Everyday Chicken Curry
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, America's Test Kitchen and Madhur Jaffrey.
A comforting, everyday chicken curry built on deeply browned onions and warm spices, simmered with tomatoes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is rich.
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Method
- 1
Marinate the chicken. Mix the chicken thigh pieces with the yoghurt, salt and turmeric in a bowl, and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge. The yoghurt's mild acidity tenderises the meat gently while the turmeric starts colouring and flavouring it right through.
- 2
Brown the onions. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan over medium heat and add the chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for 15-18 minutes until deeply golden brown all over. This slow browning builds the sauce's depth of flavour, so resist rushing it on higher heat, which browns unevenly and can catch and burn.
- 3
Add aromatics. Stir in the garlic, ginger and slit green chilli, and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. These shorter-cooking aromatics would burn if added at the same time as the onions, so they go in once the onions are already soft and golden.
- 4
Bloom the spices. Add the cumin, coriander and chilli powder with a small splash of water, and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Blooming the spices in the hot oil and onion releases their aromatic oils, giving a rounder flavour than if they went straight into the watery sauce.
- 5
Cook down the tomatoes. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until thickened, with a little oil visibly separating at the edges of the pan. That separation is a visual cue that the raw tomato taste has cooked away and the base is ready for the chicken.
- 6
Simmer the chicken. Add the marinated chicken, stirring to coat it in the sauce, and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender, the sauce has thickened, and the chicken reaches 74°C or above. About 5 minutes before the end, stir in the garam masala.
- 7
Finish and serve. Stir in the lemon juice and most of the chopped coriander, then let the curry rest off the heat for 5 minutes so the flavours settle. Scatter over the last of the coriander and serve with rice or flatbreads.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thoroughly in a pan or microwave, stirring occasionally, until piping hot and 74°C throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why it's healthy
42.9 g protein for 421 kcal = 10.2 g per 100 kcal. Our High Protein label needs at least 10 g per 100 kcal. How we decide
Equipment
- large heavy casserole or deep frying pan with lid (28 cm)
- wooden spoon
- mixing bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 421 kcal |
| Protein | 42.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 17.3 g |
| of which sugars | 7.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 20.2 g |
| of which saturates | 3.6 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Salt | 2.64 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
10.2 g meets the High Protein rule (≥ 10 g)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
