This comforting chicken curry gets loaded with Indian essentials like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, coriander and cumin, thinly sliced onions and chopped tomatoes for a full range of flavors. Use basmati rice when serving – it’s the perfect base for soaking up all the curry’s goodness.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (4 of each; about 3 pounds total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 small plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
Instructions
- Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium high and add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pot along with the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and clove. Cook, stirring, until the whole spices are toasted, about 20 seconds.
- Add the onions, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until soft and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chili powder and turmeric; cook, stirring and scraping the pan, until the ground spices are toasted, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Stir in 1 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 12 minutes.
- Tuck the potatoes among the chicken pieces, submerging them as much as possible; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are just cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer, turning the potatoes, until the curry is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Thin the curry with water, if necessary; season with salt. Serve with rice and top with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 747 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 63 g |
| Cholesterol | 301 mg |
| Sodium | 1214 mg |
Reviews
Had trouble finding such specific spices so did my best to spice science to substitute. I actually thought the spice flavor was great just missing some fat for balance. I think the traditional coconut milk would have made it perfect.
This dish filled the kitchen with a delightfully rich aroma, but the flavors were actually mild for a curry. I used all the spices in the recipe, but we were disappointed in the rather lackluster result.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a WINNER! My family and I are not big curry people, but all 3 of us loved this! It’s a cold night, and this dinner was the perfect comfort dish to warm us up! It was incredibly flavorful and I will definitely be making it again!