Like you’re curries spicy? Give this spicy chicken curry a try!
This spicy chicken curry is amazing. It’s one of my favourite curries and it can be made in many different ways with varying amounts of herbs and spices.
In this version, you don’t add ginger. There is no reason why you can’t add ginger ginger or garlic and ginger paste. I love it but I learned this version from a chef in Bangalore and decided to show you his exact recipe.
The over riding flavour is of the herbs and both green finger and bird’s eye chillies that you use.
About this recipe.
While on a short stay in Bangalore, I tried a few curries just like this. They were all slightly different to each other but one thing they all had in common was that they were very spicy.
Many people ask me if there is an Indian version of Thai green curry and I think this comes pretty close. Add a bit of fish sauce and some minced galangal and you’ll have somthing appoaching a Thai green curry! The curry is spicy because of all the green chillies that you use, both in the spicy paste and also they are added finely chopped to the curry.
You can of course make this to taste, however. If you like a good spicy chicken curry, then make this recipe just as written. You could also add fewer chillies or a lot more. It’s all down to your personal spice preferences.
I like this spicy chicken curry so much, I decided to feature it in my new cookbook ‘The Curry Guy Chicken’.
Is this spicy chicken curry difficult to prepare?
Not at all. This is a one pan curry. You do need to first fry onion, chillies and garlic to make a spice and herb paste but that is really easy.
Then you start all over using the same pan to cook the curry. Spicy chicken curry does not come much better or easier than this! You can prepare it in about 30 minutes.
How long can you store this spicy chicken curry in the fridge?
You can store this in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Be sure to cover it tightly. Then to reheat it, simply place it in your microwave until hot or heat it up in a pan over a medium heat.
Can this curry be frozen.
Yes and you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Be sure to freeze it in convenient portion sizes and label and date it. You should freeze it in an air tight container or freezer bag. If freezing in a bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as you can before sealing.
It is best to freeze the curry before adding the coconut milk as coconut milk doesn’t freeze well. That said, if you already have your coconut milk in there and want to freeze your curry, go for it.
Step by step photographs.
Get all your ingredients together and prepared before you start cooking.
To make the paste, heat two tablespoons oil in a wok or karai over a medium heat. Add the roughly chopped onions, chillies and garlic.
Fry, stirring regularly to soften for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the fried onion, chillies and garlic to a blender or food processor.
Add the water, lime juice, coriander (cilantro), mint leaves and the fried onion, chillies and garlic to a blender.
Blend until smooth and set aside.
Now heat about 70ml (1/4 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil in your pan over a medium high heat and stir in the whole spices.
Infuse the spices in the oil for about a minute and then stir in the finely chopped onions and fry for about 7 minutes.
Stir in the chopped chillies, followed by the tomatoes and spices. Stir well to combine.
Now add the chicken.
Stir the chicken into the sauce so that it is nicely coated. Cover the pan and let it simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if needed.
Stir in the spice paste until it coats the meat. Add a drop of water if the curry is looking dry.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer the curry to your preferred thickness. Add more water if too dry or cook it down if too liquidy. Season with the garam masala and salt to taste.
Serve with rice or naans. I often also serve this with lemon or lime wedges that can be squeezed over the curry to taste.
If you like this spicy chicken curry, you might like to have a go at some of these popular chicken curries too.
Chicken Majestic
Jamaican One Pot Chicken Curry
Chicken Methi Curry
Restaurant Style Chicken Chaat
Chicken Katsu Curry
Shahi Chicken Korma
Jeera Chicken
Chicken Coconut Curry
Green Chilli Chicken Curry
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Restaurant Style Chicken Tikka Masala
Goan Chicken Vindaloo
Chinese Chicken Curry
Japanese Chicken Curry
Have you tried this spicy chicken curry recipe?
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Spicy Chicken Curry
Discover the amazing flavours of this spicy chicken curry recipe. Made with a blend of herbs and green chilies, it's a must for curry lovers.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 5cm (2in) cinnamon stick 10 black peppercorns
- 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 2 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 2 medium red onions, very finely chopped
- 10 green finger chillies, finely chopped (to taste)
- 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
- 1kg (2lb 2oz) skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 125ml (1⁄2 cup) thick coconut milk
- 125ml (1⁄2 cup) water or chicken stock (optional)
- 1⁄2 tsp garam masala
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp coriander (cilantro),
- finely chopped to garnish
- FOR THE CHILLI PASTE
- 3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 12 green bird’s eye chillies
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large bunch of coriander
- (cilantro), roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch of mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- About 70ml (1⁄4 cup) water
Instructions
- To make the chilli paste, heat the oil over a medium–high heat in a frying pan (skillet) or saucepan that has a lid and add the chillies, garlic and the roughly chopped onion.
- Fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion and garlic are turning soft and the chillies are blistering in places.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer these ingredients to a food processor or large spice grinder and add the coriander (cilantro) and mint leaves. Squeeze in the lime juice and add enough water to blend to a very smooth, green paste.
- You should still have a little oil in your pan. Add more as needed, until you have about 70ml (1⁄4 cup) oil in the pan, and then add the whole spices.
- Fry to infuse these flavours into the oil for about a minute and then tip in the finely chopped onion. Stir well to coat with the oil and fry for about 7 minutes or until the onion is soft, translucent and just beginning to brown.
- Stir in the chopped chillies. Careful here, you don’t want to add them all if you don’t like a really spicy curry!
- Continue to fry for a few more minutes to darken the onions until they are a golden brown in colour. Stir in the ground turmeric, coriander and cumin and stir well to combine. Then add the chopped tomatoes and stir them in.
- Add the chicken thighs and stir some more until the meat is turning white on the exterior.
- Cover the pan and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, lifting the lid a couple of times to stir. Now add the green chilli paste and stir it in. Cover again and simmer over a medium heat for another 5 minutes.
- Lift the lid, add the coconut milk and stir it in. The curry will be quite thick but you can add a little water or chicken stock if you prefer more sauce.
- Cover the pan again for 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with coriander (cilantro).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 406Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 688mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 7gSugar: 14gProtein: 18g