Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

This is a delicious, spicy, one-pot Indian chicken curry. If you are looking for a traditional style chicken curry made with onion and tomato masala then this curry recipe is worth bookmarking. It is a family favorite Sunday afternoon lunch with steamed basmati rice.

My Family’s Chicken Curry Recipe

In India, every family has its own chicken curry recipe. So does mine. It is rustic, spicy, flavorsome, and insanely delicious.

Like any authentic dish, it is a time and labor-intensive curry recipe. But is it worth it? I would say, absolutely YES!

This classic Indian chicken curry and the Sunday afternoon, are meant for each other.

Every Sunday we have this chicken curry situation. With steamed basmati rice on the side, sliced onion salad, and plenty of soupy, spicy Indian chicken curry, our Sunday lunch is always a blissful experience.

During the summer season, we have an addition of chilled raita bowl to this Sunday menu to cool off the heat of spices. Or a tall glass of masala buttermilk to settle all the spices.

Hence, in our family, we call this curry a Sunday chicken curry. 

Reasons to LOVE this Indian Chicken Curry

Masala For Murgh Curry

There are two types of homemade masala paste that you need for this chicken curry.

Tomato Paste: It is a ground paste of tomato, dry red chili, garlic, and ginger.

Onion Paste: This one is a paste of fried onions. The sliced onions are fried in mustard oil till golden brown in color. Grind them to a smooth paste in a blender without using water.

Apart from these ground masala paste, you need these spices:

Is this curry spicy?

Yes, this is a rich and spicy chicken curry. Because of whole red chilies, garam masala, and the chilli powder, this curry has a medium-high spicy taste.

In India, classic chicken curry is hot, spicy, and greasy with a lot of oil floating on top. It is not everyone’s cup of tea if your palate is not accustomed to eating spicy food.

To make a mild chicken curry to suit your tastebuds:

Best Cut Of Chicken For Curry

To make an Indian chicken curry, the best choice would be bone-in meat pieces. The chicken bones lend a delicious flavor to the curry.

You can use a combination of bone-in chicken thigh, and the leg piece.

This curry can be made with boneless, skinless chicken pieces as well. Try to use boneless chicken thighs as they are much juicier and don’t get dry, unlike chicken breast.

If you are using boneless chicken breast pieces then try not to use the frozen ones, and avoid over-cooking them.

The best way to make curry with chicken breast is – saute the pieces in masala till they are cooked and pale white in color. Transfer to a plate, finish making the curry, add cooked chicken pieces towards the end and simmer them in curry for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Step-By-Step Chicken Curry Recipe

Start with making a fine paste of tomato, garlic, ginger, and dry red chilies. Use 1 – 2 tablespoons of water to make the smooth paste. Set aside (image 1).

Next, heat mustard oil in the Kadhai. Once it’s smoking hot, add sliced onion and fry till they are golden brown in color (images 2 & 3). Transfer onion to a plate. Allow becoming lukewarm. Grind them to a smooth paste without using water (image 4).

In the same kadhai, add the bay leaf and cinnamon in the leftover oil. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.

Add the tomato paste, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder (image 6), and fry over low-medium heat till oil starts separating from the masala.

Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, and fry till they become pale white (images 7 & 8). This usually takes 8 – 10 minutes. Do not rush this process.

Next, add the onion paste (image 9). Mix nicely. Cover and cook the chicken till its juices are released. Keep the flame at lowest setting. Do not add any water.

A good quality tender chicken does not take more than 10 minutes to get cooked. Open the lid, check the chicken for doneness.

If cooked, add 1 Cup of water to make gravy (add coconut milk if you prefer) along with garam masala, dry fenugreek leaves, fresh coriander, and sliced green chili (optional) (image 10).

Simmer the curry for 5 – 10 minutes for the gravy to thicken a bit. Taste the curry and add more seasoning if required.

Indian Chicken Curry is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion

The best way to serve Indian chicken curry is with hot and fluffy basmati rice or jeera rice.

Or you can serve it with paratha, chapati, dosa, or naan.

Some favorite side-dishes to compliment chicken curry are – sliced onion salad, or pickled onions, chilled mint raita, or a garlicky rasam.

Leftover Usage

You can shred the leftover chicken curry pieces and use them as a curried filling for wrap, taco, or sandwich.

Or use the full bone-in pieces to make my cheat leftover chicken biryani.

The best way to store the leftover chicken curry is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it in a microwave or saucepan before serving. Add little coconut milk or cream the next day to make it saucy.

More Indian Curry Recipes For You:

Creamy Cauliflower Peas Curry

Spinach Egg Curry

Indian Keema Curry

Chicken Korma Curry

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