• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • ABOUT

Swasthi's Recipes

Chicken curry recipe | How to make chicken curry

By swasthi , on December 4, 2019, 285 Comments

WhatsApp
Share2K
Pin1K
Reddit
Tweet
Email
3K Shares
Jump to Recipe

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 chicken curry 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.

chicken curry

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 gravy 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 is what makes this chicken curry uniquely delicious & flavorful.

Authentic Indian curry does not use

  • Canned tomato puree
  • Curry powder
  • Corn starch 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 the 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 sweep to the gravy. 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 use 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. 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 banned in Singapore I either use yogurt or cashew paste here.

So feel free to use fresh curd or yogurt if you do not own a blender.

5. Cooking method
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.

6. 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.

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.

More chicken gravy recipes,
Butter chicken recipe
Chicken korma
Chicken tikka masala

Simple chicken curry recipe

Chicken curry recipe | How to make chicken curry

Simple Indian chicken curry made delicious, spicy and hot with minimum ingredients. This is a basic chicken gravy recipe that can be tried even by beginners. It pairs great with rice, roti or paratha.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings3 people
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

  • Β½ kg chicken or 500 grams or 1 pound (preferably bone-in)
  • 2 to 3 tbsp Oil
  • 1 cup onions or 3 medium onions (fine chopped or grated or paste)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies slit (skip for less spicy)
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or minced ginger garlic
  • Β½ cup tomatoes finely chopped or puree (deseeded)(2 medium tomatoes)
  • salt as needed
  • Β½ to 1 cup hot water or coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped or mint or pudina

Spice powders (or use curry powder as needed)

  • ΒΌ tsp turmeric powder or haldi
  • ΒΎ to 1 tsp red chili powder or smoked paprika (Β½ tsp for less spicy)
  • 1 tsp garam masala (Β½ tsp more if needed, adjust to taste)
  • ΒΎ tsp coriander powder (optional)

Whole spices (skip if you don’t have)

  • 1 bay leaf small or tej patta or curry leaves
  • 4 cloves or laung
  • 2 inch cinnamon or dalchini
  • 3 green cardamom or elaichi

For taste (optional)

  • 2 to 3 tbsp curd or yogurt or 10 cashews or 3 tbsp poppy seeds (ground to smooth paste)

How to make the recipe

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. Fry evenly stirring often 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.Β 
  • Then add mashed tomatoes or puree, 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 or just curry powder.Β 
  • On a low heat cook until the mixture smells good and the raw smell goes away.
  • Add chicken and coriander or mint leaves. Fry till the chicken turns white or pale in color. This takes around 3 mins.
  • In a separate pot, heat up 1 cup water. Using cold water most times toughen the chicken so it is good to use hot water.

How to make chicken curry

  • Pour hot water just enough to make a thick gravy. 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 chicken gravy turns thick.Β 
  • Taste the curry & add more salt if needed.
  • You can also add another Β½ 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.Β 
  • Lastly add coriander leaves, cover and off the heat.Β Serve chicken curry with basmati rice, chapathi or jeera rice, ghee rice or pulao.

NUTRITION

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 10.4mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Notes

  1. You can also skip the whole spices if you do not have. But using them will add a more intense flavor to the gravy.
  2. Adding cold water to chicken sometimes makes it hard or tough. So use hot water.
  3. The chicken curry can be cooked in coconut milk instead of water. Do not pour cold coconut milk. Heat up and add.
  4. 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.
  5. You can also use 3 to 4 tbsps of cream or thick coconut milk if you prefer. Just add it towards the end and turn off.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

If you are using naatu kodi / kozhi (country chicken) you can make this chicken gravy in a pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles on a medium flame.

