Chicken curry recipe for beginners. This detailed post on how to make chicken curry at home will guide you to make the best dish using pantry staples. This is one of the easiest that even a novice or a bachelor can cook with an amazing outcome. It not only tastes delicious but is also very flavorful with soft, tender & succulent pieces of chicken. Serve it with butter naan, tandoori roti, jeera rice or plain basmati rice.
I have grown up eating many kinds of Indian chicken curries from various regions as my mom is a food enthusiast. We would get to eat them during the weekends with rice & jowar roti.
So making a good chicken curry is something I learnt from my mom. I have shared lot of chicken curry recipes on the blog which I make for my family.
But this post on a basic chicken curry was something I thought will be helpful for the newbies. I have kept the recipe very very simple & have not used any fancy ingredients like canned tomato puree, stock or any sort of cream. There is no blending & grinding work involved.
So even if you are a novice with just a basic kitchen set up, just go ahead and give this recipe a try. I am sure you will cook an awesome chicken curry!
The entire dish is slow cooked, that’s what makes this chicken curry uniquely delicious & flavorful.
More similar recipes,
Butter chicken recipe
Chicken korma
Chicken tikka masala
Methi chicken
How to make chicken curry
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in heavy bottom pan. When the oil turns hot, add
- 1 small bay leaf (or 1 sprig curry leaves)
- 2 inch cinnamon piece
- 4 cloves
- 3 green cardamoms. (All of these are optional but recommended)
2. Add 1 cup very finely chopped onions and 1 chopped green chili pepper. Saute the onions till they turn golden. To speed up, I used another tbsp of oil here and this is optional.
3. Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Make sure the onions turn golden before adding ginger garlic.
4. Saute ginger garlic for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the raw smell disappears completely.
5. Add ½ cup tomatoes (chopped or mashed or pureed). Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt.
6. Next fry until the tomatoes turn completely mushy and the raw smell has gone.
7. Add 1 teaspoon red chili powder and ¼ cup whisked yogurt (curd). Check the tips section below to know tips on how to prevent yogurt from splitting in the curry. To substitute yogurt, you can soak 12 cashew nuts or almonds or 3 tablespoons white poppy seeds in ½ cup hot water for 30 minutes. Blend it to a smooth paste & add here.
8. Saute on a medium flame until the mixture becomes thick and begins to smell good. Optional – If you do not like chunky onions in your curry, then cool and blend this with water to a smooth puree.
Slow cooking chicken curry
9. Add the following ingredients
- ½ kg chicken (about 1 lb)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves.
10. Saute for 3 to 4 mins or until the chicken turns pale.
11. Cover and cook on a low flame for about 3 to 4 mins so the chicken absorbs the flavors. Meanwhile, heat 1 cup water in a separate pot. You can also microwave the water in a cup for 1 min.
12. Pour ½ to ¾ cup hot water or as needed. Using cold water often makes the meat tough & hard.
13. Make sure you use just enough water to partially cover the chicken. Cover and cook on a low to medium heat until soft tender. It took about 10 mins for me. This may vary depending on the age of the chicken or the size of the pieces. Do not cook on a high temperature.
14. Lastly check whether the chicken is done by pricking it with a fork. It must be soft and should fall off the bone easily. Taste the curry and add more salt if need. Also add ½ teaspoon more garam masala if you feel the curry is low on flavor.
When the curry reaches a desired consistency switch off the stove. Add some coriander leaves for garnish. Keep covered until you serve.
Serve chicken curry with rice, jeera rice, ghee rice or chapathi. Also have a simple raita or onion wedges to go on the side.
Authentic Indian curry does not use
- Canned tomato puree
- Curry powder
- Cornstarch or
- Any kind of stock or broth
So this recipe does not use any of the above mentioned ingredients & will give you a real Indian chicken curry with a burst of flavors & deliciousness.
Tips to make best chicken curry
1. Choosing chicken
You can make this curry with boneless or bone-in chicken. But bone-in chicken yields the best curry as the juices from the bones seep to the curry. So bone-in chicken also thickens the curry without adding any thickener.
Most traditional Indian households use the whole chicken that is cut to equal sizes. The curry is made with all the pieces – thighs, breasts etc. But if you are choosy you can use whatever you like.
