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INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY WITH YOGHURT AND TOMATO.

Indian chicken curry is made with whole spices, garam masala, coriander powder, coriander leaves, turmeric and a thick gravy made up of yoghurt and tomatoes.

This recipe follows the North Indian style of cooking chicken curry.

Indian chicken curry with yoghurt-tomato

The secret to this dish is the whole process of sticking to an authentic Indian curried chicken recipe and not compromising or substituting any ingredients.

This means using fresh spices and letting the chicken parts slow cook all the way.

A one-pot meal that will complement a simple Indian menu that can start with fragrant ghee rice or paratha roti.

thick Indian chicken curry scooped into a spoon.

What to serve with a simple Indian chicken curry

Save the recipe to your Pinterest board.

Indian chicken curry served in a plate with a spoon scooping a piece of chicken.

Tips to make Indian curry chicken recipe.

  • I have used a whole chicken to make the chicken curry recipe. you can use bone-in chicken parts, chicken breast or boneless cubes.
  • For best results, use fresh tomatoes that you’ve chopped and not the canned version.
  • If you’ve had your garam masala powder, and whole spices on your spice shelf for more than six months, check on the expiry date.
  • fresh spices make a big difference to curries. use my garam masala recipe and coriander powder recipe to make your own spices at home.
  • Cook a nondairy curry by using coconut milk to make this Indian chicken curry for your visitors who are allergic to dairy products.
thick chicken curry served into a black plate.
More Indian chicken curry recipes

chicken pasanda(Indian almond-badam chicken curry).

Butter Chicken curry

Chicken Chukka dry curry

Chettinad Chicken curry

Hyderabadi Chicken korma curry

Freezing

Yoghurt-based curries are best consumed within a day but if you do freeze the curry consume within 3-5 days.

let the curry cool and freeze. 

Heating

Remove the curry from the freezer, leave it to reach room temperature, add a few tablespoons of water.

Microwave for 3-5 minutes until hot, use your microwavable lid to cover to avoid splatters.

You can also reheat the curry gradually over low fire over the stove using a little water as mentioned above.

Make sure to heat at least for 5-7 minutes over low fire.

Stop food waste by

Cook only as much as you need for a single meal.

As mentioned above, yoghurt-based chicken curry is best eaten on the same day.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated(not frozen)and consumed as breakfast with paratha or toasted bread.

Thick yoghurt chicken curry served in a black plate.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY- LITTLE CARE NEEDED

Ingredients for the chicken curry

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

3 tablespoons of oil

2 bay leaves

2-inch cinnamon piece

4 cardamom pods slightly bruised

3-4 cloves

3 medium-sized onions chopped

3 green chillies 

2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste(mince 4 cloves of garlic and 2″garlic root)

2 large tomatoes chopped

1/2 a teaspoon turmeric

4 tablespoons of yoghurt

1 tsp red chilli powder(add more to increase spiciness)

1 teaspoon coriander powder(use my coriander recipe)

700g chicken parts(preferably bone in, a mix of breast, leg and thighs would work)

1 cup coriander leaves chopped for garnish(1/2 to be used in cooking, 1/2 as garnish)

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon garam masala

how to make chicken curry with yoghurt

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Have all the ingredients necessary to cook this simple Indian chicken curry ready.

Cut the chicken to the required size, if you’ve never separated whole chicken or want to know how to do it, read my”How to cut a whole chicken” post as a reference before you move on to the recipe.

Clean and wash the chicken parts, and place them in a colander to drain excess water.

Place a large pan over medium heat and pour in the oil, once the oil warms, add bay leaves(2), cardamom(4 pods), cinnamon(2″ piece), and cloves(4).

Saute them for 2 minutes until they release their aroma.

Add the sliced onions(3 medium) and green chillies(2), and fry them until they turn golden in colour.

cooking onions, spices, bay leaf in a pan with some oil.

Add ginger-garlic paste(2 tbsp)and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Stir constantly to avoid the ingredients sticking to the pan.

adding minced ginger to the cooking onions, bay leaves and spices.

Add the chopped tomatoes(2 large).

Cook, for 2 minutes while further breaking the tomatoes down with your spoon.

Add turmeric(1/2 teaspoon) and continue to cook the spice paste.