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a kadai or heavy bottom or nonstick pan. Saute cinnamon, small bay leaf, 4 cloves, 3 cardamoms in hot oil just for a min to turn them fragrant. You can also use shahi jeera or cumin if you like.

dry spices in oil for chicken curry recipe

2. Add 1 cup very finely chopped onions and slit green chilies. You can also use onion paste or grated onions. Stir well and fry until the onions turn golden.

frying onions for simple chicken curry recipe

3. Make sure the onions turn golden before adding 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste. At this stage i used another tbsp of oil and this is optional.

frying ginger garlic paste

4. Saute ginger garlic until the raw smell disappears completely.

5. Add deseeded finely chopped and mashed tomatoes along with turmeric and salt. You can also use tomato puree or grated tomatoes.

cooking tomatoes for simple chicken curry recipe

6. Next fry until the tomatoes turn completely mushy and the raw smell has gone.

7. Add ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder and 2 tbsps thick curd (yogurt) or cashew paste from 10 cashew nuts. There are a few readers who mentioned in the comments section below they made without yogurt or cashew paste yet it turned out delicious.

So you may want to skip it. This time I have used cashew paste.

without coconut making chicken curry recipe

8. Saute on a medium flame until the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan. Take care not to burn the mixture. At this stage the raw smell of the ingredients must go away completely.

onion tomato masala

How to make chicken curry

9. Add ½ kg chicken (about 1 lb), 1 tsp garam masala powder and handful of coriander or pudina leaves. I have used 1 tsp of this biryani masala and ½ tsp of this simple garam masala. You can use any readymade good masala.

garam masala for curry

10. Saute for 3 mins or until the chicken turns pale.

sauteing meat for chicken curry recipe without coconut

11. Cover and cook on a low flame for about 3 to 5 mins for the chicken to let out moisture. While it gets cooked, heat 1 cup water in a separate pot. You can also microwave the water in a cup for 1 min.

hot water for gravy

12. Pour hot water as needed. Using cold water may turn the meat tough or hard.

addition of hot water

13. Make sure you use just enough water to partially cover the chicken. Cover and cook on a medium heat until soft tender. It took about 10 mins for me. This may vary depending on the age of the chickn or the size of the pieces.

Avoid cooking at high temperature. If using country chicken i.e naatu kozhi / kodi then add a small piece of betel nut. Pressure cook on a medium heat for 4 whistles.

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 gravy and adjust the salt. If needed add ½ tsp more garam masala if you feel the curry is low on flavor.

When the gravy reaches a desired consistency switch off the stove. Add some coriander leaves. Keep covered until you serve.

coriander leaves for chicken curry recipe

Serve chicken curry with rice, jeera rice, ghee rice or chapathi. Also have a simple raita or onion wedges to go on the side.

chicken curry recipe
Chicken curry is a classic one pot delicious Indian dish made by slow cooking chicken in spicy onion tomato gravy. #chickencurry #chickencurryrecipe #indianchickencurry

Filed Under: Chicken Recipes, Latest Recipes, Non-Veg Recipes, South Indian Recipes

Related Posts

FEATURED RECIPES

Samosa recipe |…

samosa recipe

Eggless chocolate…

eggless chocolate cake

Pav bhaji recipe |…

pav bhaji

POPULAR RECIPES

Paneer butter…

paneer butter masala

Palak paneer…

palak paneer

Sambar recipe |…

sambar recipe

Idli recipe (Soft…

soft idli

Coconut Chutney (8…

coconut chutney

Paneer tikka…

paneer tikka masala

About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Reader Interactions

Share Your Comments & Feedback: Cancel reply

Comments

  1. Ava says

    December 7, 2019

    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.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 9, 2019

      Hi Ava,
      You are welcome. Glad you all liked the butter paneer. Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy more recipes!
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Deb says

    December 3, 2019

    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

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 4, 2019

      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.

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    November 27, 2019

    Excellent recipe. Turns out awesome even without the cashew paste.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 29, 2019

      Thanks Sarah!

      Reply
  4. Nicole says

    November 21, 2019

    Hi,
    I want to make his tonight but am out of tomato’s/puree. Will this affect the flavor significantly? Can I substitute with something else? Thank you!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 21, 2019

      Hi Nicole,
      I have made chicken curry several times without tomato. It tastes good. Just increase onions by 1/4 cup and squeeze in some lemon juice before serving. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Alan says

    November 17, 2019

    5 stars
    Delicious and one of the best curries I’ve made. Added extra chillies and it had a lovely kick. Thanks.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 18, 2019

      Hi Alan,
      You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thanks much!