2. Whole spices
To begin with I do temper the whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves & cardamom. If you do not have these you may skip. But the flavor from the whole spices is much more intense than the ground powders so I use them.
3. Garam masala – ground spice powder
Garam masala is an Indian spice blend made by dry roasting the spices & pounding them. For this chicken curry recipe you will need a very good spice powder.
I have used this homemade garam masala. However you can also use any store bought powder that is of good quality & aromatic.
Substitute: A good substitute to garam masala is a curry powder. You can again choose something good from a popular brand. But please note that a curry powder does not have the same aroma & spice level as the garam masala powder.
4. Onions & tomatoes
I have used chopped onions & tomatoes here. Some regions use them by grating or pureeing. However it is up to you to make a choice.
5. Taste enhancer or thickener
Traditionally chicken curry was made without any thickening agents. To enhance the taste, one of the ingredients like coconut, yogurt, nut paste or poppy seeds paste were used.
Back home in India, my mom would always use poppy seeds paste for the chicken curry. Since poppy seeds are in the country I live, I either use yogurt or cashew paste here.
So feel free to use fresh yogurt if you do not own a blender. Here is how to use it.
Using yogurt in curry
Most often thick yogurt with lesser whey in it, won’t split in the curry but however for unknown reasons it may sometimes happen. So these tips will help you if you want to prevent that.
- Simply whisk it with a fork until smooth. Temper the yogurt first by adding 2 tbsps of onion tomato masala (made in the recipe) to it. Mix it well. Ten lower the flame completely and pour the yogurt to the pan.
- Yogurt that is not sour and has lesser whey works well in this recipe. So you can use greek yogurt or even homemade yogurt.
- If your yogurt is too runny and has a lot of whey, simply strain it in a cheese cloth and then use. Too much of whey will always split the yogurt in the chicken curry.
Slow cooking
The specialty of this chicken curry is slow cooking. Do not rush or be in a hurry to finish up cooking quickly. A slow cooked dish will be worth the effort as it really stands out in taste & flavor.
A dish prepared on a high flame will yield you only a hotchpotch curry and not the one that you will really love & enjoy.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this chicken curry with plain rice , basmati rice, Jeera rice, ghee rice or even with roti, paratha or naan.
Can I make this chicken curry creamy?
Yes you can make this chicken curry creamy by adding 4 tbsps of cream or thick coconut milk towards the end.
Related Recipes
Recipe card
Chicken curry recipe | How to make chicken curry
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ½ kg chicken (500 grams or 1 pound (preferably bone-in))
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup onions (3 medium onions) (fine chopped)
- 1 to 2 green chilies slit (skip for less spicy)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or minced ginger garlic
- ½ cup tomatoes (2 medium tomatoes, pureed or finely chopped)
- ¼ cup yogurt (substitute with 12 cashews or 3 tbsps poppy seeds, refer notes)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust as needed)
- ½ to 1 cup hot water (or coconut milk)
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves or mint leaves finely chopped
Spice powders (or use curry powder as needed)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or smoked paprika (½ tsp for less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (½ tsp more if needed, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
Whole spices (skip if you don’t have)
- 1 bay leaf or 1 sprig curry leaves
- 4 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon piece
- 3 green cardamom
Instructions
Preparation
- First heat oil in a deep pan, then add whatever whole spices you have – bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves & green cardamoms. Fry them till you get an aroma, just for a min.
- Add chopped onions and chilies. Saute till the onions turn deep golden in color.
- Next add ginger garlic paste and saute till you get a nice aroma. This just takes about a minute.
- Then add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes turn soft & mushy.
- Pour yogurt (or cashew paste), red chili powder, garam masala & coriander powder.
- On a low heat, cook until the mixture smells good and the raw smell goes away.
- Add chicken and coriander leaves. Fry till the chicken turns white or pale in color. This takes around 3 mins.
- Cover and cook on a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. This step is very important as the chicken absorbs all the flavors of the spices.
- Meanwhile in a separate pot, heat up 1 cup water. Using cold water most times toughens the chicken so it is good to use hot water.
How to make chicken curry
- Pour hot water just enough to make a thick curry. Do not add too much water. Chicken curry will become runny. Sometimes chicken lets out lot of moisture. So use only as needed.
- Cover and cook on a medium to low flame till the chicken is soft cooked and the curry turns thick.
