The Art of Chicken Curry
Chicken curries thrive on variety. As a staple on so many tables, chicken invites innovation—it’s a canvas that welcomes bold spices, gentle herbs, and unexpected twists. Every dish benefits from a fresh perspective, but chicken especially calls for creativity to keep our taste buds curious and delighted.
Because it’s such a frequent favorite—for both cooking and serving—I’m often asked to create new flavor profiles. And I absolutely love the challenge. Experimenting in the kitchen is one of my greatest joys. But I believe experimentation should be done with care—just enough that if something veers off track, it can still be salvaged and turned into something delicious.
That’s the beauty of cooking: it’s forgiving, flexible, and full of surprises. And with chicken curry, the possibilities are endless.
A little pepper wisdom from today’s kitchen adventure 🌶️ This dish was a flavorful experiment—and a successful one at that. Black pepper can be bold, but even a pinch too much can tip the balance. So I reached for white pepper instead: subtle, smooth, and just the right kind of heat. The result? A dish that’s warm, complex, and absolutely delicious.
Why Cashews?
Creamy, nutty, and quietly powerful. Cashews are my secret to richness without heaviness—a subtle sweetness that dances beautifully with the warmth of pepper. While coconut milk and cream have their place, cashews bring something deeper, smoother, and more balanced to the table.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 lbs Chicken [ with bones/ Boneless] Cut to small to medium size pieces.
- 2 No. Onions cut to cubes
- 8-9 No. Green chilies
- 1/4 cup Cashews
- 2 No. Bay leaves
- 1 No. Cinnamon small
- 2 No. Green caradamoms
- 2-3 No. cloves
- 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1.5 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 1/2 cup Yogurt preferably Greek, but regular yogurt is fine too
- 4-5 No. Dry red chilies
- 1 tbsp Kasoori methi
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup olive oil You can also use ghee if you like to make the dish a little more rich
- Salt
Ingredients
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- This is a safe dish when it comes to spices. The flavor of Black pepper isn't that strong when considering Indian food and mixed with cashews and cream makes it milder. So, this dish is perfect for people expecting mild and not too spicy food.
- The curry does not have a lot of sauce and the sauce sticks to the chicken, so if you want to serve it with Rice, make some daal as well.
- Let the water boil a little and add cubed onions, green chilies, and cashews to the water.
- Let it boil for 10-12 minutes till the onions and cashews start looking a little soft.
- Let everything cool down and add it to a blender.
- Make a puree of the onion, cashew, and chilies.
- Add Olive oil/Ghee to a pan and add cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to the pan. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the onion-cashew-chilies to the pan and saute for 5 minutes on low to medium flame.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away.
- Add salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Cook till the oil separates.
- Add the Chicken and mix well. Cook for 10 minutes till the chicken is half cooked.
- Add black pepper and white pepper. Mix well.
- Add yogurt and mix well.
- Add a little water, around 1 cup so the curry doesn't look too dry. Let it cook on medium heat. Let the spices blend in well with the chicken.
- Add the kasoori methi and mix.
- Add in dry red chilies. they will get soft while being cooked with the sauce. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the heavy cream. Serve hot/warm.
- This curry is mild and if you want to spice it up a little, add a little more pepper.
- Serve with Parantha. It tastes best.