      Reply
  6. AMY says

    November 14, 2019

    5 stars
    I multiplied your recipe x10 today at the k-8 grade school that I cook for. Everyone loved it! Easy direction to follow and great flavor. Next Tuesday I am making the butter chicken recipe!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 16, 2019

      Hi Amy,
      Wow! You are a super cook! Made the recipeX10 with good results. Amazing! Thanks much for the comment! So glad to know. Hope you all enjoy the butter chicken too.
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • AMY says

        November 19, 2019

        5 stars
        Made the butter chicken x10 today. It was bigger hit than the curry chicken. Your recipes are delicious. Thank you!

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          November 21, 2019

          Hi Amy!
          You are welcome. That’s great! Thank you so much.
          πŸ™‚

          Reply
  7. Vijayalakshmi says

    November 1, 2019

    5 stars
    so simple and wow taste thank you for the recipe . my family loves it πŸ‘Œ

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 2, 2019

      Welcome Vijayalakshmi,
      Glad you all liked it. Thank you!

      Reply
    • Anju says

      November 3, 2019

      5 stars
      I added potatoes along with the chicken and adjusted the ingredients accordingly. Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe.

      Reply
      • swasthi says

        November 4, 2019

        Welcome Anju!

        Reply
  8. vijayalakshmi says

    October 25, 2019

    5 stars
    Came out fantastic….thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 29, 2019

      Welcome Vijayalakshmi
      Glad you liked it.

      Reply
  9. Christy Dasan says

    October 17, 2019

    5 stars
    Hi Swati..

    I’m a newbie. I found your recipe through Google search. I tried it. Everybody loved it. Its simple and tasty!

    Thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 17, 2019

      Hi Christy,
      You are welcome. Glad you all liked it. Thank you!

      Reply
  10. Sahana Aranha says

    October 16, 2019

    3 stars
    Hi , tried this curry yesterday. It had a an over powering taste of something this was before adding the cream. Think it was garam masala. The addition of cream rescued my curry.
    Must agree the texture and flavour was nice.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 16, 2019

      Hi Sahana,
      Thanks for trying the recipes. I read your other comment as well. Each garam masala is different and usually differs in pungency. So I always put a note for some ingredients saying “adjust to taste or as needed” meaning the reader should adjust it. So I would say garam masala and chilli powder has to be adjusted to taste. I am sure you have used a store bought masala powder. You can find my garam masala link in the recipe card. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  11. Daljeet says

    October 13, 2019

    5 stars
    Hi! Thk u swasthi for the chicken curry recipe. First time, I could cook chicken curry successfully in my life. Never ever have i loved to eat and cook a non veg dish. My family thought it was awesome. So easy and wow!! Thk u so much!! Wld try fish curry next time if u have posted.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 16, 2019

      Hi Daljeet,
      You are most welcome. So glad you liked the chicken curry. Yes you can check this fish curry. Thank you!
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. isabelle lecomte says

    October 12, 2019

    4 stars
    Hello,
    I love your recipes, and in particular your aloo gobi. Thank you so much.

    One question though: how can I print them? When I want to have a paper cooking to use while cooking, I need to make one print screen after the other. Can you help me find a simpler way to do so so I can enjoy more of your cooking tips?
    Thank you
    Isabelle

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 16, 2019

      Hi Isabelle,
      You are welcome. Thanks a lot! Please use the browser option to print the recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • AG says

        November 13, 2019

        Why can’t we select what we want to print? Using the browser option means I have to print 44 pages for what is a one page recipe I want to look at quickly.

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          November 13, 2019

          Yes you can select whatever you want to print in the browser option by choosing the page number. You don’t need to print all the pages.

