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    Home » Indian Recipes » Curries » Non Vegetarian Curries

    Easy Indian Chicken Curry Recipe (Basic Version for Beginners)

    Published on April 28, 2022 · Updated on April 28, 2022 - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See disclosure policy.

    31 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This Indian chicken curry recipe is for a pretty basic chicken curry, that is easy enough for beginners as well, and yet really flavorful.

    Goes extremely well with just plain steamed rice, as well as rotis / chapatis.

    top shot of a bowl full of indian chicken curry, along with a bowl of rice, and a small bowl of sliced onions & lemon on the side.

    This is my go-to chicken curry, when I just need a homestyle chicken curry that is easy yet delicious. When I am in the mood for something fancier, and I have a little more time on my hand, I make this spicy Kolhapuri chicken curry.

    But this basic version is the one I make most often, and it’s actually one of the first things I learnt to cook, when I first started to cook. Though of-course, since then I have updated the recipe quite a few times to get to this current version, which has stayed my go-to version for many years now.

    So if you are just looking for a simple chicken curry recipe, try this one.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need
    • How To Make This Indian Chicken Curry
    • Notes
    • Serving Suggestion
    • Popular chicken recipes to try..
    • 📖 RECIPE

    Ingredients You Need

    top shot of all the ingredients required to make indian chicken curry, shared along with ingredient labels.

    Ingredient notes

    1. I prefer to use chicken leg quarter pieces, you can use chicken drumsticks or whatever you prefer.

    How To Make This Indian Chicken Curry

    I am sharing this recipe for my go-to quantity, which is 3 pounds of chicken leg quarters. It makes curry enough for about 6 people. For our family of 3, it is good enough for 2 times.

    But if you need to make more or less, then you can adjust the serving size in the recipe card below, and it will adjust all the quantities of ingredients for you accordingly.

    Marinate the chicken

    • Take 3 pounds of chicken leg quarters, and start with properly cleaning them with water, and then straining off all the excess water.
    • Now make the marinade, for which, in a bowl mix together – ¼ cup yogurt, ¼ cup ginger garlic paste, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and a ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder.
    • Apply the marinade to the chicken, ensuring to coat all the chicken pieces well.
    • Let the chicken marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

    Note: You can also add lemon in the marinade, I skip it, because I am already using enough yogurt.

    step by step photos of marinating chicken for curry.

    Make the curry

    • In a pot, lightly heat up 3-4 tablespoons of oil.
    • Add 2 cups of chopped onions & 1 teaspoon of salt, and saute till the onions start to turn light brown (takes about 15 minutes).
    • Add 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, mix it in, and saute for 2-3 minutes, just until the raw smell of ginger & garlic goes away.
    • Then add in the spice powders (preferably all together, to avoid the spice powders from burning) – 2 tablespoon of chicken masala powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, and ½ teaspoon of cumin powder – along with a splash of water, so that the spices don’t get burned, and lightly roast the spices for 1-2 minutes.

      (Whenever I use store-bought chicken masala to flavor the chicken curry, I usually supplement with additional spice powders. But if I use homemade, then I only use chicken masala powder.)
    • Now add in 1½ cup of chopped tomatoes, and saute till the tomatoes cook down a bit. This will take about 5 minutes or so.
    • At this point, you can also add in a few spoons of tomato paste to better bind the onions & tomatoes together in the curry. I usually substitute with tomato ketchup, as it’s readily available. 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup is good enough, add it right after the tomatoes. (see recipe notes for more alternatives)
    step by step photos of making the onion tomato base for the chicken curry.
    • When the tomatoes have cooked down, add in the marinated chicken, along with 3 cups of water, and mix everything together.
    • Cook the chicken covered for 30-40 minutes, on medium flame, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is cooked through.
    • Garnish with ⅓ cup of fresh chopped coriander leaves.
    step by step photos of adding the marinated chicken to the curry base, and cooking the chicken in the curry.

    Notes

    Using a little tomato paste helps bind the onions and tomatoes a little better. But I usually don’t have it handy, so I use tomato ketchup instead, and it works fine for me.

    Alternatively, you can use tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes, or make a paste of the roasted onions & tomatoes to have a smoother chicken curry.

    But I usually don’t take out the mixie for just making a basic chicken curry (because it will be one more thing to wash!), and so I make do with tomato ketchup.

