Begin by adding the oil to a large pan over medium heat. Allow it to warm up until it is fully heated.
Next, add the chopped onions to the pan. Stir and cook them for about 4–5 minutes, or until they become softened and begin to turn golden.
Add the garlic paste and the sliced green chillies to the pan. Stir these into the onions and sauté for about 1 minute, letting their flavors infuse into the oil.
Add the tomatoes to the pan. Stir and cook them until they soften and the oil starts to separate from the mixture, indicating that the tomatoes are fully cooked.
Now, add the chicken pieces to the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken begins to change color and sear slightly.
Add the spices (salt, chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and black pepper) to the pan. Stir thoroughly to ensure the chicken is coated evenly with the spices, and cook for an additional 3–4 minutes.
Add the water to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the dish cook for 8–10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook thoroughly.
Finally, add the dried fenugreek and chopped coriander to the pan, stirring them through the curry for a final burst of flavor. Serve warm.
Latest comments (5)
Forgot to say, don’t put salt in the cooking until just before service, as the salt hinders the Maillard reaction.
That’s a brilliant tip! Appreciate you sharing that 🙌
I’ve been cooking a similar chicken curry for decades. But mine is different in as much as I marinade the chicken pieces in raw onion, garlic and shredded ginger and spices, and add oil, not yogurt. After about an hour, I put all the above ingredients in a pan and fry until the chicken is just cooked. Then I add either yoghurt and/or tomatoes, and warm through. The reason for my prep method is so that the spices penetrate the raw chicken flesh aided by the oil, and when put into the cooking pan, the Maillard reaction takes place with the chicken protein and carbs in the spices and onion/garlic/ginger and chillies, if using. The reaction can produce up to 250 new flavour compounds.
That sounds amazing! Love how you’ve broken it down, proper flavour science right there 👏 Might have to give your method a try!