How to Make Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is a rich and tasty dish that consists of chicken stewed with onion, garlic, and a variety of spices such as coriander, cumin, and chili powder. This dish is commonly enjoyed in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean, where it is called "curry chicken." Chicken curry tastes even more amazing with rice, potatoes, or naan. If you want to know how to make your own chicken curry, whether Indian, Jamaican, or some other variety, choose your favorite from this range of recipes.

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Method 1 of 4: Chicken Curry in a Pan

1. 
   1
   Gather your ingredients. This recipe for chicken curry serves 4 people. Here's everything you need to make tasty chicken curry:
   • 1 kg whole chicken (cut into 12-16 pieces)
   • 3 large onions (chopped)
   • 3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
   • 4-5 tbsp tomato puree
   • 2 tsp coriander powder
   • 1 tsp turmeric powder
   • 1 tsp garam masala powder
   • 2 cloves
   • 1 bay leaf
   • 1 inch cinnamon
   • 1 black cardamom
   • 1 tsp cumin seeds
   • 1 tbsp ginger (chopped finely)
   • 1 tbsp garlic (chopped finely)
   • 1 green chili
   • 1 cup water
   • Salt to taste
   • 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
   • 1/2 tsp red chili powder (to taste)
   • 3-4 tbsp oil
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2. 
   2
   Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and cardamom. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil, though ghee will give your curry chicken the most authentic Indian flavor. Here's what you should do:
   • As soon as these spices begin to crackle, you can add the cumin seeds, wait about five seconds, and then add the diced onion.
   • Turn the heat down to medium and sauté the onions until they're soft and translucent, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
   • After that, add the ginger and the garlic.
   • Then, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue sautéing the onions until they are light brown.
   • Continue stirring the ingredients to combine the flavors.
3. 
   3
   Add the turmeric, coriander and sauté them for a minute before adding the chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes. Let the turmeric and coriander blend in with the other spices for a minute and then add the chicken pieces, just a few at a time, until they fill the pan. If you add too many pieces of chicken at once, then it'll make the oil in the pan spurt up, so be careful. As you add the chicken, keep stirring the ingredients and flipping over the chicken so that it is sealed and evenly cooked and coated in the onions.
4. 
   4
   Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, red chili powder and green chili and sauté for another 5 minutes. Here's what you should do next:
   • Add a cup of hot water.
   • Cover and cook till the chicken is almost done.
   • Add the garam masala and about half of the chopped coriander (you'll need the other half for the garnish).
   • Add little hot water to make gravy of a desired consistency. Cook till done.
5. 5
   Turn the heat to low and let the chicken simmer for another 10-15 minutes.This process will allow the chicken to fully cook and to stew in the vegetables and spices for a bit. Sure, frying it or cooking it over higher heat will get the job done faster, but your chicken won't get that same authentic flavor.
6. 
   6
   Remove from heat and garnish. Once your chicken curry is cooked, take a bite and add salt and pepper or any spices to taste as needed. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with plain rice or chapati (Indian bread).
7. 7
   Serve. Enjoy this tasty chicken curry dish while it's hot.

Method 2 of 4: Chicken Curry in a Slow Cooker

1. 1
   Gather your ingredients. Using a slow cooker takes much more time, but the end result is worth it. Here is everything you'll need to make delicious chicken curry in a slow cooker:
   • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
   • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
   • 1 tbsp tomato paste
   • 2 tsp garam masala, plus more for sprinkling
   • 2 tsp Madras curry powder
   • 2 cloves garlic, halved
   • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
   • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
   • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
   • 1 pound red skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
   • 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed (about 8 thighs)
   • 1 5-oz package baby spinach
   • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2. 2
   Combine the vinegar, flour, tomato paste, garam masala, curry powder, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. You can add salt and pepper to taste, but it's recommended that you use about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a blender or a food processor.
3. 3
   Puree the ingredients. Puree the ingredients together to make the stew for the curry chicken. It should be blended pretty well, with just a bit of chunkiness.
4. 4
   Place the potatoes in the bottom of a slow cooker. Ideally, the slow cooker should be 5 1/2 to 6 quarts large. Spread the potatoes evenly so they are well distributed across the bottom of the pot. You'll be placing the chicken on top of them, so you want to make sure the chicken can impart its tasty flavor to the potatoes pretty evenly.
5. 5
   Prepare the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with one teaspoon of garam masala and one teaspoon of curry powder along with a fair amount of salt and pepper to taste. You can make this mixture in a bowl and then sprinkle it over the chicken, or even press the chicken into the mixture. Just make sure that you season both sides of the chicken.
6. 6
   Place the chicken over the potatoes. Carefully place the chicken over the potatoes in a single layer.
7. 7
   Pour the sauce over the chicken. This will give the chicken and potatoes the delicious curry flavor you're looking for.
8. 8
   Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
9. 9
   Stir in the spinach. Once you've prepared your chicken curry, you can throw in the spinach and stir it until it's wilted. This should take less than a minute.
10. 10
    Add the garnish. Now, just sprinkle cilantro over the dish and season it further with salt and pepper to taste.
11. 11
    Serve. Your slow-cooked chicken curry is all ready to go. You can enjoy this dish as it is, or serve it with naan on the side, which will help you scoop up the delicious sauce. You can also add some chutney or Greek yogurt to the dish — sour cream will be a substitute for the chicken curry in a pinch.