- Taste the curry & add more salt if needed.
- You can also add another ½ tsp garam masala at this stage if you feel it is less in flavors.
- Cover and cook on a low flame for 3 to 5 mins. When the chicken is cooked completely it will fall off the bone easily.
- Lastly garnish with coriander leaves, cover and off the heat. Serve chicken curry with butter naan or jeera rice.
Notes
- You can also skip the whole spices if you do not have. But they add a more intense flavor to the curry.
- To prevent yogurt from splitting, add it to a bowl and whisk it well with a fork. Add 2 tbsps of onion tomato masala (made in the recipe) and mix it well with yogurt. Ten lower the flame completely and pour the yogurt to the pan.
- To substitute yogurt, soak 12 cashew nuts or almonds or 3 tablespoons of white poppy seeds in half cup water for 30 minutes. Later blend it in a small grinder to make super smooth milk.
- If you don’t like chunky curry with onions and tomatoes then blend the onion tomato masala with half cup water in a blender.
- Adding cold water to chicken sometimes makes it hard or tough. So use hot water.
- This chicken curry can be cooked in coconut milk instead of water. Do not pour cold coconut milk. Heat up and add.
- Please choose a good garam masala for the recipe especially if using store bought. Some brands sell really pungent garam masala. Use it with caution.
- You can also use 3 to 4 tbsps of cream or thick coconut milk towards the end if you prefer. Just add it towards the end and turn off.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
If you are using naatu kodi / kozhi (country chicken) you can make this chicken curry in a pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles on a medium flame.
Sonia says
Cooking it right now smells amazing. I didn’t thicken it as I didn’t have the cashews and stuff, should I just leave it or do you have any suggestions.
swasthi says
Hi Sonia
Thank you.You can skip the cashews. If you prefer a creamy taste, then you can little coconut milk or cream.
Melissa says
Thought this was absolutely delicious – huge hit with the family. Only thing I changed was I added Greek natural yoghurt as well as coconut cream (very small can), I also used chicken stock instead of hot water. I used chicken breast pieces, came out very soft and tender. Quickest recipe and very easy to follow.
Thank you!
swasthi says
Hello Melissa
You are welcome! Glad to know your family loved it.
Thank you!
Gowri says
hey sawsthi! I absolutely love your blog. As a student living alone abroad I’m always struggling to feed myself skilfully. I wanted to ask, if i want to marinate the chicken for a while before how should i divide the spices for the marinade vs the curry itself. or do i double the spices? thanks in advance for all the help
swasthi says
Hello Gowri,
Thank you! Yes you can use half the spices for marinade. If needed add more while cooking. You can also add 2 to 3 tbsps of yogurt to the marinade. Hope this helps
Sunil says
Fantastic recepie. I dont knew how to cook. Ilearn cooking from swathy during lockdown days. Thank u somuch
swasthi says
Hello Sunil
You are welcome. Glad to know the recipes are helping.Thank you.
Cynta says
Been craving Chicken Curry for two days now. Decided to give this a try. Skipped the yogurt/curd…it turned out fantastic!! Followed every step as indicated including all ingredients and measurements…simply perfect. Had this with my partner, will definitely be making it more for family. Thank you!
swasthi says
Hello Cynta,
You are welcome. Glad it turned out good. Thank you.
🙂
Nick Lalani says
So, not a cook in my house but decided to give this recipe a try. Followed it mostly, may have added a few other spices besides garam masala and turmeric such as cayenne instead of chilli powder, couple of other Indian spices around, added little more hot water, added potatoes, peas – tuned out to be one of the best Indian curries my better half ever had. What a shock!!!
I will need to make more next time, likely double so any guidance if I simply double up everything?
Thanks for the great recipe, the detailed instructions including pictures.
swasthi says
Hi Nick
You are welcome! So glad your curry turned out good. Yes You can double or even triple the recipe. Just cut down the cloves and cardamoms. If you double, 5 cloves and 4 cardamoms will be enough. Hope this helps.
Nick Lalani says
We like our curry a little more runny/curry’ish hence the water. How do we make it such when doubling without doubling the water, which dilutes the flavour? More crushed tomatoes?
swasthi says
Hi Nick,
Sorry the thread ended there so couldn’t reply. I have edited my earlier comment. Try to remove the first cooked one from the pot and add it later when the other finishes. Hope this helps
**Earlier comment
Coconut milk or almond milk will make the curry a bit more runny without altering the flavor. If you use a lot of tomatoes, the curry may turn sour.
