Authentic Chicken Curry (Easy Chicken Salan)
Here’s an Easy and Authentic Chicken Curry recipe made in the traditional Pakistani and North Indian style. This is a simple, approachable curry recipe that you can make at home in under an hour. Unfussy, easy-to-follow, and tested to perfection!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or avocado)
- 2 small yellow onions (quartered)
- 2 small tomatoes (I use Roma) (quartered)
- 6-8 garlic cloves (crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 inch ginger (crushed or finely chopped)
- 2 lbs bone-in, cut up, skinless chicken (cleaned and excess skin removed (See Note 1))
- 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt (divided)
- 1-2 small green chili peppers (such as Serrano or Thai chili) (stems removed and thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds (roughly crushed)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5-6 whole black peppercorns
- 3-4 whole cloves
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Place the onions in a food processor and use the pulse function to chop finely but not blend.
- 2
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high or high heat (depending on your stove). Once hot, add the oil and chopped onions. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown(~12-15 min). Meanwhile, in the same food processor, add the tomatoes and pulse to chop into a rough purée. Deglaze the pan with 2 tbsp of water.
- 3
Once the water dries up, add the garlic and ginger and sauté until the raw smell disappears and the onions deepen in color (~1 min). If needed, deglaze the pan again with 2 tbsp of water. Add the chicken and 1/4 tsp salt and fry it until it changes color, about 5 minutes.
- 4
Add the whole spices, ground spices, remaining salt (2 tsp), and green chili pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan if the bits start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until you can see the oil separating from the curry. Add 1 3/4 – 2* (see Note 2) cups of water and stir to mix. Cover the pan to bring to a gentle boil.
- 6
Once it begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer (low or low-medium). Cover and allow the curry to cook for 25 minutes, stirring once in between. The chicken should be very tender. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Uncover and continue to allow the chicken to simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the oil rises to the top.
- 7
Turn off the heat. Garnish with garam masala and cilantro. Serve with rice, roti, or naan.