Chicken chilli garlic curry is a curry house favourite!
Now you can make chicken chilli garlic curry that is just as good as, if not better than what you find at the best curry houses. This recipe is straight forward, authentic and easy.
If you like garlic and a spicy kick to your curries, this chicken chilli garlic curry is one you need to try. Make your curry into a feast with a side of rice, naans or chapatis, a selection of chutneys and dal. Of course, don’t forget the samosas!
Quick and easy to make and tastes just like those you get at the best Indian restaurants.
Who should make chicken chilli garlic curry?
Garlicky and spicy, chicken chilli garlic curry has to be one of my all time favourites.
I have experimented with this recipe many times and talked my way into a few restaurant kitchens for tips. This is a winner!
Anyone who loves garlic and spicy chillies needs to give this chicken chilli garlic curry a try.
This recipe is quite spicy but not numbingly so. You can always add a few more chillies at the end if you want to turn the zing into a zap.
If spicy curries aren’t your thing, just reduce the amount of chillies and/or chilli powder.
Getting curry house style curries right…
At curry houses, the chefs make their curries using a base sauce. This is an essential ingredient for achieving that famous flavour and sauce texture.
This means that there is some prep work you need to do before starting a curry house style curry.
I usually make my tandoori meats and base curry sauce in large batches so I always have some on hand for that last minute curry craving.
Once the preparation is done, both the sauce and tandoori meat can be frozen with excellent results.
If you want to take you Indian restaurant style curries to a whole new and delicious level, try my spice blend recipes too.
PLANNING AHEAD
Getting your ingredients together
It is always a good idea to get your ingredients together before starting cooking. This saves time and also ensures you don’t have to go looking for ingredients once you start.
Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which will need to me made before cooking this recipe.
The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results.
It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well. The small batch version works well too though it’s not as authentic.
Pre-Cooked Chicken
I pre-cook chicken in two ways. Most restaurant use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry. You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you’d like to create tandoori Chicken Chilli Garlic.
Mixed Powder
One of the ingredients added to curry house style curries like this chicken chilli garlic curry is mixed powder.
This is an Indian restaurant curry powder. I have a link to my recipe for it in the recipe below but you could use a good quality curry powder if you must.
Alternative Ingredients…
So this might be a chicken chilli garlic curry but the recipe is really all about the sauce.
You don’t have to use chicken! Just like when you go out for a curry and see chilli garlic curry on the menu, you can decide what goes into it.
Try this with tandoori lamb tikka, paneer, keema or vegetable kofta for example.
If it sounds good, it will be.
Following are step by step photos of the cooking process.
Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the garlic slivers until soft but not burnt. Stir in the onion and fry for a further 3 – 5 minutes.
Stir in the chopped chillies and garlic and ginger paste. Fry for about 30 seconds.
How does this chicken chilli garlic curry recipe differ to the one in my books?
Not a lot really.
In my cookbooks ‘The Curry Guy’ and the new ‘The Curry Guy Bible’, the recipes are made to serve 4 or more as part of a multi course meal.
In this recipe I make it to serve 1 – 2 people. It is a curry house portion.
In my books I also explain how to get some more amazing flavours into the sauce but you will get excellent results with this recipe.
Stir in the mixed powder and chilli powder.
Stir the tomato puree into the pan and bring to a simmer.
Add a ladle or two of the base sauce.
Bring to a simmer.
Add the pre-cooked chicken and stir to coat with the sauce.
Add a little dried garlic and some coriander. (optional) and stir it into the sauce.
Add the dried fenugreek (methi) and stir it in.
Top with some more coriander and dried garlic flakes if you like. A twist of lime juice is also nice. Season with salt to taste.
Here are some more curry house favourites you might like to try!
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna
Ready to serve! You are going to love this!
