How to make the BEST and EASIEST chicken curry!

As a South Indian teenager who thoroughly enjoys cooking as a pastime, I’ve learned many lessons throughout my culinary journey. The patience and dedication required to cook a dish have always come naturally to me. I love taking time out of my day to ease my mind from the chaos of the outside world, and creating a bubble where it’s just the kitchen and I. 

I’ve never had much trouble following recipes online -- I find it similar to a step-by-step manual: follow the instructions and achieve the desired outcome...until I tried to make curry. For the life of me, I could never grasp how to make a satisfactory chicken curry...and as someone who eats chicken religiously, it felt like a personal failure. I’ve made stir-fried chicken, fried chicken, sweet and spicy chicken, honey-garlic chicken, chicken bibimbap and even katsu chicken curry, but a traditional indian chicken curry left me stumped. 

Fortunately, I’m not a quitter. After countless trials and errors, I finally developed the perfect recipe for an exceptional yet simple South Indian chicken curry. Along the way, I picked up invaluable tips and common mistakes to avoid, which I’m excited to share...

1. The Ingredients:

Every chicken curry relies on three essential vegetables: tomatoes, onions and garlic, often referred to as the "holy trinity" that make up 80% of Indian cuisine. The proportion of tomatoes to onions should ideally be 1:1. I prefer adding slightly more tomatoes for a tangier flavor, but this completely depends on the preference. For one onion, three cloves of garlic should be sufficient. Ginger is another common ingredient, pairing wonderfully with the garlic. A pro tip is to blend both of them into a paste together, as it's easier to cook and gets evenly distributed beside the onions. Green chillis are optional, if you want to add some spice to your curry. Keep in mind, all of these ingredients should be chopped finely, as you want them to dissolve as quickly as possible while retaining the smooth yet thick paste-like consistency. 

Serving Size: 1

- 1 big onion (finely chopped)

- 1 big tomato (finely chopped)

- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped) / 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 

- 1 inch of ginger (finely chopped) (optional) 

- 1 green chilli (finely chopped) (optional)

2. Chicken Marinade:

A great chicken curry begins with a well-marinated chicken. The spices to add are:

- 1 tsp coriander powder

- 1 tsp chicken masala (optional)

- 1 tsp cumin powder

- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 

- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

- 1 tsp salt (add to preferred taste)

- 1/4 tsp pepper powder

This recipe incorporates the common everyday spices, like salt, pepper and chilli powder, in addition to some authentic Indian spices. These spices create a flavourful base, while leaving some room for personalisation, remember to adjust according to your taste preferences. The marinade can rest on the chicken for as little as 15 minutes, to as much as a few hours. The longer, the better as more flavor can soak into the meat. 

Pro tip: Poke small holes into the chicken with a fork or knife before adding the marinade. This helps the spices penetrate the meat for a more tender result.

3. Preparing the Chicken Curry:

1. Heat a pan on medium flame and add 1-2 tsps of cooking/vegetable oil to the centre. Add garlic and ginger and let it fry for 20 seconds.

2. Then, add the onions and cook until they turn a golden brown for around 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and mix well for another 2-3 minutes. The tomatoes need to fully reduce and release all the water they’ve stored. A pinch of salt can help reduce it until it forms a rough paste-like mixture.  

4. Then, add the marinated chicken to the pan and ensure its evenly coated in the paste. Fry the chicken on high heat for about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed, to prevent burning. 

5. Reduce the flame to a medium-low and add 1/2 cup of water to the mixture and stir thoroughly. Cover the pan with a lid, to retain mosture and speed up cooking process and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (20 minutes is recommended if you are using chicken legs).

6. Once the chicken is cooked and the water has reduced by a considerable volume, take the lid off and pour 1/3 cup of coconut milk into the pan and stir well. You can garnish with some coriander leaves if desired. 

Voila, your chicken curry is all done! 

Tips and Tricks:

- I’ve tried both round-bottomed pans (woks/ kadai) and the regular pots/pans, and from my experience, I’ve noticed that round-bottomed pans work best for curries. The heat is concentrated at the base, which improves stir-frying and mixing. I believe it’s a great investment, and definitely recommend to elevate your cooking skills with Asian dishes.

- There’s a pervasive myth in society, that more oil is mandatory when cooking, especially Indian food. But did you know that a single teaspoon of vegetable oil contains 4.5g of fat, and a tablespoon contains 14g? These numbers can add up quickly. The daily recommended intake is 45-78g of fat, so one tablespoon of oil can constitute a third of your required fat intake. Excessive oil not only masks the flavour but adds unnecessary calories your body must work hard to burn off. I recommend using 2-3 teaspoons of oil when cooking everyday dishes. You’ll be amazed at how flavorful they can be without drowning them in fat.

- Mastering the time of when to add each ingredient and how long each ingredient takes to cook is essential in creating a great curry. Some may think this as an overkill, but as someone who’s failed at this step countless times, I can only stress enough how important it is. For example, when you add your garlic and onions, wait for the onions to turn a golden brown before adding the tomatoes. This ensures the flavours develop properly. Feel free to gently increase the flame as well, as it can accelerate the process.  

- When adding water into your dish, be cautious not to add excessively, because you’ll end up with a dilute mixture, same goes the opposite way. A range of 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water is all you need to incorporate the smooth liquid consistency, while maintaining the thickness from the tomato and onion paste. If you have accidentally added too much water, cook on high flame without lid to help evaporate the excess water. 

I highly recommend this chicken curry recipe to anyone looking to explore Indian cuisine using simple, everyday ingredients. It’s a perfect balance of flavor and comfort, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!