This aromatic and delicious chicken curry is made with fragrant spices, tender chicken, and coconut milk. An easy recipe that delivers restaurant quality chicken curry without the fuss. It's the perfect comfort food you will love making.
Heat: In a large cooking pot, heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil at medium-high.
Spices: Add green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and star anise (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Onions: Add thinly sliced onions and sauté until golden brown and crisp on the edges, about 10 minutes.
Brown Chicken: Add chicken pieces, stir well, and cook until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes.
Aromatics: Add ginger garlic paste, and cook until it turns aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, ground coriander, and salt.
Coconut Sauce: Add bay leaves, green chilies, ground dried coconut, coconut milk, and plain yogurt. Combine and cook until oil starts to separate, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.
Simmer: Add 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. [Tip: Start with ½ cup water and increase as needed.]Cover with a lid and simmer until chicken is very tender, and the sauce thickens, about 45 minutes. Adjust consistency with water if needed.
Final Touch: Stir in garam masala, half the cilantro, and remove from heat. Garnish with remaining cilantro and ghee (if using). Serve hot with rice or naan.
Video
Notes
Dairy Free Option: Use coconut milk and/or cream instead of dairy yogurt.
Kashmiri Chili Powder: This is milder than regular chili powder and has a bright red color. If unavailable, substitute with a mix of ⅔ cayenne pepper and ⅓ paprika.
Ginger Garlic Paste: I highly recommend making ginger garlic paste at home. Simply blend equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic with a little bit of water until you get a smooth paste. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil, then store the paste in a glass jar in the fridge or freeze it in ice cube trays for later use.
Oil: Use 3 tablespoons of oil to sauté the onions. Remove some oil after sautéing the onions or at the end of cooking the curry, when the oil surfaces on top. This will help reduce the calories while still allowing the oil to be used as a vehicle to cook the dish. Nutrition facts adjusted accordingly.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze smaller portions. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove. Adjust consistency by adding water while reheating.