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Home » Indian Main Course » Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

Published: Feb 17, 2023 | Modified: Feb 17, 2023 by Hina Gujral

Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

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This is a delicious, spicy, one-pot Indian chicken curry recipe. This curry recipe is worth bookmarking if you are looking for a typical Indian-style chicken curry with onion and tomato masala.

aerial shot of chicken curry in a white bowlPin

My Family’s Chicken Curry Recipe

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

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

It is a family favourite Sunday afternoon lunch. Hence, our family calls this curry a Sunday chicken curry. In my debut cookbook, The 100 Best Curries, I have included the instant pot method of this curry recipe.

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 family lunch is a blissful experience.

Reasons to LOVE this Indian Chicken Curry

  • gluten and nut-free curry
  • instant pot-friendly curry
  • no chicken marination is required
  • it is an easy-to-make, one-pot recipe
  • it will connect you with authentic Indian flavours
  • all the masala is made from scratch for this curry at home
side shot of Indian chicken curry in a white serving bowlPin

The Curry Paste

You need two types of homemade paste for this chicken curry.

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

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

Apart from the curry paste, you need these spices:

  • Turmeric Powder
  • Coriander Powder
  • Bay Leaf, Cinnamon
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
  • Dried Fenugreek Leaves
  • Garam Masala
aerial shot of curry paste for matar paneerPin
Curry Paste A
aerial shot of curry paste for matar paneerPin
Curry Paste B

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 flavour 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, try not to use frozen ones and avoid over-cooking them.

The best way to make curry with chicken breast is – to saute the pieces in masala till they are cooked and pale white. 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.

How To Make Chicken Curry

  • Step 1: Make a fine paste of tomato, garlic, ginger, and dry red chillies. Use 1 – 2 tablespoons of water to make the smooth paste. Set aside (image 1).
  • Step 2: Next, heat mustard oil in the Kadhai. Once it’s smoking hot, add sliced onion and fry till they are golden brown (images 2 & 3). Transfer onion to a plate. Allow becoming lukewarm.
  • Step 3: Grind them to a smooth paste without water (image 4).
Step by step chicken curry making processPin
  • Step 4: Add the bay leaf and cinnamon to the same kadhai in the leftover oil. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.
  • Step 5: Add the tomato paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder (image 6). Fry over low-medium heat till the oil starts separating from the masala.
  • Step 6: 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.
Step by step murgh curry making processPin
  • Step 7: Next, add the onion paste (image 9). Mix nicely. Cover and cook the chicken till its juices are released. Keep the flame at the 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, and check the chicken for doneness.
  • Step 8: 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 chilli (optional) (image 10).
  • Step 9: Simmer the curry for 5 – 10 minutes for the gravy to thicken. Taste the curry and add more seasoning if required.

Indian Chicken Curry is ready to serve.

aerial shot of chicken curry with basmati rice, naan. and raita on a platePin

Serving Suggestion

The best way to serve Indian chicken curry is with hot basmati rice or jeera rice. During the summer season, we have an additional 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.

You can serve the chicken curry with paratha, chapati, dosa, or naan.

Some favourite side dishes complement chicken curry are – sliced onion salad, kachumber salad, pickled onions, chilled mint raita, or a garlicky rasam.

Is this chicken curry spicy?

Yes, this is a rich and spicy chicken curry. Because of whole red chillies, garam masala, and 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:

  • use curry powder instead of Garam Masala
  • add 1 Cup of thick coconut milk instead of water
  • reduce the number of dry red chillies in the tomato paste
  • use mild red paprika instead of Indian red chilli powder
aerial shot of murgh curry in a white bowlPin

Leftover Curry Usage

You can shred the leftover chicken curry pieces and use them as a curried filling for a 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

  • Cauliflower Peas Curry
  • Chicken Korma Curry
  • Spinach Egg Curry
  • Indian Keema Curry
  • Soya Chaap Curry
  • Dahi Potato Curry
  • Paneer Curry

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aerial shot of chicken curry in a white serving bowlPin

Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

This is a delicious, spicy, one-pot Indian chicken curry. It is a family favorite Sunday afternoon lunch with steamed basmati rice. Learn how to make murgh curry in a few simple steps.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 737kcal
Author: Hina Gujral
  • Heavy Bottom Kadhai
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Ingredients

  • 1 kilogram bone-in chicken pieces

Ingredients For Tomato Paste:

  • 1 Cup chopped tomato
  • 2 dry red chili
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch piece of ginger

Ingredients For Onion Paste:

  • 2 Cup sliced onion
  • 1 Cup mustard oil

Other Ingredients For Curry:

  • 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (dal chini)
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala ( see recipe )
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Cup water
  • 2 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
  • 1 – 2 sliced green chilli
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Instructions

  • Wash and clean the chicken pieces. Pat them dry and set aside.
  • Make tomato paste of chopped tomato, red chilli, garlic, and ginger using 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
    tomato pastePin
  • Heat mustard oil in the Kadhai. Once it’s smoking hot, add sliced onion and fry till they are golden brown in color. Transfer the fried onion to a plate. Allow becoming lukewarm. Grind them to a smooth paste without using water. Keep them aside.
    onion pastePin
  • In the same kadhai, add the bay leaf and cinnamon in the leftover oil. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.
    making murgh curryPin
  • Add the tomato paste, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and fry over low-medium heat till oil starts separating from the masala.
    making murgh curryPin
  • Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, and fry till they become pale white. This usually takes 8 – 10 minutes. Do not rush this process.
    making murgh curryPin
  • Next, add the onion paste. Mix nicely. Cover and cook the chicken till its juices are released. Keep the flame at the 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.
    making murgh curryPin
  • 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).
    making murgh curryPin
  • Simmer the curry for 5 – 10 minutes for the gravy to thicken a bit. Taste the curry and add more seasoning if required.
  • Serve Indian chicken curry with rice or chapati.

Recipe Notes:

  • To make an Indian chicken curry, the best choice would be bone-in meat pieces.
  • This curry can be made with boneless, skinless chicken pieces as well. Try to use boneless chicken thighs as they are much juicier. 
  • If you are using boneless chicken breast pieces then try not to use the frozen ones, and avoid over-cooking them.
  • Do not add any water in the curry till chicken releases its juices else you will end up with dry meat pieces. 
  • Mustard oil gives an authentic taste to the curry. You can use coconut oil or ghee instead of mustard oil. 
  • Adjust the quantity of water or coconut milk according to how much gravy you need. If the curry is way too thin, let it simmer without any lid/cover for 5 – 10 minutes or till it thickens a bit. 
  • Follow my tips shared above to make the chicken curry less spicy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 737kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 469IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg
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How to Make Leftover Chicken Biryani
Tawa Bhaji Recipe (Tawa Fry Vegetables)

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Comments

  1. Maha Khan says

    April 12, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    good recipe I like this recipe and your way of making recipe as well good

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      April 13, 2017 at 10:56 am

      thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ivan says

    November 18, 2020 at 11:08 am

    Yummy

    Reply
  3. Amreen says

    December 03, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Delicious

    Reply
  4. Poppy says

    April 10, 2021 at 3:56 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Tasted close to my mom’s curry chicken. Unlike my mom, I need something to follow when I cook. I added a cup of potatoes and I had to use olive oil since I did not have mustard oil. Mustard oil is only sold in international grocery stores where I live.

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      April 12, 2021 at 11:21 am

      I am so glad you liked the recipe. With potatoes, I am sure it tasted great!

      Reply

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