Having a decent curry recipe in your repertoire is a must. My Indian-Inspired Boneless Chicken Curry recipe is loaded with warming spices and uses boneless chicken to make it easy for the entire family to enjoy.
I’ve loaded it with plenty of veggies too. All too often, a chicken curry recipe is just a sauce with lots of chicken in it. I’ve included onions in the base alongside carrot, courgette and spinach.
Not only does this fill the curry up with plenty of goodness, but it is a cheap way to bulk it out too.
The other good news is that this curry can all be cooked in one pot, from start to finish. You don’t need many pots, pans, bowls and dishes for this.
How to Make Indian Boneless Chicken Curry
A detailed recipe with full quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1: One of the best ways to get plenty of flavour into the chicken and to ensure it doesn’t dry out (which can easily happen with boneless chicken breast) is to marinate it beforehand.
Combine chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and yoghurt. Give it 30 minutes, at least, to marinate fully. This will help to tenderise the chicken while imparting plenty of flavour.
Step 2: Although you can buy curry powder or use ground spices, I would always recommend using whole spices which you toast yourself. You’ll get so much more flavour.
So toast cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala in a dry pan, then crush to a powder.
Step 3: The next step is to make the base for your curry. Slowly cook onion in oil (or ghee if you have it) until they have completely softened and released lots of oil.
You can then add your garlic, ginger, green chillies and spice powder.
Traditionally, a ginger-garlic paste is made in a food processor, but that involves getting special equipment out, and I’m trying to keep things simple.
Step 4: Next, it’s time to add your marinated chicken. Add it to the pan and brown it all over. This should only take a few minutes. You’re not looking to cook it. The only thing you’re after is a bit of colour on the outside.
Step 5: Once browned, add your grated carrot and courgette, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and water. Stir everything, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer.
You need to give the chicken 20 minutes or so to cook through. You must adjust the cooking time depending on how small you have cut up the chicken breasts.
Step 6: When the chicken is cooked and the veg is soft, remove it from the heat and stir through the spinach. The residual heat in the pan will be enough to wilt the spinach. It’s now ready to serve!
Serve
Once you’ve got a bowl of curry ready to eat, it’s time to dish it up. So, what should you serve it with?
- Naan Bread: Obviously, you need to serve it with naan bread. You can either buy your own or follow my 3-ingredient flatbread recipe.
- Basmati Rice: alongside naan, rice is a must. Plain, boiled basmati rice is fine here, but if you want to up your curry game, try making jeera rice (it’s just cumin-infused rice). You could also use brown rice as a side dish.
- Raita and Mango Chutney: Condiments are what help elevate a meal. Raita will help cool down the curry if people find it a little spicy. Mango chutney will add sweetness to contrast with the warming spices.
- Kachumber: Kachumber might not be a side you’re aware of, but it’s served alongside many Indian meals as a simple tomato salsa-like salad to help cut through the richness of the curry.
Tweak
If you want to pimp this curry up a little or want to change it up then here are some ideas you could try:
- Go Vegetarian: Instead of using chicken, use paneer for the main protein element of the curry. It’s a delicious Indian cheese that works well in curries. It won’t need to be cooked for as long, though.
- Add More Tomato Flavour: If you prefer a more tomato-rich curry, then halve the amount of coconut milk and add a little tomato paste to the base.
- Use Any Veg: I’ve used carrot, courgette and spinach in this curry, but you can use whatever veg you have in the fridge. Peppers, cauliflower and peas would all work.
- Try Different Spices: My mix of spices is fairly generic in this curry. You should have them in your cupboard. But don’t be afraid to mix it up. Add some cinnamon sticks, bay leaves or fenugreek to create a unique spice mix.
Store
If you’ve got curry leftover, then there are a few options for how to store it depending on how long you want to keep it:
Refrigerate: Allow the chicken curry to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: To freeze curry, once it is completely cool, portion it into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to leave some space for the curry to expand in the container when it freezes.
Reheat: Thaw frozen curry in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
If it’s refrigerated, you can also reheat it in the same way or in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, stirring occasionally until thoroughly heated.
Indian Boneless Chicken Curry Recipe
4
servings10
minutes40
minutes50
minutesThis is my freezer-friendly boneless chicken curry recipe
Keeps the screen of your device ON
Ingredients
- For the Chicken
500 g 1 lb – Chicken Breast or Boneless Thighs
1 tsp 1 tsp – Turmeric
1 tsp 1 tsp – Salt
1 tsp 1 tsp – Chilli Powder
100 g 2/5 cup – Natural Yoghurt
- For the Curry
5 tbsp 5 tbsp – Vegetable Oil or Ghee
5 5 – Curry Leaves
3 3 – Cardamom Pods
2 tsp 2 tsp – Cumin Seeds
1 tsp 1 tsp – Coriander Seeds
1 tsp 1 tsp – Garam Masala
1 tsp 1 tsp – Turmeric
1 1 – Onion, Sliced
1 Inch 1 Inch – Piece of Ginger
4 4 – Garlic Cloves
2 2 – Green Chillies
1 1 – Carrot, Grated
1 1 – Courgette, Grated
200 g 1 1/3 cup – Finely Chopped Tomatoes
250 ml 1 cup – Coconut Milk
100 ml 3/7 cup – Water
2 Handfuls 2 Handfuls – Spinach
Directions
- Marinate the Chicken
Cut the chicken up into cubes and place it into a large bowl with the turmeric, salt, chilli powder and natural yoghurt. Stir to combine and coat all the chicken, then cover and set aside for 30 minutes to marinade. - Toast the Spices
Heat a pan over medium heat without oil and toss in the cardamom, cumin, coriander, garam masala and turmeric. Toast for a minute or two until fragrant. Remove from the heat and grind to a powder in a pestle, mortar, or spice grinder. - Cook the Base
Add the oil or ghee to the pan you used to toast the spices, and then, when hot, add the sliced onion and cook until the onion has softened and released its oils. You can then crush in the garlic cloves, grate in the ginger and green chillies, and cook for a further minute. - Add the Spices and Chicken
Next, add the spices to the onion mixture and toss to combine. You then need to add the marinated chicken. Give everything a good stir so the chicken is coated and then brown it for 5 minutes. - Add Everything Else
Add the grated carrot, grated courgette, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and water. Stir everything. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. - Add Spinach and Serve
Once the chicken is cooked, stir the spinach through the curry, off the heat, until it has wilted and then serve it up.
Amazing dish. Loved the recipe! Keep it up.
Great to hear, thanks Hassan!
I’m eager to make this; sounds delicious! The recipe calls for 5 curry leaves. When and how do you put these into the mix? Should they be toasted and ground up with the other spices?