Authentic Chicken Curry (Easy Chicken Salan)

Here’s an easy and Authentic Chicken Curry recipe made in the traditional Pakistani and North Indian style. This is a simple, approachable curry recipe that you can make at home in under an hour. Unfussy, with easy-to-follow instructions, and tested to perfection! Serve with basmati rice, and roti or naan for a delicious Indian meal.

“This is the third time I have made this recipe now and I can’t stress enough that it is so delicious! Perfect level of spice and flavour – it always goes down a treat with my friends. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.”

Lucy

Authentic Chicken Curry

Ahh the most basic, simple, classic chicken curry in all its unpretentious glory.

If you’re familiar with this curry, you don’t know you’re passionate about it until you’re deprived of it. You can travel and eat delicious food from around the world, but you’ll need a good chicken curry to feel like you really ate.

If you’re not familiar with it, this may be the chicken curry you’ve been searching for. It captures the essence of South Asian cooking while still being approachable. Plus, it’s made without heavy cream or coconut milk, so it’s cozy and comforting while still being light.

The difference between this chicken curry and many other chicken curries is the ‘shorba’ or ‘salan‘, which means gravy or curry. It has a thinner, soup-like consistency, so it’s perfect for dipping your roti or naan or scooping up with rice.

Notes on the Ingredients

This curry requires common ingredients used in Pakistani and Indian cooking:

• Oil: A thin layer of oil on the finished dish is a distinct feature of authentic curry. Plus, you need the oil to brown the onions, sear the chicken, and to ensure the spices don’t stick and burn. I’ve used a full 1/3 cup, which is just enough to give it the traditional look and taste. If you really want to make it the traditional way, you can even go up to 1/2 cup.
• Chicken pieces: This curry is typically made with a whole, skinless chicken that’s cut up into pieces. A mix of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks would also be perfect here, especially since they’re more readily available.
  • I recommend making this with bone-in chicken (tender + deeper flavor!), but you can use chicken breast or thighs. See below for how to make this curry using boneless chicken.
• Tomatoes: I typically use Roma, but you can also use vine tomatoes.
• Garlic & Ginger: You can use a mortar and pestle to crush them or run them through your food processor until they’re finely minced.
• Kosher salt: I like to use kosher salt, but you can use whatever salt you have on hand. If using table salt, you’ll need less than what’s called for in the recipe. Since this is a soupy curry, a good amount of salt is essential to adequately flavor it.
• Green Chili Peppers: Used for subtle heat and flavor. Use Thai chili peppers, Serrano, or any slender green chili you’re able to find.
• Whole & Ground Spices: This recipe uses standard whole spices and spice powders used in South Asian cooking. If you’re missing a few, feel free to omit. You can also try adding whole spices such as cinnamon sticks or cardamom pods.
  • Red chili powder (sub cayenne pepper): I’ve used a teaspoon, which makes a medium-spicy curry that my toddler handles well. Feel free to adjust the spice level to taste, or use Kashmiri chili powder for more mild heat.
• Garnishing: A good, preferably homemade garam masala and cilantro are all you need to finish this homey curry.

On using a Food Processor

This type of curry typically doesn’t have visible sliced onions or chopped tomatoes floating around. That’s why I’ve used a food processor to help get the right consistency.

• For the onions: Use the pulse function to very finely chop them. Make sure not to blend them or else they’ll release water and it’ll be harder to brown them.
• For the tomatoes: A rough tomato purée will help them meld into the curry. I’m not super picky about not having bits of tomato skin in the curry, but feel free to blend it even further if you want.

Don’t have a food processor? Just use your knife to finely mince the onions and tomatoes.

How to make Authentic Chicken Curry

Here’s what we’re trying to achieve at each stage:

1. Sauté onions: We’re going for golden brown. Keep in mind that they’ll deepen even more in color once you add the garlic and ginger.

2. Sauté the chicken: This technique, called ‘bhunai‘ sears the meat and gives it richer flavor and color.
3. Bloom the spices: This helps bring out their flavor. The moisture in the chicken & the oil prevents them from sticking. If you’re worried about them burning, feel free to deglaze the pan as needed.

4. Sauté the tomatoes: The goal is to get them integrated into the curry. A good sign is when they’re no longer releasing water and the oil starts to separate from the curry base.
5. Cover + Cook: Like a braise, a slow simmer will ensure tender chicken and well-developed flavors.

6. Uncover and simmer: Oil rising to the top is key and an indication that your curry is done.

How to make this curry with boneless chicken

If using boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut them into 1.5-inch pieces. There are 3 main differences when making this (or any chicken curry, really) with boneless chicken breast or thighs:

1. To prevent it from drying out, sauté it for less time after adding it to the onions (~2-3-ish minutes). (Step 3)
2. Chicken breast releases more water, so you’ll need to add less water before covering to cook. If you’re adding 2 cups for bone-in chicken, try adding around 1 1/2 cup for boneless. (Step 5)
3. Cook/simmer for a shorter time. Depending on the size and if you use breast or thighs, 13-15 minutes of cook time should be enough. (Step 6)

Tips & FAQs

What to serve with this Chicken Curry

Since this is a ‘wet’ curry, you can pair it with either rice or roti, naan, or other bread.

To add some crunch and freshness, you can make Kachumber Salad or chop up some vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions to serve alongside.

More Chicken Curry Recipes You’ll Love

• The Best Authentic Chicken Korma
• Pakistani Chicken Karahi (Easy and Authentic)
• Baked Tandoori Chicken Curry
• Chicken Jalfrezi
• Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk (and Potatoes)

Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment & star rating telling me how it was! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you! Thank you!