Home-Style Chicken Curry
The everyday chicken curry of Indian homes: bone-in chicken simmered in a deeply browned onion-tomato masala with ginger, garlic and warm spices until the gravy is rich and the meat falls off the bone.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Fry the whole spices
Heat all the oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods
✅ Done when: spices smell toasted and look slightly puffed
Brown the onions deeply
Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Well-browned onions give the curry its colour and sweetness, so do not rush this step.
- 3 onions
- a pinch salt
✅ Done when: onions are deep golden brown, not just soft
Cook the tomato sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the chicken
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fry the whole spices
Heat all the oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods
✅ Done when: spices smell toasted and look slightly puffed
Brown the onions deeply
Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Well-browned onions give the curry its colour and sweetness, so do not rush this step.
- 3 onions
- a pinch salt
✅ Done when: onions are deep golden brown, not just soft
Cook the tomato sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the chicken
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Every Indian family has its own chicken curry. This home style — onions browned slowly, tomatoes cooked down until the oil separates, and bone-in chicken simmered in the gravy — is the template for countless regional versions.
It's the Sunday lunch dish in many North Indian homes, eaten with steamed rice or hot rotis.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Simple ingredients, slow browning and patience — this is the curry that teaches the foundation of Indian cooking.
💡 Fun Fact
Indian cooks call the moment oil separates from the masala 'bhunao' — it's the sign the spices are fully cooked.
North India
28.61°N, 77.21°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!