce for a quick and fast curry the whole family will love!
Curry is one of my personal favorite meals because it is warm, comforting and easily adaptable to whatever I have on hand. The difference between my Thai Curry and this Indian Chicken Curry is all in the spices used. The Thai version uses fish sauce and red curry paste. This Indian version uses warm curry powder and spices as well as tomatoes without a bit of fish sauce in sight!
Ingredient List:
- Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs. Last night I used skinless chicken thighs but have used chicken breasts before. Any chicken pieces works great.
- Curry Powder. With a name like Indian Chicken Curry, this was a given.
- Half & Half. Coconut milk is a great substitute if you need to be dairy-free.
- Tomato Puree. If you don’t have it on hand you can use equal parts tomato paste and water or simply use tomato sauce.
- Cumin Powder. Or grab Cumin seeds that you can grind yourself.
- Fresh Ginger. I like to have ginger paste on hand in the fridge to keep it easy.
- Fresh Garlic. I admit to keeping a giant jar of minced garlic in the fridge to keep things easy.
- Greek Yogurt.
- Ground spices or Garam Masala Powder. I like to use the whole spices you would find in Garam Masala and grind them fresh. Or, of course, use them already ground if I don’t have them whole. Then I don’t have to have Garam Masala on hand to make this recipe.
- Peanut Oil. Olive oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil work just fine. I prefer peanut oil because it adds a great flavor as well as having a good frying temperature point.
- Fresh limes. I think it is key to squeeze a bit of fresh lime on the dish before serving. You could also squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on, if that is what you have.
- Cashews. Indian cuisine rarely has cornstarch or flour as thickeners, instead, ground cashews add flavor as well as thicken the indian curries. I highly recommend you try this! If you don’t have cashews on hand, a simple cornstarch and water slurry will work to thicken your curry.
How to make Indian Chicken Curry:
- In a large ziplock bag, add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of curry, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Or: see the recipe for Garam Masala swap.
- Add the chopped chicken, mix well so the spice mixture is distributed evenly, set aside.
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven on medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion to saute.
- When the onion is translucent and golden brown (about 2 minutes), add the chicken to the pan and saute for about 3-4 minutes for thighs and 2-3 minutes for breasts. You want the chicken to be browned on the outside but not yet cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add all of the remaining spices: 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 3 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger, and coriander and cayenne pepper (if you are using them). Saute, stirring constantly, on medium heat for 1-2 minutes (until highly fragrant). Watch that you don’t burn the garlic!
- Add the tomato puree and, pulling the spices off the bottom of the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes or until the tomato puree is at a low boil.
- Add the half & half (or coconut milk) and yogurt, stir. Add back the chicken. Add the bay leaf.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground cashews, stir, simmer until hot and thickened (about 8-10 minutes). Taste for seasoning adjustments and remove the bay leaf.
- Serve with basmati rice, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime on top.
How to Serve:
Serve with Basmati rice, fresh naan bread, and fresh chopped cilantro for a flavorful dish the whole family loves!
Tips for Indian Curry Chicken:
- Garam Masala can be used to swap out a good number of spices, you have it.
- Coconut Milk can sub out the half & half AND the Greek yogurt, if needed.
- 4 teaspoons of Ginger/Garlic Paste from an Asian Market can eliminate the fresh ginger and fresh garlic.
- If you use your food processor to grind your cashews, do it in small bursts so you don’t end up with a paste.
- The longer the curry sits and simmers the better the aromatic spices will blend. Give it a bit of extra time, if you have it.
- Make extra! The leftovers are better than the first time.
- If you are a spice lover, you will most likely want to double the cayenne pepper and adding crushed red chilis.
Store/Freeze:
- This recipe stores beautifully and, in fact, tastes better the next day after the flavors have blended together.
- Store this recipe in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- If your chicken was fresh when you made the curry this recipe will be great to freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container made for the freezer. If you used frozen chicken it isn’t recommended to refreeze the meat.
Indian Curry Chicken Recipe
| 6 people
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This curry is made with aromatic spices from your pantry, onion, tomato, and chicken pieces. It is a great recipe that is easy to make and full of flavor. Have it on the dinner table in about 35 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin divided
- 1 teaspoons red chili powder
- 4 teaspoons curry powder divided
- 2 teaspoons all spice divided
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 pound chicken, cut into 1/2 inch pieces thighs will have more flavor
- 2 teaspoons peanut oil
- 1 med white onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
- 14 oz tomato puree
- 1/2 cup half & half or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/3 cup ground cashews
- 1 fresh lime or lemon
- 1 teaspoon coriander optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag, add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of curry, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Or: Use 2 teaspoons of Garam Masala and 1 teaspoon of chili powder.
- Add the chopped chicken, mix well so the spice mixture is distributed evenly, set aside.
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven on med-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion to saute.
- When the onion is translucent and slightly browned (about 2 minutes), add the chicken to the pan and saute for about 3-4 minutes for thighs and 2-3 minutes for breasts. You want the chicken to be browned on the outside but not yet cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add all of the remaining spices: 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 3 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger, and coriander and cayenne pepper (if you are using them). Saute, stirring constantly, on medium heat for 1-2 minutes (until highly fragrant). Watch that you don't burn the garlic!
- Add the tomato puree and, pulling the spices off the bottom of the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes or until the tomato puree is at a low boil.
- Add the half & half (or coconut milk) and yogurt, stir. Add back the chicken. Add the bay leaf.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground cashews, stir, simmer until hot and thickened (about 8-10 minutes). Taste for seasoning adjustments and remove the bay leaf.
- Serve with basmati rice, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime on top.
Video
Notes
Note: the longer you let this sit and simmer the better your flavors will be!
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 18gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 877mgPotassium: 643mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 674IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 4mg
