Mom’s Chicken Curry [Homestyle Chicken Curry]

Mom’s Chicken Curry is a delicious, aromatic dish devoured by my whole family! Tender chicken pieces are marinated in a flavorful yogurt sauce and simmered in onion-tomato sauce. This chicken curry is aromatic, with subtle flavors, in an easy-to-make recipe.

This delicious one-pot chicken curry is made with basic ingredients and comes together in no time. Perfect for weeknight’s dinner!

MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

Chicken curry is quite common in Asian countries. I believe every home has its version of chicken curry. My favorite of all the curries is my Mom’s chicken curry. It is pure comfort food, I’m always craving!

This curry is not like the ones you get at your Indian restaurant. It’s a homestyle chicken curry, with all the authentic flavors and irresistible taste. This is my go-to recipe to make homestyle chicken curry. We love this saucy chicken curry over the bed of Basmati Rice.

I remember growing up in India, every other Sunday my mom used to make this chicken curry. There’s nothing as comforting as, enjoying the food you grew up eating. And this incredible chicken curry is pure comfort food.

Sharing my mom’s authentic recipe for this incredible Chicken Curry I grew up devouring. This dish has always been my favorite, nothing beats the authentic flavors of mom’s chicken curry. It is one of the quick weeknights dinners, that my whole family looks forward to. Simply amazing!

INGREDIENTS FOR MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

FOR THE MARINATE

1 whole (3 lbs.) chicken cut into small pieces

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1/2 cup thick yogurt

2 teaspoon coriander powder 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder; adjust to taste

2 tablespoon canola or olive oil 

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt to taste

FOR TOMATO PUREE

1 medium tomato

2-3 green chili; adjust to taste

FOR THE CURRY

Marinated chicken

Tomato puree

1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon ghee or oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 

1 dried bay leaf 

3-4 whole cloves

1-inch cinnamon sticks 

3-4 whole green cardamom

1 teaspoon garam masala; adjust to taste

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

Freshly squeezed lemon juice; adjust to taste

A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Pic Shown: Mom’s Chicken Curry

HOW TO MAKE MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

This mom’s or homestyle chicken curry can be made using simple ingredients and can be made in a pressure cooker (stove or Instant Pot) or an open pot. Pressure cooking takes less time as compared to the open pot method. However, you chose to make this curry, and the end result is amazing! Sharing my mom’s easy chicken curry recipe using a pressure cooker (stove and Instant Pot)

PREP FOR MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

This process can be done a day in advance. You can marinate the chicken overnight or minimum of 30 minutes. 

STEP1: MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Using a paper towel, pat dry the chicken to get rid of any excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Add chicken pieces and turn to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

INSTANT POT MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

STEP 2: PREPARE THE SAUCE [MASALA]

In a blender jar, add chopped tomatoes, and green chili and make a puree. Keep it aside.

Turn Instant Pot to sauté (more) and heat the oil.

Add cumin seeds, whole cloves, whole green cardamom, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Sauté for 10-15 seconds.

Next add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions turn light brown. Stir at regular intervals.

Now add ginger-garlic paste, and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add tomato puree, and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Cook the sauce until the oil starts to separate. Stir at regular intervals.

STEP 3: ADD MARINATED CHICKEN; PRESSURE COOK

Add the chicken, and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Stir the chicken a few times.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the pot.

Note: There will be enough liquid to build the pressure and cook the chicken. Do not add too much water.

Close the Instant Pot lid, vent sealed. Pressure cook (high) for 10 minutes. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release.

STEP 4: ENJOY MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

[Optional] Turn ON sauté (more), and simmer the curry for 2-3 minutes or until desired consistency.

Sprinkle some garam masala, lemon juice, and a handful of fresh cilantro. Serve with some Basmati Rice, roti, or naan. Enjoy!

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Mom’s Chicken Curry

STOVETOP MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

STEP 2: PREPARE THE SAUCE [MASALA]

In a blender jar, add chopped tomatoes, and green chili and make a puree. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.

Add cumin seeds, whole cloves, whole green cardamom, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Sauté for 10-15 seconds.

Next add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions turn light brown. Stir at regular intervals.

