Curry

Simple Chicken Curry

Name: Simple Chicken Curry
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken, skinless, cut into pieces; 750 g onions, thinly sliced; 100 g plain yogurt; 1.5 tsp garlic paste; 1 tsp ginger paste; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 bay leaves; 0.5 tsp black peppercorns; 0.5 tsp turmeric powder; 0.5 tsp red chilli powder; 0.5 tsp cumin powder; 2 tsp coriander powder; 0.5 tsp garam masala powder; 1 green chilli, slit lengthwise; 4 tbsp mustard oil (or sunflower oil); 1 small tomato (optional, thickens gravy); salt

This is the curry that doesn't need a special occasion. One bowl, one pan, and the spice box that lives on the counter. The kind of food that gets made on a Wednesday because it's what the evening calls for.

45 minServes 4 mild–medium

Method

In a large bowl combine the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Add the onions and chicken and mix well to coat everything. Set aside for 15–30 minutes .
Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. If using mustard oil, heat it to smoking point first — this removes the raw edge. Add the bay leaves, cumin seeds, and peppercorns and let them crackle for 30 seconds .
Tip in the entire chicken and marinade mixture. Add the slit green chilli. Stir well and cook on high heat for 5 minutes to seal the chicken.
Season with salt, reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes .
Remove the lid. Add the tomato if using. If the curry looks dry, add a splash of water. Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the oil begins to separate at the edges of the pan. The chicken should read an internal 74 °C / 165 °F — cut into a thick piece to check it's white throughout with no pink at the bone.
Add 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes . Adjust consistency to your liking — cook longer for a thicker gravy, add more water for a thinner one.
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with rice or chapatti.

Cook's note. The oil separating from the gravy (bhunao) is the sign the curry is done — don't rush past it. If you're using mustard oil, it gives the curry a distinctive sharpness that sunflower oil won't replicate, but either works fine.

The story

Simple home-style chicken curry is the backbone of everyday cooking across the Indian subcontinent. Unlike the restaurant versions built on cream and butter, the home curry draws its depth from slow-cooked onions and whole spices crackling in oil. Every family has their version — the amounts shift, the spice balance changes — but the method stays the same.