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.
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
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- ½ 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
- ½ cup tomatoes finely chopped or puree (deseeded)(2 medium tomatoes)
- salt as needed
- ½ 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)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder or haldi
- ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder or smoked paprika (½ tsp for less spicy)
- 1 tsp garam masala (½ tsp more if needed, adjust to taste)
- ¾ 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 add coriander leaves, cover and off the heat. Serve chicken curry with basmati rice, chapathi or jeera rice, ghee rice or pulao.
NUTRITION
Notes
- You can also skip the whole spices if you do not have. But using them will add a more intense flavor to the gravy.
- Adding cold water to chicken sometimes makes it hard or tough. So use hot water.
- The 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 if you prefer. Just add it towards the end and turn off.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10. Saute for 3 mins or until the chicken turns pale.
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.
12. Pour hot water as needed. Using cold water may turn the meat tough or hard.
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.
Serve chicken curry with rice, jeera rice, ghee rice or chapathi. Also have a simple raita or onion wedges to go on the side.
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!
Nicole says
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!
swasthi says
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!
Alan says
Delicious and one of the best curries I’ve made. Added extra chillies and it had a lovely kick. Thanks.
swasthi says
Hi Alan,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thanks much!
AMY says
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!
swasthi says
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.
🙂
AMY says
Made the butter chicken x10 today. It was bigger hit than the curry chicken. Your recipes are delicious. Thank you!
swasthi says
Hi Amy!
You are welcome. That’s great! Thank you so much.
🙂
Vijayalakshmi says
so simple and wow taste thank you for the recipe . my family loves it 👌
swasthi says
Welcome Vijayalakshmi,
Glad you all liked it. Thank you!
Anju says
I added potatoes along with the chicken and adjusted the ingredients accordingly. Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Anju!
vijayalakshmi says
Came out fantastic….thanks for the recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Vijayalakshmi
Glad you liked it.
Christy Dasan says
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
swasthi says
Hi Christy,
You are welcome. Glad you all liked it. Thank you!
Sahana Aranha says
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.
swasthi says
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.
Daljeet says
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.
swasthi says
Hi Daljeet,
You are most welcome. So glad you liked the chicken curry. Yes you can check this fish curry. Thank you!
🙂
isabelle lecomte says
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
swasthi says
Hi Isabelle,
You are welcome. Thanks a lot! Please use the browser option to print the recipe. Thank you!
AG says
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.
swasthi says
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.
Bhavani says
So simple recipe but awesome taste, Love your style of home cooking.
swasthi says
Thanks Bhavani!
Glad you liked it!
Kask Family says
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
swasthi says
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.
Bayou says
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!
swasthi says
Hi Bayou,
You are welcome. So happy to know you liked the recipe. Thanks much for the comment!
🙂
Ean says
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.
swasthi says
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.
Lily Misquitta says
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. 👍🙏
swasthi says
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!
🙂
Debra says
Still on the stove cooking..tastes and smells delicious..
swasthi says
Thanks Debra,
Hope you enjoyed it.
Usha says
Tasty tasty . Thank you very much for your easy receipe
swasthi says
Welcome Usha
Kevin says
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.
swasthi says
Hi Kevin,
You are welcome. So glad to know your chicken curry turned out excellent. Thanks much for rating the recipe.
Gemma says
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 🙂
swasthi says
Hi Gemma,
You are welcome. Thanks for the trying. Glad you liked it. Yes you can fine tune it to suit your taste.
🙂