Now add ginger-garlic paste, and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add tomato puree, and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Cook the sauce until the oil starts to separate. Stir at regular intervals.

STEP 3: ADD MARINATED CHICKEN; PRESSURE COOK

Add the chicken, and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Stir the chicken a few times.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the pot.

Note: There will be enough liquid to build the pressure and cook the chicken. Do not add too much water.

Close the pressure cooker lid, and put the weights. After the first whistle reduces the heat and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.

STEP 4: ENJOY MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

[Optional] Turn ON heat (more), and simmer the curry for 2-3 minutes or until desired consistency.

Sprinkle some garam masala, lemon juice, and a handful of fresh cilantro. Serve with some Basmati Rice, roti, or naan. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS MOM’S CHICKEN CURRY

FOR THE MASALA [GRAVY]

One of the key steps to this chicken curry is, how well the masala or the onion-tomato gravy is cooked.

Bhuna masala is a term used in Indian cuisine. Bhuna means cooking down the sauce [masala] until the oil separates.

Firstly, cook the onions until it turns light brown. Next, add tomato puree and cook it further until the oil separates from the sauce. This is an important step in cooking down the sauce, the secret to this flavorful curry.

If required add a couple of tablespoons of water and deglaze the pot. Make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the inner pot. Chicken releases moisture as it gets cooked. There will be some liquid from the marinade as well. Add water as needed to avoid burnt signs.

BEST CHICKEN TO USE

For best results, use bone-in chicken. I find bone-in chicken adds a ton of flavor to this simple curry. Feel free to use the chicken of your choice. Chicken thighs, and drumsticks, work fine in this recipe.

Adjust the cooking time depending upon the size of the chicken pieces. The recipe uses whole chicken cut into small pieces and these cook perfectly in the recommended time.

ABOUT THE MARINATE

Use thick yogurt for best results. I use dahi, homemade Indian yogurt. You can use store-bought or homemade yogurt.

Marinating the chicken adds flavors, resulting in juicy, tender chicken. I normally marinate the chicken for 30 minutes up to overnight.

AROMATIC SPICES

Whole spices do boast the flavors in the curry. If you are not a fan of whole spices, I would highly recommend using cumin seeds and bay leaf. You can skip the other two whole spices. Discard the bay leaf after cooking the curry. Add some extra garam masala to enhance the flavor of the curry.

Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less green chili, red chili powder, or garam masala to suit your taste. I used Thai green chili for this recipe, which is quite hot.

Garam masala is an aromatic spice blend. I prefer to add garam masala at the end, to preserve its aroma. 

You can adjust the heat to less, normal, or more for Instant Pot and stovetop while cooking the sauce [masala].

Pic Shown: Mom’s Chicken Curry

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW LONG DOES IT STAY FRESH

Chicken curry stays fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container. Re-heat and serve.

CAN I FREEZE THE CHICKEN CURRY

Curry freezes beautifully. You can freeze the chicken curry for up to a month. Defrost in the refrigerator. Re-heat and serve.

CAN I MAKE THE SAUCE [MASALA] AND FREEZE

Yes, you can make the masala [sauce] and freeze it too. Thaw the sauce, add chicken and follow the rest of the recipe to make mom’s chicken curry.

IF I DOUBLE THE QUANTITY WILL THE COOKING TIME REMAIN THE SAME

If you double the quantity, double all the ingredients except garam masala and red chili powder. Adjust to taste. The cooking time remains the same.

CAN I SKIP THE WHOLE SPICES

Whole spices are used in Indian cuisine for their aroma, and the wonderful warm flavors they impart to curry. If you are not a fan of whole spices, you can skip them. I highly recommend using cumin seeds and bay leaf at the minimum. You can discard the bay leaf after cooking the curry.

Add some extra garam masala to enhance the flavor of the curry.

WHAT OTHER WHOLE SPICES CAN I USE

I like to use cumin seeds, whole green cardamom, whole cloves, and bay leaf. Some other spices such as black cardamom, cinnamon stick, and black peppers can be used as well. Add the whole spices at the beginning of the recipe with cumin seeds and bay leaf.

★ If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Please rate the recipe and/or leave a comment below.

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