Reduce heat and cook the spices until you have a semi-wet-paste for 3-5 minutes.

Season with salt.

adding chopped tomato to the cooked onions and bay leaves, green chillies in a pan.

Pour in the yoghurt (4 tbsps, substitute with thick coconut cream for a non-dairy version).

Add red chilli powder(1 tsp, increase to add more spiciness to the curry), and coriander powder(1 tsp).

adding yoghurt, red chilli powder, curry powders to the cooked onions and chopped tomatoes.

Once you have the spice paste ready, drain any excess water from the chicken parts before you add them to the pan.

Add coriander leaves(1/2 of the coriander leaves).

Combine chicken and cook meat for 3-5 minutes while constantly turning them to cook them evenly.

adding chicken parts to the chopped tomato, yoghurt and cooked onions, spices.

Once the chicken parts have been slightly browned.

Pour in the water(1 cup), add the garam masala(1 tsp) stir the spice powder. 

Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover and slow simmer the curried chicken.

As the curry cooks, taste and season with salt if necessary.

I cook the simple Indian chicken curry recipe until the gravy thickens and covers the chicken parts.

This should take you about 10-15 minutes.

If you need more gravy simply cook for a lesser time as to leave enough gravy.

cooking the chicken with the yoghurt-tomato semi paste .

Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves(optional).

thick chicken curry cooked with yoghurt and tomato.

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Indian chicken curry served in a platter.

Indian chicken curry(with yogurt tomato).

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

An Indian chicken curry made with whole spices, garam masala, coriander powder, coriander leaves, turmeric and a thick gravy made up of yoghurt and tomatoes.

This recipe follows the North Indian style of cooking.

Ingredients

  • Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-inch cinnamon
  • 4 cardamom pods slightly bruised
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 3 medium-sized onions chopped
  • 3 green chillies
  • 2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
  • 2 large tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 tablespoons of yogurt
  • 1 tsp red chillie powder(add more to increase spiciness)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder(use my coriander recipe)
  • 700g chicken
  • 1 cup coriander leaves chopped for garnish(1/2 to be used in cooking, 1/2 as garnish)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

  1. Have all the ingredients necessary to cook this simple Indian chicken curry ready.
  2. Cut the chicken to the required size, if you’ve never separated whole chicken or want to know how to do it, read my” how to cut a whole chicken” post as a reference before you move on to the recipe.
  3. Clean and wash the chicken parts, place in a colander to drain excess water.
  4. Place a large pan over medium heat and pour in the oil, once the oil warms, add bay leaves(2), cardamom(4 pods), cinnamon(2″piece), cloves(4), saute them for 2 minutes until they release their aroma.
  5. Add the sliced onions(3 medium) and green chillies(2), fry them until they turn golden in colour.
  6. Add ginger-garlic paste(2 tbsp)and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  7. Stir constantly to avoid the ingredients sticking to the pan.
  8. Add the chopped tomatoes(2 large).
  9. Cook for 2 minutes while further breaking the tomatoes down with your spoon. Add turmeric(1/2 teaspoon) and continue to cook the spice paste.
  10. Reduce heat and cook the spices until you have a semi wet-paste for 3-5 minutes.
  11. Season with salt.
  12. Pour in the yoghurt (4 tbsps, substitute with thick coconut cream for a non-dairy version).
  13. Add red chilli powder(1 tsp, increase to add more spiciness to the curry), and coriander powder(1 tsp).
  14. Once you have the spice paste ready, drain any excess water from the chicken parts before you add them to the pan.
  15. Add coriander leaves(1/2 of the coriander leaves), combine chicken and cook meat for 3-5 minutes while constantly turning them to cook them evenly
  16. Once the chicken parts have been slightly browned pour in the water(1 cup), add the garam masala(1 tsp) stir the spice powder. 
  17. Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover and slow simmer the curried chicken.
  18. As the curry cooks, taste and season with salt if necessary.
  19. I cook the simple Indian chicken curry recipe until the gravy thickens and covers the chicken parts.
  20. This should take you about 10-15 minutes.
  21. If you need more gravy simply cook for a lesser time as to leave enough gravy.
  22. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves(optional).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 578Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 281mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 45g

Nutritional information on islandsmile is provided as a courtesy. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on the site. these figures should only be considered as estimates.

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Each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability with you in mind.

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