    Serving Suggestion

    Pair this with freshly steamed rice or even roti / chapati, based on your preference.

    top shot of a bowl full of indian chicken curry, along with a bowl of rice, and a small bowl of sliced onions & lemon on the side.

    Popular chicken recipes to try..

    ⭐️ Restaurant Style Chicken Lollipop
    ⭐️ Easy Chicken Keema Masala
    ⭐️ Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast
    ⭐️ Tandoori Spiced Chicken Wings
    ⭐️ Spicy Pepper Chicken (Dry)
    ⭐️ Kolhapuri Chicken Curry
    ⭐️ Easy Chicken Fried Rice
    ⭐️ Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

    As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

    📖 RECIPE

    close up shot of a bowl full of indian chicken curry.

    Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

    An easy Indian chicken curry recipe for a pretty basic chicken curry, that is easy enough for beginners as well, and yet really flavorful.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Indian Curries, Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 3292kcal
    Author: Shantala Shenoy Nayak

    Equipment

    • Lodge Dutch Oven

    Ingredients

    For chicken marination

    • 3 pounds chicken (leg quarters)
    • ¼ cup yogurt
    • ¼ cup ginger garlic paste
    • 1½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
    • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
    • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

    For chicken curry

    • 3-4 tablespoon oil
    • 2 cup chopped onions
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
    • 2 tablespoon chicken masala powder
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
    • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
    • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
    • 1½ cup chopped tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
    • 3 cup water for curry
    • ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    For marinating chicken

    • Take 3 pounds of chicken leg quarters, properly clean them with water, and strain off all the excess water.
    • In a bowl, mix together – ¼ cup yogurt, ¼ cup ginger garlic paste, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and a ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a smooth marinade.
    • Apply the marinade to the chicken, ensuring to coat all the chicken pieces well.
    • Let the chicken marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

    For making chicken curry

    • In a pot, lightly heat up 3-4 tablespoons of oil.
    • Add 2 cups of chopped onions & 1 teaspoon of salt, and saute till the onions start to turn light brown (takes about 15 minutes).
    • Add 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, mix it in, and saute for 2-3 minutes, just until the raw smell of ginger & garlic goes away.
    • Then add in the spice powders (preferably all together) – 2 tablespoon of chicken masala powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, and ½ teaspoon of cumin powder – along with a splash of water, so that the spices don't get burned, and lightly roast the spices for 1-2 minutes.
    • Now add in 1½ cup of chopped tomatoes, and saute till the tomatoes cook down a bit. This will take about 5 minutes or so.
    • At this point, you can also add in a few spoons of tomato paste to better bind the onions & tomatoes together in the curry. I usually substitute with tomato ketchup, as it's readily available. 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup, right after the tomatoes. (see notes for alternatives)
    • When the tomatoes have cooked down, add in the marinated chicken, along with 3 cups of water, and mix everything together.
    • Cook the chicken covered for 30-40 minutes, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is cooked through.
    • Garnish with ⅓ cup of chopped coriander leaves.
    • Serve hot with rice or chapati / naan.

    Notes

    1. I prefer to use chicken leg quarter pieces, you can use chicken drumsticks or whatever you prefer.
    2. Whenever I use store-bought chicken masala to flavor the chicken curry, I usually supplement with additional spice powders. But if I use homemade, then I only use chicken masala powder.
    3. Using a little tomato paste helps bind the onions and tomatoes a little better. But I usually don’t have it handy, so I use tomato ketchup instead, and it works fine for me. Alternatively, you can use tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes, or make a paste of the roasted onions & tomatoes to have a smoother chicken curry. But I usually don’t take out the mixie for just making a basic chicken curry (because it will be one more thing to wash!), and so I make do with tomato ketchup.

    Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3292kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 200g | Fat: 241g | Saturated Fat: 74g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 44g | Monounsaturated Fat: 97g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1141mg | Sodium: 7501mg | Potassium: 3807mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2446IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 436mg | Iron: 14mg

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    Hi there, I am Shantala, an Indian foodie in an American kitchen. Welcome to The Love of Spice - my food blog, virtual home & passion project, all rolled into one. On here I share Easy-to-Follow Family Recipes, along with tips on Indian Meal Planning & Lunch Box Ideas for Kids & Adults. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it useful. :) read more

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