Method 3 of 4: Jamaican Curry Chicken

1. 1
   Gather your ingredients. To make delicious Jamaican curry chicken, you'll need to gather your ingredients for making your curry powder as well as for the curry chicken itself. Once you make the powder, you can season the chicken with it before you cook it. (In a pinch, you can just buy some curry powder, but where's the fun in that?) Here's what you'll need:
   • For the curry powder:
     • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
     • 1 tbsp mustard greens
     • 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
     • 1 tbsp anise seeds
     • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
     • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
     • ½ tbsp allspice
     • 1 tbsp turmeric powder
   • For the curry chicken:
     • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
     • 4 skinless chicken legs, split
     • 2 sliced medium onions
     • 4 minced cloves of garlic
     • 1 tbsp minced ginger
     • ½ medium chili pepper
     • 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
     • 3 cups chicken stock
     • 2 cups coconut milk
     • Juice of ½ lime
     • Salt and pepper to taste
     • 4 tbsp curry powder
2. 2
   Make the curry powder. This recipe will help you make the curry powder to have some to spare when you're done cooking the chicken. Here's what you need to do to make it:
   • Toast the cumin, fenugreek, anise, mustard, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and allspice in a small skillet over high heat. Do this for at least a minute or two, until the spices become fragrant.
   • Remove the spices from the heat and cool them.
   • Grind the spices in a spice grinder and then combine them with the turmeric powder.
3. 3
   Heat the oil over high heat in a wide pot or a Dutch oven. You can season the chicken while you're waiting for the oil to heat up. It should take a minute or two.
4. 4
   Season the chicken with with curry powder. Use about 4 tablespoons of the curry powder to season the chicken. Make sure to evenly cover all sides of the chicken with the powder.
5. 5
   Remove the chicken from the pot and reserve it.
6. 6
   Cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper in the pot for 4 minutes. This will cook these ingredients in the spices as well as the aroma of the fried chicken.
7. 7
   Add the chopped thyme and curry powder and cook them for another minute.
8. 8
   Pour the juice from 1/2 a lime into the mixture.
9. 9
   Return the chicken to the pot and cover it with the coconut milk and stock.This will impart a rich, irresistible flavor to the chicken.
10. 10
    Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
11. 11
    Simmer the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours. Partially remove the lid of the pot as you cook the chicken, occasionally skimming the mixture to remove the extra fat. The chicken should be ready when it falls off the bone. After the hour mark, check on it often to make sure you don't overcook it.

1. 1
   Gather the ingredients. You will need:
   • 1 to 2 pounds chicken
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 1 teaspoon paprika
   • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
   • 1 teaspoon ginger
   • 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
   • 1 large onion, cut in slices
   • Slices of garlic
   • Slices of chili
   • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
   • 1 tablespoon coriander powder (cilantro powder)
   • 2 tablespoons curry powder
   • 1/2 can tomatoes (whole or chopped)
   • Extra teaspoon salt
   • 1 teaspoon sugar
   • Water
   • Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish.
2. 2
   Cut the chicken into pieces if not already done.
3. 3
   Marinate the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, paprika, crushed garlic and ginger and plain yoghurt. Let it marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. 4
   Fry the onion cut in slices. Cook until well fried. You may add garlic slices and chillies at this stage.
5. 5
   Lower the heat. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and curry powder. Fry gently.
6. 6
   Add the half can of tomatoes (either whole or chopped). Cook gently for 15 minutes.
7. 7
   Add a teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the gravy.
8. 8
   Add the chicken pieces to the gravy. Let cook on medium heat for 40-45 minutes. You may add some water to increase the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt accordingly.
9. 9
   Serve on plates or in large wide bowls. Add some chopped coriander for garnish. Enjoy.
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