Punjabi Chicken Curry / Thick gravy Chicken Curry

Punjabi Chicken curry is a classic Indian dish; vibrant with rich flavorful gravy. It is a popular Dhaba style dish with succulent chicken pieces cooked in a heartwarming spice mix. The rich creamy gravy is what makes this Punjabi Chicken curry exotic and appealing. With basic ingredients and Indian spices, this restaurant style Punjabi Chicken curry can be made easily at home. Most of my recipes are simple and uncomplicated without compromising on taste and quality. You will love this fusion of north and south Indian cuisine; as I have added little ground coconut to the gravy to make it exceptionally delectable.

Indian cuisine or Indian curries are famous all over the world for its aromatic spices, rich flavors, the spicy onion tomato gravy. The secret lies in the spices and the perfect blend of ingredients and the slow cooking over time. Diversified like the rich culture and traditions, cuisines in India are influenced by Mughal, Arabic, Potughese and Asian cuisines. Do check my Grilled chicken, Kebabs, Butter chicken, Kadai Chicken, Sri Lankan Prawns curry, Chettinad chicken curry, Kashmiri Mutton curry, Ginger chicken, Chicken satay and Fish in Cabbage; You will love the fusion of flavors!

I have modified this Punjabi Chicken curry recipe, which I got from my Beenchi (my one and only darling sis) and the new version tastes great with just the right blend of spices, Onions, Tomatoes and rich creamy gravy made with curd, ground coconut and cashews. This Punjabi Chicken curry is a great combination with Pulao, Jeera rice or Rotis, Palappam, Idiyappam and Naan.  It is a wonderful main dish to serve for Dinner parties. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Method:

Clean the chicken pieces (medium cut) and drain. Marinate with salt and turmeric for half an hour.

Meanwhile, heat oil and ghee in a wide pan. When it is hot enough put 1 tsp Sugar to the oil. Let it melt and form a brown layer in the oil. Now add Bay leaf and whole spices: Pepper corns, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves and let it sizzle. This is to infuse the flavors of the spices in the oil. Immediately add thinly sliced onions and fry till transparent.

Next, add the Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric and Cumin Powder and sauté well. Chop the Tomatoes finely. Mix together curd and ginger garlic paste. Add the chopped tomatoes to the gravy and fry for one minute. Sprinkle the curd mix little by little and fry till the tomatoes are mashed well.

Grind the grated coconut and cashews with little water to make a fine smooth paste. Put this to the gravy and stir fry for another minute, Mix in the marinated chicken and combine well with the gravy. Pour a glass of warm water and mix well to coat the chicken pieces with gravy. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and then cover and cook the chicken on low flame, turning in between.

Adjust the salt and add hot water if you need more gravy. Check if the chicken is cooked properly. Do not overcook the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, and the gravy is thick enough, switch off the gas.  Garnish Punjabi Chicken curry with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Pulao, Ghee rice, Jeera rice or Naan.

Tips:

• Use fresh tender chicken with bones for best results, it gives more depth and flavor to the curry.
• Take equal quantities of Ghee and Oil for cooking.
• Please adjust the spices according to your spice level. Add chili powder as per your liking. You may sprinkle a pinch of Garam Masala after cooking the chicken for better aroma.
• Caramelizing the sugar in oil balances the sweetness from Onions and gives a great flavor.
• Let the whole spices pop and crackle in the oil; it helps the flavors get infused into the oil, transforming the whole curry.
• Add more water if you need more gravy, ideally you should have a thick creamy gravy.
• Mix the Ginger garlic paste and curd well. Whisking the curd is advised as it will not separate in the gravy. Make sure you don’t add the entire Curd mix to the gravy. Sprinkle little by little in the gravy and sauté to release the flavor gently.

I would love to hear from you about this exotic Punjabi Chicken Curry with thick gravy. Please leave your comments below if you like this recipe and please share with your friends using the buttons on the side. You can also subscribe to my newsletter to get   updates on regular basis. God Bless!!