Indian Chicken Curry
Indian chicken curry is a flavorful dish with tender chicken cooked in a sauce full of aromatic spices. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe simplifies Indian cooking for everyone.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 286kcal
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1.5kg) whole chicken or chicken legs, cut into pieces
- 1 lime, cut into halves and extract for juice
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2-3 cups hot water for cooking at different stages
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch (2.5cm) cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into small pieces
- 1 - 1 ¼ cups hot water
- salt, to taste
Wet Spice Pastes
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup water
Garnishing
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preparing the Wet Spice Pastes: Mix the ginger paste and garlic paste in a bowl. In another bowl, mix turmeric powder, coriander powder, and paprika with ¼ cup of water to make a spice paste.
- Preparing the Chicken: Wash the chicken thoroughly and remove any remaining internal organs if using a whole chicken. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the chicken to a large non-reactive bowl. (Please refer to Notes at the bottom of the recipe card.) Add 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste to the chicken, reserving the remaining paste for later use. Add the lime juice to the chicken and mix well. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Cooking the Curry: Heat oil in a pot on medium heat. Add onions, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste, turmeric wet spice paste, tomato paste, cook until the oil separates to the sides, about 3 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent sticking and burning.
- Transfer the chicken pieces into the pot, stir continuously to coat well with all the ingredients in the pot. Add the chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of hot water, cover the pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook and simmer the chicken until the chicken is tender and the curry sauce thickens, about 20-30 minutes, to your desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
- Ladle the Indian Chicken Curry to a big bowl, garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make the ginger paste by grinding fresh and peeled ginger in a mini food processor. Add some water to make it into a thick paste.
- Similarly, you can make the garlic paste by grinding garlic cloves with some water water in a mini food processor.
- Both the ginger paste and garlic paste can be stored in a small container and chilled in the refrigerator.
- The terms “reactive” and “nonreactive” are referring to the type of metal from which your pot or bowl is made of. Aluminum, cast iron, and copper are all “reactive.” Stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and metal cookware with enamel coating are all “nonreactive.” This is to prevent discoloration as lime (acid) is used to marinate the chicken.
- This recipe is contributed by Reem.
Nutrition
Serving: 4people | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 91g | Fat: 83g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 357mg | Sodium: 964mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g