This is an excellent quick and easy chicken curry. It has a thin sauce and is full of flavour.
A good chicken curry is both satisfying and comforting, and this recipe is perfect to feed the whole family.
Although it requires calls a few spices, they combine beautifully to give a wonderful depth of flavour. Try it and I’m sure it’ll soon be a family favourite.
You may also like our mughlai lamb, shami kebabs or chicken do pyaza.
On the bone vs boneless
I prefer using chicken on the bone as it remains succulent and develops a fantastic flavour. Cubed chicken breasts on the other hand, could become dry and tend not to absorb as much flavour. Remove the skin and cut each small chicken into 8 pieces.
How to make it
- Fry the onions in oil till golden. You can add the salt at this stage to speed up this step,
- Add the ginger and garlic, then the tomatoes and lightly fry for around 5 minutes, till it is like a paste.
- Mix in the chilli paste/flakes, turmeric, salt (if not added earlier), and green chillies.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir till they are coated in the sauce. Cover and allow to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spices by grinding together the spices to a coarse powder. Mix this in with the chicken and stir till evenly coated.
- Add water and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes till chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Useful Tips
Freshly grind the spices just before you use them. Do this and you will see why – the aroma is absolutely amazing and far better than packets of ready ground spice.
It is important to always cook the spices for at least 5 minutes, till they are aromatic, as raw spices will not add much flavour to the dish. Add a little water so the powders don’t stick to the pan and burn.
Adjust the amount of chillies to make it as hot or mild as you like.
Serve with
Serve Punjabi Chicken Curry with steamed basmati rice, or warm nan to mop up the sauce, and a cooling raita.
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📋 Recipe
Punjabi Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 3 small chickens skin removed, and each cut into 8 pieces
- 4 medium onions thinly sliced
- 2 inches ginger julienned
- 2 cloves garlic pureed
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red chilli paste or use red chilli flakes
- 2 inches turmeric root sliced finely, or ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 2 whole green chillies julienned
- ½ cup chopped fresh coriander
- 2 cups warm water
spice mix
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 4 pieces black cardamom
- 10-20 whole black peppercorns
- 2 inches cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and sauté the 4 medium onions till golden brown.
- Add the fresh 2 cloves garlic and 2 inches ginger and stir, then add the 1 tin chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes till it is like a paste.
- Mix in the 1 teaspoon red chilli paste, 2 inches turmeric root , 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ginger powder and 2 whole green chillies and keep stirring to avoid sticking.
- Add 3 small chickens and stir till the pieces are coated in the sauce. Cover and allow to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the spices.
- Grind together 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 4 pieces black cardamom, 10-20 whole black peppercorns, 2 inches cinnamon to a coarse powder. Stir into the chicken and cook covered for another 5 minutes.
- Add the 2 cups warm water to the chicken, stir and simmer on low heat for a further 15-20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with ½ cup chopped fresh coriander and serve with steamed basmati rice.
Notes
- Freshly grind the spices just before you use them. Do this and you will see why – the aroma is absolutely amazing and far better than packets of ready ground spice.
- It is important to always cook the spices for at least 5 minutes, till they are aromatic, as raw spices will not add much flavour to the dish. Add a little water so the powders don’t stick to the pan and burn.
- Adjust the amount of chillies, to make it as hot or mild as you like.
MEASUREMENT NOTES
The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.
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