          Reply
  13. Bhavani says

    September 20, 2019

    5 stars
    So simple recipe but awesome taste, Love your style of home cooking.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 21, 2019

      Thanks Bhavani!
      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  14. Kask Family says

    September 6, 2019

    5 stars
    How do I decide what would be a better side dish for the main dish. Example, I cook chicken curry and would like another vegetables or extra side dish. How to decide which makes the best combination

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 6, 2019

      Hi,
      I usually mention in most recipe posts the sides or the main that go well it. We usually make a Rasam, raita, plain rice (or flavored rice) or roti / paratha/naan along with chicken curry.
      Many people like to have kurma or korma dishes in chicken curry meal. You can check the veg kurma here and aloo kurma.
      Hope this helps. Thanks for rating the recipe.

      Reply
  15. Bayou says

    August 6, 2019

    5 stars
    Hello Swasthi, I came across this recipe via Google search. Decided to give it a try as I found it simple enough. It came out unbelievably well. Adding mint leaves at step 9 made a world of difference (for the better) IMO. This recipe goes to the top of my fav. recipes list, I’ll be cooking this for parties. Thanks a million!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 6, 2019

      Hi Bayou,
      You are welcome. So happy to know you liked the recipe. Thanks much for the comment!
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. Ean says

    August 2, 2019

    I am a retired man using this recipe to help me learn about Indian ingredients and techniques. After several attempts I produced a very good dish following the recipe as written. Since then I am experimenting with the spices, thickeners, liquid, etc. Thank you for all of the recipes and photos. Could I receive advice about what pressure cooker to buy? Preferably the whistling type that might be found in a private home in India and available on line.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 6, 2019

      Hello Sir,
      Glad to know you could make a good chicken curry. I use stainless steel pressure cookers from butterfly and premier brands. 3 liters is good enough to cook for 3 people. I also use a 6.5 liters cooker – good for 5 to 6 people. The bigger one is good to cook multiple dishes at one time. Like – rice, lentils etc following the pot-in-pot method. They are available on amazon. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  17. Lily Misquitta says

    July 9, 2019

    Swasthi, your recipes are simply great to taste and very well explained. You will certainly be blessed by God because you make so many households hold together, trying your recipes which undoubtedly will always turn out great. May you guide more and more families binding them together with your great and simple recipes. πŸ‘πŸ™

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 10, 2019

      Hi Lily,
      Thank you so much. Your wishes mean a lot to me. So happy reading your comment. Thanks a ton. You made my day!
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  18. Debra says

    July 1, 2019

    Still on the stove cooking..tastes and smells delicious..

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 10, 2019

      Thanks Debra,
      Hope you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  19. Usha says

    May 26, 2019

    5 stars
    Tasty tasty . Thank you very much for your easy receipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 26, 2019

      Welcome Usha

      Reply
  20. Kevin says

    May 22, 2019

    5 stars
    Thank you very much for the simple but delicious recipe. I’ve worked on it and added chicken broth instead of hot water and the result was amazing. The gravy had a hint of excellence. Thanks once again.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 23, 2019

      Hi Kevin,
      You are welcome. So glad to know your chicken curry turned out excellent. Thanks much for rating the recipe.

      Reply
  21. Gemma says

    May 6, 2019

    4 stars
    Some curry recipes turn out kind of bland or just taste spicy, this one has a lot of flavor. Looking forward to trying it again to fine tune it. Thanks for sharing πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 6, 2019

      Hi Gemma,
      You are welcome. Thanks for the trying. Glad you liked it. Yes you can fine tune it to suit your taste.
      πŸ™‚

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

DIWALI RECIPES

DIWALIΒ  SWEETS RECIPES
DIWALI SNACKS RECIPES
RASMALAI RECIPE
GULAB JAMUN
BESAN LADOO
KAJU KATLI
RAVA LADDU

CATEGORIES

DINNER RECIPES
SANDWICH RECIPES
BREAKFAST RECIPES
RICE RECIPES
CHUTNEY RECIPES
SNACKS RECIPES
SWEETS RECIPES

HEALTH CORNER

RAGI RECIPES
OATS RECIPES
MILLET RECIPES

Β© 2012 - 2019 - Swasthi's Recipes. The content is copyrighted to SWASTHI'S and may not be reproduced in any form.