Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

Every household in India has their own version of a chicken curry.  This dish originates in southern India as curry powder and curry leaves are very predominate in this region.  There are many variants of a "curry".  The chicken masala from a previous blog post is such a variant from the northern region of India, as curry leaves, curry powder and coconut milk are not a predominant ingredient in the region.  Over the years I have played with different ingredients and finally found my perfect combination.  This is a very simple dish with big flavor pay off, a definate favorite in my household.

curry leaves

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbs. mustard seeds

1/2 tbs. turmeric

1 1/2 cups onions (chopped)

2 sprigs of curry leaves

2 tbs. ginger & garlic paste

(or 1 tbs. minced ginger & 1 tbs. minced garlic)

2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken thights (cubed)

1 tbs. garam masala

1/2 tbs. chili powder (use 1 tbs. for more heat and 1/4 tbs. for less heat)

1 tbs. curry powder

1/2 tbs. salt (or to taste)

1 can (13.5 fl oz) coconut milk

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

Cook Time: 30 - 40 minutes

Warm a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and once warm add 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  When the vegetable oil is warm, add a level 1 tbs. mustard seeds to the oil.  Once the mustard seeds start to pop add 1 1/2 cups chopped onions, 2 sprigs of curry leaves and 2 tbs. of ginger and garlic paste (you can also substitute 1 tbs. minced ginger and 1 tbs. minced garlic).  

vegetable oil, mustard seeds, onions, curry leaves and ginger & garlic paste

Continue to sauté until the onions turn translucent and add 2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken thighs (cubed), 1 tbs. garam masala, 1/2 tbs chili powder (this is where you can adjust the heat level of the dish.  Add 1 tbs. chili powder for a spicy dish or 1/4. tbs for a milder heat), 1 tbs. curry powder and 1/2 - 1 tbs. salt (to taste). Continue to sauté the mixture until your chicken is fully cooked.  

Add 1 can (13.5 fl oz) of coconut milk and 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1 cup of water.  Cover and continue to sauté for another 10 - 15 minutes.  

chicken cooked, before adding liquid ingredients

coconut milk, tomato sauce and water

Serve over basmati rice, I packed my rice into a small bowl before putting it onto the plate to add a fun element to the dish.  Enjoy!

PDF available here.

Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala

I thought it seemed fitting to start off with a recipe that is part namesake of this blog: Chicken Masala.  This is one of the most common recipes in an Indian household.  It takes very few ingredients and you can prepare it pretty quickly.  The flavor in this dish is amazing without having to marinate the chicken and you can easily customize the heat level by adjusting the amount of chili powder that you add.  

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbs. cumin seeds

1/2 tbs. turmeric

2 tbs. ginger & garlic paste

(or 1 tbs. minced ginger & 1 tbs. minced garlic)

2 large onions (chopped)

2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken thights (cubed)

2 tbs. garam masala

1/2 tbs. chili powder (use 1 tbs. for more heat and 1/4 tbs. for less heat)

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth

Cilantro for Garnish

Start off by by warming a large skillet on the stove.  Add 1/4 cup of oil and as soon as the oil is hot add 1 tbs. cumin seeds, 1/2 tbs. turmeric, 2 tbs. ginger & garlic paste (if you are cooking without the paste add 1 tbs. minced ginger and 1 tbs. minced garlic) and 2 large onions (chopped) and sauté until the onions are translucent.

Oil, Cumin Seeds, Turmeric, Ginger & Garlic Paste and Onions

When the onions have cooked add 2 lbs of 1 or 2 inch cubed boneless/skinless chicken thighs.  On top of the chicken add 2 tbs. garam masala and the chili powder (this is where you can control the heat of the dish 1 tbs. will give the dish pretty good heat, 1/2 tbs. will make it pretty mild and you can use 1/4 tbs. if you don't enjoy heat.  You can always start with a lesser amount and after adding the tomato sauce and water add more chili powder if needed.) and finally 1 tsp salt (you can also adjust to taste with the salt).  Stir ingredients together, cover and continue sautéing the dish until chicken has cooked.  It should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

Add the Chicken, Garam Masala, Chili Powder and Salt

When your chicken is ready add 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth.  Stir and cover and cook on medium heat until oil rises to the top about 10 - 15 minutes.


Stir in Tomato Sauce and Water or Chicken Broth.

Remove dish and garnish with chopped cilantro (if you desire).  Serve with rice, roti or naan bread.  Enjoy.


PDF available .