Nick Lalani says
New question. When is the right spot to add cut up potatoes? In your recipe, chicken is sautéed before hot water is added. However, if hot water AND potatoes are added, not sure the potatoes will cook enough or the chicken will be over cooked?
– does one pre boil potatoes before adding?
Рor saut̩ed chicken and potatoes for a few mins before adding hot water?
– or do we add hot water, potatoes wait then add chicken?
Thank you…
Sam says
Thanks worked out well
swasthi says
You are welcome
Geoff McClure says
We love Indian food but have always been a little intimidated by the herbs and spices. I prepared this curry last night and served with basmati rice. I tames down the level of spice for my wife by leaving out the chilies. The flavor was amazing and I find the more Indian food I cook the less intimidating it becomes. Thank you!
swasthi says
Hi,
You are welcome! Glad to know! Yes you are right! Thank you so much for the comment
Karan says
Thanks. It was lovely.
swasthi says
Welcome Karan
Fay says
Hello I’d like to make this curry for 6 how do I increase the ingredients ?x
swasthi says
Hi Fay,
You can double the recipe. Just cut down the cloves to 5 to 6 and cardamoms to 4. Thanks for rating the recipe
Gangka says
Hi Swasthi garu,
I tried this today. Superb.?. I didn’t add any yogurt or cashew paste… it’s still very delicious. Btw if I intend to add poppy seed powder how much should I add. Tq. Have a great day ahead.
swasthi says
Hi Gangka,
Thank you! You can add about 2 to 2.5 tbsps powder. Ensure the powder is fine & not grainy. Always do a sniff test before using poppy seeds in any recipe.They go rancid very quickly. You too have a great day!
Gangka says
Alright. Thank you for the guidance. ?
Karen says
Made this Chicken Curry tonight.
Easy to make and so, so tasty.
I add carrot and beans just so I did not need to do a veggie dish
A truely awesome Chicken Curry
swasthi says
Hi Karen,
Glad to know! Love the addition of veggies. Thank you so much!
Erlina M. says
One of the best Indian Curry I’ve tried to cook. MY husband just love it! Thank you!
swasthi says
You are welcome Erlina!
Glad it turned out good. Thank you!
Lea Annandale says
I love cooking Indian curry and this has been one of the best recipes that I’ve ever tried!! A winner!! Thank you very much.
swasthi says
Hi Lea Annandale,
You are welcome! Thank you so much! Glad you liked the recipe.
Maaida Kausar says
Dear Swasthi your recipes are great keep it up.
Maaida Kausar
swasthi says
Hi Maaida Kausar
I read your mail too. Thank you so much!
Simon says
This is my go-to chicken curry every time! Just so tasty and quick to make
swasthi says
Thank you so much!
Lakshmi says
Chicken curry try Chesanu very tasty dear ….
swasthi says
Glad it turned out good.
Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Swasthi I just came across your recipe for curry chicken! It sounds so flavorful so I’m going to try to make it tomorrow night. Hope it turns out great I’ll let you know! I would love to continue to receive your recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Erin,
Thank you! Hope you enjoyed it! Yes sure will share more recipes
Ava says
Hi Swasthi
I made Butter Paneer n it came so good that my son n daughter asked from where I got this recipe. Oh I’m so happy that v all enjoyed it so much. Thanks for all the details. I really love ur recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Ava,
You are welcome. Glad you all liked the butter paneer. Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy more recipes!
🙂
Deb says
Hello Sawasthi – i made a version of your curry- it was very delicious
Thank you for the recipe
I am finding it hard to get tej patta and you mention curry leaves which i do have- is that a reasonable alternative as I believe they are very different from each other
Thank you again
swasthi says
Hi Deb,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. You can just add any. Both lend different flavors. Bay leaf imparts a spicy flavor while curry leaves lend the flavors similar to fresh herbs. I use bay leaf whenever I prefer spicy & complex flavors in my dishes. Hope this helps.
Sarah says
Excellent recipe. Turns out awesome even without the cashew paste.
swasthi says
Thanks Sarah!