One-Pan Indian Chicken Curry
Indian curries are some of my favorite quick and simple one-pan meals. I love the earthy flavors and how they’re packed with potent, immune boosting functional foods like ginger, garlic, and ginger, not to mention turmeric which is a great anti-inflammatory.
This chicken curry dish takes about 15 minutes to prep, then pop a lid on it for 35 minutes to cook through, making it perfect for a weeknight comfort meal. Even better is that it makes for great leftovers — hello meal prep!
Recipe modified from Made In India by Meera Sodha Mum’s Chicken Curry. If you enjoy flipping through cookbooks and delicious Indian cuisine, I HIGHLY recommend!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 tablespoons avocado oil or 1 extra tbs of ghee OR butter
1 teaspoons cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 fresh green chilis (or 1 teaspoons chili powder)
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons strained tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons ground turmeric
3 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt (Stoneyfield grass-fed yogurt is my favorite)
2 pounds of chicken legs or chicken thighs
3 tablespoons ground almonds
1 teaspoons garam masala
Instructions:
Add the ghee and oil into a wide-bottomed lidding frying pan on medium heat (this is my favorite). Once hot, add the cumin seeds (or 1 teaspoon ground cumin) and cinnamon sticks allowing them to infuse into the oil for about a minute. Then add the onions. Cook onions for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden.
Using a mortal and pestle, add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies with a pinch of salt. Smash and bash until ingredients are combined into a course paste.
Add the curry paste to the pan and cook for about two minutes. Then add the strained tomatoes and stir until combined. Cook the curry until it because a thick paste, then add the tomato paste, cumin, turmeric, and salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon.
Slowly whisk in the yogurt into the curry. Once the curry begins to bubble add the chicken, pop the lid on the pan and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the ground almonds and garam masala and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve curry with basmati rice or fresh naan, a side of plain yogurt, and some roasted cauliflower or veggie of your choice.
If you’re a big curry fan, be sure to check out this coconut and tamarind chicken curry for another favorite simple and delicious weeknight dinner.