Make this Easy Pakistani Style Chicken Curry at home with simple ingredients and authentic flavors. Perfect for busy weeknights or traditional family meals.
If you are a beginner to Pakistani food look no further than this easy Pakistani chicken curry recipe.
A basic Chicken curry is a perfect comfort food. Chicken curry also known as Chicken Ka salan is a dinner staple in Pakistani/North Indian cuisine. It’s one of those dishes that you make when you can’t think of anything else to cook.
This one pot Pakistani curry can be a quick everyday dinner and also good enough to serve at a formal dinner party. A simple curry recipe made without cream or coconut milk.
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Ingredients For Pakistani Style Chicken Curry
You will need the following ingredients for this Chicken curry
- Chicken : This curry is best made with a whole, skinless chicken that’s cut up into pieces. Boneless chicken doesn’t work for this recipe as the bones are required to give rich taste to the gravy. If you are after a recipe for boneless chicken try Boneless Chicken Karahi or Tawa Chicken.
- Tomatoes: Finely chopped Fresh tomatoes can be used or pulse them in food processor. Canned tomatoes can also be used. I used crushed canned tomatoes.
- Garlic & Ginger: Use fresh ginger and garlic, crushed in mortar and pestle, gives the best taste to the curry.
- Spices: This recipe uses basic spices like red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander powder, whole blackpepper, cloves and garam masala.
How To Make Pakistani Style Chicken Curry
- Begin with sautéing the onions until translucent. Add green chilli, ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute.
- Add all the spices reserving garam masala. Put a little water to deglaze. Add chicken and fry it for few minutes until it changes colour, the water dries up and the slight colour starts to appear.
- Add tomatoes and after frying it for a few minutes add garam masala and salt. Add water enough to cover the chicken. Cover and cook until curry thickens and chicken is tender.
- Sprinkle with some garam masala and garnish with coriander/cilantro
TIPS FOR MAKING A PERFECT CHICKEN CURRY
- Avoid making the onions too brown. This makes curry darker in appearance and also effects the taste. You can add splash of water to stop cooking process of onions.
- Once you add the chicken, fry it for few minutes until it changes colour, the water dries up and the slight colour starts to appear.
- Finely chop the tomatoes or puree them. The larger chunks wont breakdown and the curry will not be smooth.
- Try to use freshly crushed garlic and ginger. The flavour and aroma of freshly crushed garlic ginger is really diffrent to the one from jar.
- Don’t add garam masala along with other spices. Adding garam masala earlier darkens the colour of curry.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE EASY PAKISTANI STYLE CHICKEN CURRY
CAN YOU FREEZE THE CHICKEN CURRY
Absolutely! Chicken Curry freezes really well. Thaw the curry and reheat it.
The curry thickens up when its frozen. Add a little boiling water when reheating to adjust the gravy consistency.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN CURRY
This chicken curry goes with naan, roti or rice as well. Try Easy Naan (Flat Bread) recipe to make naan from scratch.
If you prefer rice you can either make steamed rice or Pea Pulao
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY
Chicken Korma
Boneless Chicken Karahi
Tandoori Chicken Roast
Easy Pakistani Style Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 700 g Chicken ( with bones and skinless)
- 1 Large Onion Finely Chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger Crushed
- 1 tsp Garlic Crushed
- 2 Small Green Chillies
- 2 Medium Tomatoes finely Chopped or pulsed in food processor See Notes
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 4 Whole Cloves
- 7-8 Whole Blackpepper corns
- ½ tsp Garam Masala
- ¼ cup Oil
- Fresh Coriander/cilantro for garnish.
Instructions
- In a pot heat oil over medium heat and sauté onions until golden colour appears. Add green chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute.
- Add all the spices except garam masala. Mix and add ¼ cup of water cook for another 2 minutes until oil starts to separate.
- Add chicken and fry until it changes colour and its water evaporates.
- Add tomatoes either finely chopped or puree them in food processor. Mix and cook until moisture from tomatoes is reduced. Add garam masala and salt reserving a little bit for later.
- Add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil. Turn the flame low and cover. Allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish it with coriander /cilantro and sprinkle garam masala.
Notes
- Fresh tomatoes can be used either by finely chopping them or pulse them in food processor. Canned tomatoes can also be used. I used crushed canned tomatoes.