A Guide to Basic Indian Cuisine Spices & Ingredients

To cook Indian food you should not have to go out and buy a million different spices and other ingredients.  Unless I am creating one of my custom spice blends, the number of ingredients I use for a dish is pretty minimal.  You don't have to go out and purchase all these ingredients at once, these are just some suggestions for those looking to build up more of a spice/ingredient arsenal.

Commonly Used Spices & Ingredients

1. Tandoori Masala Spice Mix

      Used to marinate meat for grilling.  Some of the most common dishes made using this is chicken tikka and butter chicken.

2. Garam Masala Spice Mix

A traditional universal spice used in most dishes.

3. Curry Powder

A staple for curry dishes.

4. Ginger & Garlic Paste

Using these ingredients in a paste form both saves time and makes for a smoother sauce.

5. Whole Chillies

Adds an extra "kick" to a dish and gives a more smokey flavor as opposed to using a green chili or serrano peppers.  They are also used for tempering dishes.

6. Tomato Sauce

This is the best substitute for fresh tomatoes.  It cuts your cooking time in half and makes for a smoother sauce.

7. Basmati Rice

As jasmine rice works best for Chinese dishes, basmati rice is the perfect match for Indian food.  A few tips when making this rice are to wash it at least 4 times and use the ratio of 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water.

8. Mustard Seeds

Used for more South Indian dishes as well as curry flavored dishes.

9. Chili Powder

An all purpose spice used of course for adding the heat to dishes.  I recommend trying to find Deggi Mirch (Kashmir Chili Powder) because it is high in color, low on heat and is very comparable to Hungarian paprika. 

10. Turmeric

Actually has health benefits as it is a natural antiseptic.  Cooking wise it adds color and flavor.  A commercial curry powder contains a high content of Turmeric, hence the color of that spice blend.

11. Onions

A staple in Indian dishes.

12. Cilantro

The most common herb used for garnishing and also for adding color and flavor.

13. Cumin Seeds

A staple spice used in most of the North Indian dishes as well as a common component in the majority of spice blends.

14. Coriander Powder

Another common ingredient in South Indian dishes, it is used mainly with mustard and curry dishes.

15. Peppercorn

Used to provide heat in a dish.  I do not recommend using this ingredient in its whole form as biting into it can make for a bad experience.

15. Roti

Comparable to a tortilla.  I find this to be a lighter/healthier bread option to Naan.  We still eat Naan bread in our household but the majority of the time we will enjoy these at meal time.

Commonly Used Whole Spices

1. Cardamon

 2. Bay Leaves

3. Cinnamon

4. Nutmeg

6. Cloves

7. Cumin

8. Coriander

9. Peppercorn

Examples of products readily found at your normal grocery store.

You don't always have to visit an international grocery store to stock up on ingredients.  The only downside would be is if you don't have a grocery store that sells bulk spices as you can end up paying more for a smaller amount of product when you have to buy small jars.  We often buy a lot of the more common spices we use in our household at the international market because it ends up being a better deal.

Examples of items that you will have to purchase in an international market or online.

These are your more specialty items and therefore will have to come from an international market or online.  While you can buy Basmati Rice at your normal grocery store that can get very expensive so it is best to purchase at a speciality store.

These are just some of the basics to get you started and give you some visual clues as to what these these ingredients look like to help with your shopping trip.  

Now let's get cooking! Up next: Chicken Masala

Enter the Heat

Food.  In that one word, I can sum up what so much of my world revolves around.  I am truly a foodie, and have been for as far back as I can recall.  Even now, when my daughter asks me about growing up in India so many of my memories are tied to food.  Ah, the power of good food.

I started cooking as a child with my mother and even went into business with her for awhile, running a catering company.  While I was finishing up college in India I had the opportunity to work as a cook for The Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai.  I moved to the states to go to University and after graduating I took a step out of the kitchen and into a more operations related role, but still very much involved in food.

I'm the guy that friends will call up for an indian food recipe or be asked to bring an indian dish to the party.  It is for this reason that over the years I have really taken the time to simplify my recipes and start cooking Indian food with a twist.  You will still get the traditonal taste, but with something extra.  I see so many people turned off from cooking Indian food for a multitude of reasons, but a couple of the main reasons being that: 1.) it's too complicated and 2.) not having an understanding of the spices or that everything is too spicy.  I want to change these perception while updating and simplifying the cooking process.  An understanding of the spices is important and I will share those basics as well. 

So come enter the heat.