Punjabi Chicken Curry (healthy, gluten-free, high protein)

An aromatic, spicy, flavorful North Indian Chicken Curry – this Punjabi Chicken Curry should be on your dinner menu! It makes the best leftovers.

On my first Girl’s Night In in California, I made this Punjabi Chicken Curry, and everyone loved it. My Punjabi Chicken Curry is one of my favorite chicken dishes I’ve made to date. It’s spicy, flavorful, and melts in your mouth.

There are many ingredients in this recipe, but the key ingredients to use are black cardamom (moti elachi) which adds depths of flavor to this dish. You also want to finish off this dish with kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) which brings the dish to a whole new level.

The secret to making a smooth gravy is to finely chop the onions and tomatoes, and then slowly cook down the onions and tomatoes until it forms a paste-like consistency. This is accomplished by adding small amounts of water until the onions and tomatoes kinda disappear into the gravy.

Additionally, I don’t like seeing oil float on top of my chicken curry, hence I prefer using only the necessary amount of oil. In this recipe, I used 3 tbsp of oil, but you can probably cut down to 2 tbsp if you want. Try it! It’s perfect on a cold day when you want something hot and spicy, warm and comforting.

punjabi chicken curry recipe is:

Aromatic
Flavorful
Healthy
Gluten-Free
Spicy
Mouthwatering
Slow-cooked
Delectable
Comforting

how to make punjabi chicken curry step by step?

Marinate

1. Cube the chicken into 1 inch cubes. Marinate with salt, kashmiri red chili powder (paprika), ginger, and garlic.

2. Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

For Chicken Curry

1. Use a food processor to finely chop the onions.

 

2. Heat up a dutch enameled cast iron on medium heat. Once hot, add all the dry spices – black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Saute for about 1 minute.

3. Then add the onions and cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

4. This is what you should have.
5. Add 1/4 cup water and cook down the onions even more.

 

6. Use a food processor to chop the ginger, garlic and green chilies.
7. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilies to the onions and cook for a minute.

8. Chop the tomatoes.

9. Add tomatoes to the onion mix. Season with salt.

 

10. Cover and cook the masala mixture for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

11. Once done, add 1/4 cup of water to cook down the tomatoes.

 

12. Temper the yogurt, add a little bit at a time to avoid the mixture to curdle.

13. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.

14. This is what you should have.

 

15. Set aside your powdered spices.

16. Add the chicken to the masala. Coat the chicken well and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

17. Add the powdered spices (red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder) to the chicken and coat well.

 

18. Add a cup of water to the chicken. You can add another cup for more gravy – however I prefer thicker gravy.

19. This is what you should have.

20. Cover and cook the chicken on low-medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish

21. This is what you should have.
22. Add garam masala.

23. Add dry fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi.

24. Let the chicken sit for about 20 minutes before serving, this is what you should have. You can always add more water to have more gravy.

Print Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

Punjabi Chicken Curry

An aromatic, spicy, flavorful North Indian Chicken Curry - this Punjabi Chicken Curry should be on your dinner menu! It makes the best leftovers.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Nisha @ honeywhatscooking

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 1 1/2 pounds organic skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 inch piece ginger chopped

For the Chicken Curry

• 3 tbsp Avocado Oil you can reduce this to 2 tbsp as well
• 1 black cardamom moti elachi
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick split in half
• 1/4 tsp peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup warm water for the onions
• 6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger chopped
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 2-3 plum tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup warm water for the tomatoes
• 1/2 cup organic low-fat yogurt I used Whole Foods brand
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 cup warm water, for the chicken for more gravy, add 1 more cup
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp kasoori methi I used MDH brand

Instructions

Marinate

• Cube the chicken into 1 inch cubes. Marinate with salt, kashmiri red chili powder (paprika), ginger, and garlic.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

For Chicken Curry

• Use a food processor to finely chop the onions.
• Heat up a dutch enameled castiron on medium heat. Once hot, add all the dry spices - black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Saute for about 1 minute.
• Then add the onions and cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.
• This is what you should have.
• Add 1/4 cup water and cook down the onions even more.
• Use a food processor to chop the ginger, garlic and green chilies.
• Add the ginger, garlic and green chilies to the onions and cook for a minute.
• Chop the tomatoes.
• Add to the onion mix. Season with salt.
• Cover and cook the masala mixture for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.
• Once done, add 1/4 cup of water to cook down the tomatoes.
• Temper the yogurt, add a little bit at a time to avoid the mixture to curdle.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
• This is what you should have.
• Set aside your powdered spices.
• Add the chicken to the masala. Coat the chicken well and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the powdered spices (red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder) to the chicken and coat well.
• Add a cup of water to the chicken. You can add another cup for more gravy - however I prefer thicker gravy.
• This is what you should have.
• Cover and cook the chicken on low-medium heat for 20-25 minutes.
• This is what you should have.
• Add garam masala.
• Add dry fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi.
• Let the chicken sit for about 20 minutes before serving, this is what you should have. You can always add more water to have more gravy.

Notes

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