Are you craving fancy Indian food, but you don't have the right recipe?
This Indian chicken curry recipe is the best for you. It has a rich and flavorful taste, so easy to make and perfect for lunch or family dinner.
The whole dish is brimming with great ingredients and seasonings. Hence the taste does not disappoint at all. You will be left wanting more. The texture is also creamy and almost buttery taste, a perfect combination for the soft meat of the chicken.
You may serve this easy chicken curry at lunch or dinner. One of the best things about this dish is that you don't have to assign it to one meal only. You can serve it at noon or evening, depending on your preference.
Seasoned with ginger powder, paprika, ground cinnamon, salt, and black pepper, and additional coconut milk, expect a creamy dish with a spice undertone flavor. Let the aroma of this dish create a mouthwatering frenzy in your household.
Where it All Started
The original and traditional chicken curry came from the subcontinent of India around the 1500s. The Indian version of chicken curry included chicken stewed in an onion and tomato-based sauce. The chicken is then flavored with ginger, garlic, tomato puree, chili peppers, and various spices, often including turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Chicken curry is a bit to handle for some who are not Indian natives, though. Hence, factories have created curry powder for others to use in cooking this dish. However, the truth shall be told that curry powder is nothing compared to natural ingredients or condiments Indians had first included in their native food. Others, especially in Western countries, add curry powder despite containing all the main seasonings of the chicken curry. Doing this makes the whole dish a lot more flavorful.
Over the years, chicken curry became famous worldwide. Among the continents that developed a fondness for this dish is Asia. As chicken curry gets famous, it also gets altered and enhanced in some ways. The Philippines have their version of the chicken curry, Bengal cooks their chicken curry dry, and some cook it in a pot to believe that it allows more flavor to sip in.
Eventually, there had been no standard ingredients that go into the making of curry. It all depends on the culture, nationality, and country.
Why Does This Easy Indian Chicken Curry Recipe Works?
Cooking chicken curry varies almost from one nation to another, inconclusively, from one household. We all have our preferences in cooking this dish. Still, this particular recipe is the best among those because for the following reasons:
- The recipe is simple and easy to make.
- The whole family will enjoy this delightful food together at the dining table.
- This dish pairs well with almost any side dish such as white rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or green salad.
What's in This Easy Chicken Curry Recipe
- Vegetable Oil: The versatility of vegetable oil in the kitchen makes it the best choice for your chicken curry. Often vegetable oil is used for roasting, marinating, and even baking. Unbeknownst to some, it is also a good seasoning as it adds flavor to the ingredients.
- Chicken: If you prefer lean meat for your chicken curry, make sure to use the breast part.
- Coconut Milk: Use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe since they are the best kinds of thick coconut milk with rich, creamy, and stronger coconut flavor.
- Onion: It adds texture and flavor to the chicken.
- Garlic: It enhances the flavor of this dish; you can add crushed or minced garlic!
- Tomatoes: If you prefer adding a sweet, acidic flavor from the juicy flesh of tomatoes, feel free to add some.
- Ginger: Ginger has a spicy and zesty taste that will surely complement the ingredients in this recipe; make sure to use fresh ones.
- Curry Powder: Boost the flavor in this dish by adding curry powder, giving a smoother and creamier texture.
- Seasonings: The main herbs for the Easy Chicken Curry are ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. These are the traditional seasonings of chicken curry in India, so the delightful taste of the dish is undoubtedly ensured.
- Tomato Paste: Do you want to thicken, color, and enrich the flavor of your curry? Then add just the right amount of tomato paste.
- Chicken Stock: Chicken stock gives an extra flavor to your chicken breast, don't forget to add this to your cooking!
- Fresh parsley: It is a common garnishing for this dish, so you may add a few. For more spice, add chili flakes in garnishing as well. However, if you have none of these in your house, you may skip the garnishing part.
How to Make The Best Indian Chicken Curry?
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes( turn occasionally).
- Add onion to the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in garlic, all the seasonings and the curry powder. Stir and cook for a further minute.
- Add tomatoes, tomato puree, chicken stock and coconut milk.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with some fresh parsley and chilli flakes.
Top Tips!
- When you put in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to not burn the onion. Burnt onion produces a bitter taste to the recipe, which won't go well with the rest of the flavor in this chicken curry.
- Let the chicken curry cool down for five minutes before you serve them so that the flavor and taste would settle in.
Recipe Variations
- You may substitute vegetable oil with olive oil since olive oil has a stronger flavor once used in cooking.
- You may skip tomatoes if you would like your curry without the sweet acidic flavor of the tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Rice is the best and most common food that people eat chicken curry with. In the Philippines, they serve the chicken curry with their simple boiled white rice, which complements the flavor of the curry very well.
Others pair chicken curry with the pillowy naan bread as well. This is perfect for serving during lunchtime in hot sunny weather with the immediate family and friends!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Let the curry cool down at room temperature first before you transfer it into an airtight container. After that, you may place it inside the freezer already.
There are two ways to thicken the curry sauce; the first one is to simmer the sauce on low heat for 5 more minutes.
The second one is to stir in 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water. This cornflour slurry will thicken the
curry.
Yes, chicken thighs are a good substitute for chicken breasts in making chicken curry.
Easy Dinner Recipes
- Beef And Kimchi Fried Rice
- One Pan Prawns And Rice
- Baked Chicken And Rice (One-Pot Recipe)
- Egg And Vegetable Fried Rice
More Chicken Recipes
Easy Chicken Curry - Indian Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 chicken breasts , chopped into bite-size chunks
- 400 ml full fat coconut milk , tin
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 onion , peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger , minced
- 2 tablespoon mild curry powder
- 400 ml finely chopped tomatoes , tin
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree/paste
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes( turn occasionally).
- Add onion to the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in garlic, all the seasonings and the curry powder. Stir and cook for a further minute.
- Add tomatoes, tomato puree, chicken stock and coconut milk.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with some fresh parsley and chilli flakes.
Notes
- When you put in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to not burn the onion. Burnt onion produces a bitter taste to the recipe, which won't go well with the rest of the flavor in this chicken curry.
- Let the Easy Chicken Curry cool down for five minutes before you serve them so that the flavor and taste would settle in.
- You may substitute vegetable oil with olive oil since olive oil has a stronger flavor once used in cooking.
- You may skip tomatoes if you would like your curry without the sweet acidic flavor of the tomatoes.
Nutrition
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If you have a question about this recipe, please leave a comment or contact me via the contact page. And if you make this recipe, don't forget to rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Grace
This is a fantastic recipe; I like Indian food, especially curry. This recipe has a perfect consistency and a delicious taste.