How To Make Chicken Chilli Garlic
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 8 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 (or more) fresh green chillies, sliced into thin rings, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp mixed powder or curry powder
- 1 tbsp tandoori masala
- 70ml (1/4 cup) tomato purée
- 300ml (1 1/4 cups) base curry sauce, heated
- 300g (11 oz) tandoori chicken tikka
- 1 handful of dried garlic flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek (methi) leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
- Juice of one lime (optional)
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic. It is very important not to burn the garlic, so watch the pan and move the slivers around in the pan until they become soft and are just beginning to brown.
- Now add the onion and fry for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent, sprinkling a little salt over the onions to help release moisture.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and chillies, and fry for about 20 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground spices and tomato purée and sizzle for a further 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add about a ladle or two of the base curry sauce and bring to a rolling simmer. (You don’t need to stir the sauce unless it is obviously catching on the pan.)
- Be sure to scrape any sauce that caramelises to the sides of the pan back into the sauce. Add more base as required. If the curry is looking too dry, add more base. If too saucy, just cook it down.
- Add the pre cooked chicken and coat with the sauce
- Continue simmering until fenugreek leaves and check for seasoning, adding salt to taste.
- Sprinkle with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and a few more chillies if you like. A twist of lime juice is a nice addition.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 511mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 16g
Alice
Sunday 14th of January 2024
Hi Curry Guy! I got the Bible for Christmas! I love your book! This week I've mostly been making curry... I started off by making curry powder, mixed powder, garam masala and tandoori masala, and garlic & ginger paste... Oh, not forgetting the base sauce! Just making that was quite a lot of work!! Then I went on to make beef madras - pre cooked beef with amazing stock!! I also made the garlic chilli chicken - marniated and cooked chicken tikka style... Deeeeelicious! I also made the creamy vegetable korma and also the Balti dahl fry.. Ooo, for starters I made the yummy mulligatawny soup... Onion bahjis, tomato & red onion salad and I also made authentic naans (cooked in a pan). Honestly, all week I have been creating dishes from your book! I've been dreaming curry!!
It's been a LOT of work... But it was absolutely deeeeelicious!!
Dan Toombs
Wednesday 17th of January 2024
You’ve been very busy! Really glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes so much. Thanks very much. Dan
Hannah
Friday 3rd of November 2023
I'm going to make this tonight- with the base sauce! Thanks. Awesome, informative blog.
Dan Toombs
Monday 6th of November 2023
Thanks very much, hope it turned out well. Dan
Faye
Saturday 28th of October 2023
Made your base sauce today. So easy and came out brilliant. Made a bhuna with it. Im an expat living in spain and have been trying to copy our Birmingham curry's for years. I've managed a few but this was awesome. We used to order something called a jaipur. Do you know this? Quite hot but sweet aswell. Like mixing a madras with a tikka masala really. Cannot find a recipe anywhere online. If you have any idea of how to make this I'd love to see it on here. Making the chasni tomorrow 👍🏻🤞🏻. Thanks for all your effort. Wont be looking anywhere else for curry recipes that's for sure.
Dan Toombs
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
Thanks very much for your message, so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I’m guessing Jaipur is a name given by the restaurant to the dish as I don’t it I’m afraid. Thanks Dan
Debra
Sunday 15th of October 2023
I have to ask, does this chicken chilli garlic curry recipe appear in one of your books? Thank you.
Dan Toombs
Tuesday 17th of October 2023
Yes there is a restaurant version with base sauce in The Curry Guy Bible and a recipe from scratch that does not require a base sauce in my just released book The Curry Guy One Pot. Thanks very much. Dan
Ken
Friday 22nd of September 2023
Love this curry - but was forever cooking it - the fenugreek just would not disappear... "7. Continue simmering until fenugreek leaves ...." .sarc.
Seriously this is one lovely meal if you are not afraid of a bit of garlic that is ;)
Dan Toombs
Tuesday 26th of September 2023
Thankyou, yes - you have to enjoy garlic for this recipe! Dan