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Chicken curry is chicken cooked in a gravy. The gravy which is called the curry is cooked in different ways to give each curry a unique and distinct taste. There are many types of chicken curries cooked in my house. One where I use fresh cilantro, green chillies, tomatoes and coconut milk which is green chicken curry. “Seyal curry” is made with lots of caramelized onions and tomatoes.
Today’s curry is made with roasting spices like poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and caraway seeds. The spices are roasted on a dry pan to release it’s essential and aromatic oils and are then crushed to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. This is what we call “Dry masala”. Red Kashmiri chillies are added by removing the seeds and then boiling them and making a fine paste in another grinder along with fresh ginger, garlic and onion. After the dry and wet”masala” are ground they are then mixed together and cooked with the chicken to make a flavorful dish. I serve this along with plain white basmati rice, papad and raita.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken – I used boneless chicken thighs
- 5-6 red kashmiri chillies
- 1 onion – 1/2 to be chopped fine and the other 1/2 for grinding
- 2 teaspoon khus khus
- 1 inch dalchini
- 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (5 to 6 cloves)
- 4 – 5 cashews – optional
- 8- 10 curry leaves
- 3- 4 ounces of coconut milk
- 1/2 tablespoon tamarind paste or for taste
- salt to taste
Method:
Heat some oil in a vessel. Add 1/2 finely chopped onion and brown this. While browning the onions add a dash of salt to it as this will help them to brown faster. This should take 10 minutes.
Wet Masala: Remove the seeds from the chillies and boil it properly. After it’s boiled, throw away the water. Grind the boiled kashmiri chillies with 1/2 onion, garlic and ginger and keep aside. You will need water to grind this mixture to a fine paste.
Dry Masala: On a dry, non-stick pan, roast poppy seeds, cloves, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, cumin and cinnamon stick for about 5 -7 minutes on medium high heat till it gives off a wonderful aroma. Keep a careful watch, you don’t want to burn this. Cool and then grind in a coffee grinder.
Mix the Wet masala and dry masala together. Add it to the browned onions and saute. The masala might splatter a bit depending on the amount of water used while grinding it. Keep sauting till the oil separates, about 7- 10 minutes.
Add curry leaves and chicken to it. Continue frying for another 5-10 minutes till the chicken is coated well. Add salt and season well.
Add 1 cup boiling water to this and let it cook on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Once chicken is cooked, add coconut milk and stir constantly.
Taste for salt and add tamarind paste and mix.
Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!
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Stunning looking curry my friend
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This looks really yummy. I’m not sure I can get all the ingredients in my town. Would curry powder work if one can’t find curry leaves?
Your recipes always sound so good. the flavor from all the spices has to be incredible.
There’s nothing like curry made from scratch.. tastes so much better than anything out of a bottle. thanks for sharing.
Chiken. Curry is absolutely delicious!
hi asmita, this chicken sure looks very appetizing with thick gravy.
curry is one of my favorite dish. and somehow i like to eat your chicken curry here with bread-yummy!.. have a nice day
so darn yummy!!!!!!!i would love to mop up that gravy with a nice oven fresh bun……really nice.
Oh Yummm….I want this for breakfast! When it comes to curry I’ll have it any time of day!
Yum. All the spices sound fantastic together.
I know all about dry roasting spices – this is something I do all the time – but never knew it was called “Dry Masala.” Thanks for the info. I love how spices are used in Indian cooking. Once I learned about the technique of briefly frying spices in oil (say, after you’ve browned the onions & garlic in a dish), it changed how I use them in cooking all sorts of things (I now use this technique when I make Chili, for example). Anyway, super recipe. You make everything so simple and clear – that’s not easy to do! Really good post – thanks.
I love toasted spices and coconut milk, this looks like a curry I would definitely love.
Umm, I’m thinking this looks so good…but the green curry is right up my alley! Off to check that one out, too.
Loveeeeeee this curry!
I like all the ingredient list to this red chicken.The masalas you have listed are full of flavour.
You are super good when it comes to flavouring the meat.
Iam sure this will taste amazing.
This is going to be my weekend dinner or lunch.
The curry gravy looks so good!
This looks amazing.. I love that brown color in a sauce, never knew you could boil red chillies, brilliant idea. Beautiful dish.
Happy Memorial Day!
asmita, this chicken curry is very interesting. My daughter is asking me to make Thai style chicken curry. I think I should try with your recipe. It looks wonderful.
This is comfort food at its best. Nothing better than steamed rice and a nice curry.
Curry powder made from scratch. Clever gal!
Oh Asmita! Everything you make always looks so tasty and is so authentic… I bet making a paste out of all those spices makes all the flavor come out.
I love chicken anyway, so its easy to understand that I find this recipe just great!!
I’ve only had curry a few times and didn’t really enjoy it; however, this looks pretty tasty
Looksss yummyyy yumyyyyyyyyy
A delightful curry! I am a sucker for such dishes.
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow what a tasty sounding curry!
This looks so yummy Asmita, I love chicken in a curry. I’ve never tried a red curry, so I will bookmark this recipe for slightly chillier times (it’s very warm in Toronto now).
This looks fantastic! I know what you mean by different types of curries! We’re exactly the same! The combination of dry and wet masalas is exactly what I’ve been doing for over 3 decades, just like my granny taught me! One question, what is dalchini?
Hi Lin
The dry and wet masala adds so much flavor. I love it that we both have the same style of cooking our gravies. Cinnamon stick is dalchini.
Hmm…. I love all types of curries. Nothing says home like a good bowl of curry with hot steamed rice. Thanks for sharing Asmita.
This sounds like a delicious curry.
I love that you talked about difference in curry. I will be so happy just having rice and curry for lunch or dinner. Usually red curry gives me warning as it can be spicy, but I guess I can make it at home and control the amount of spice. You eat so well everyday… =)
Thanks Nami.
So very yummy indeed! I have a tiny little curry tree in a pot, I’m waiting until the frosts are past before planting it out.
Fantastic curry Asmita – I’m not a big chicken fan, but even I’m feeling tempted right about now just by the rich colour and ingredients alone… I can almost smell it if I scratch my computer screen, haha
Thanks Charles. You can make this with lamb or goat too. One of my favorite curries.
I made something very similar for a dinner party last Friday. And I took a tip from you and used whole chicken (with bones). It was a super hit!
It’s always a great feeling when your friends enjoy what you have made.
I decided to try your curry as my recipe is a bit more complicated and I must say it turned out pretty good.
You are awesome to do this recipe AND do beautiful photos to go with it.
I have recently become very interested in Indian cooking since I have 2 priest friend that are from Kerala.
Thanks for sharing.
♥charlotte
Thank you Charlotte,
I do hope you try this recipe out. It’s been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.