Chicken Curries from Scratch
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2
Chapter 3 · Chicken Curries from Scratch
Skill goal
Build a curry from whole spices and a slow base, and cook bone-in chicken in it until tender.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A curry made from scratch starts with whole spices fried briefly in oil (this is called blooming), then onion, garlic and ginger cooked slowly until sweet, then tomato or coconut milk, and finally the chicken, simmered until tender. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks give the best flavour and stay juicy; breast dries out. Brown the chicken first for depth, and don't skimp on the onion, which is the body of the sauce. Cooking Skills: Sauces 2, chapter 3 covers curry bases to prepare ahead; here the chicken and the base are cooked together.
Three styles here: a North Indian home curry (tomato and onion), a karahi (a quick, dry, tomato-and-ginger curry cooked at high heat) and a Thai red curry (paste fried first, then coconut milk). The last recipe is the Japanese-style katsu curry, a mild, sweet, thick sauce over a crumbed chicken cutlet. Serve all with rice: see Cooking Skills: Rice 1, chapter 3 for the absorption method. Adjust the chilli to taste; leave it out for children.
The method
- Bloom whole spices in hot oil for 30 to 60 seconds until they pop and smell fragrant.
- Cook the onions slowly until deep golden, then add garlic, ginger and ground spices.
- Brown the chicken separately for flavour, or add it straight to the base for a gentler curry.
- Add tomatoes or coconut milk, simmer gently with the lid on for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala, lemon or lime and fresh coriander, and check the chicken is past 75°C.
| Curry | Base | Chicken cut | Time (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home-style chicken curry | Onion and tomato | Bone-in thighs | 1 hour |
| Tomato and ginger karahi | Tomato, ginger, little water | Bone-in or boneless | 45 minutes |
| Thai red chicken curry | Curry paste and coconut milk | Boneless thighs | 35 minutes |
| Katsu curry | Flour roux with curry powder | Breast cutlet | 50 minutes |
Raw chicken, hot oil and spices, chilli and allergens
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Hot oil and spices: a tarka (tempering) heats oil until spices pop and sizzle in seconds. Have everything ready, keep a lid to hand, stand back when you pour it onto the dal, because it spits and steams, and don't let the spices go black, which makes them bitter.
Chilli and spices: chilli can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands well after chopping it and don't touch your face. Add heat in small steps and keep portions for children mild.
Allergens: chicken itself is not a major allergen, but the dishes around it often contain milk, gluten, egg, mustard, celery, soya and sesame. Check stock cubes and sauces, tell guests what is in a dish, and use separate tools for anyone with an allergy.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A home-style chicken curry
The foundation. Cook onions until they are deep golden, add the aromatics and spices, then tomatoes, and finally the chicken, which simmers until it falls off the bone. Skin-off thighs avoid a greasy sauce. Serve with basmati rice.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 8 bone-in, skin-off chicken thighs
- 250 ml water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- Heat the oil, fry the cumin seeds for 30 seconds, add the onions and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden. Add the garlic, ginger and ground spices for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes. Add the chicken and water, cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is very tender and well past 75°C.
- Stir in the garam masala and coriander and season. Serve with rice.
Raw chicken, hot oil and spices
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Hot oil and spices: a tarka (tempering) heats oil until spices pop and sizzle in seconds. Have everything ready, keep a lid to hand, stand back when you pour it onto the dal, because it spits and steams, and don't let the spices go black, which makes them bitter.
Chilli and spices: chilli can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands well after chopping it and don't touch your face. Add heat in small steps and keep portions for children mild.
Hot casserole: a covered dish or pot of casserole is heavy, with scalding steam under the lid. Use dry oven gloves, lift the lid away from you, rest the dish on a heatproof surface, and use a ladle to serve.
Level 2 · Quick
A tomato and ginger karahi
The karahi (also called kadai) is a quick curry cooked in a wok-like pan with little liquid. Fry the chicken hard, add fresh tomatoes that break down into a thick sauce, and finish with a handful of julienned fresh ginger and green chilli. Simple and punchy.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 800 g bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, in 4 cm pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 500 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 2 green chillies, sliced (deseed for mild)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over a high heat. Brown the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes, then add the cumin seeds and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, coriander and chilli powder, cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes over a medium heat until the tomatoes collapse and the chicken is tender (past 75°C).
- Uncover, boil off excess liquid, then stir in the ginger, green chilli and coriander and serve at once.
Raw chicken, hot pan and chilli
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Hot oil and spices: a tarka (tempering) heats oil until spices pop and sizzle in seconds. Have everything ready, keep a lid to hand, stand back when you pour it onto the dal, because it spits and steams, and don't let the spices go black, which makes them bitter.
Chilli and spices: chilli can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands well after chopping it and don't touch your face. Add heat in small steps and keep portions for children mild.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Level 2 · Thai
A Thai red chicken curry
Fry the red curry paste in a spoon of oil for a minute to release its aroma, then add coconut milk and stock and simmer. Boneless thighs stay tender in the sauce. Lime juice and basil finish it. Check the paste for shrimp paste if anyone has a shellfish allergy.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 3 tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 400 ml tinned coconut milk
- 200 ml chicken stock, unsalted
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs, in 3 cm pieces
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 100 g green beans, trimmed
- 1 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 lime, juice
- 1 handful Thai basil or basil leaves
- Fry the paste in the oil for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken, pepper and beans and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken reads 75°C or more and is tender.
- Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice, and scatter with basil. Serve with rice.
Raw chicken, coconut milk, paste and allergens
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Hot coconut milk: coconut milk spits when it first hits a hot pan and boils over easily. Add it slowly, stir, and keep the heat at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, or it splits and turns oily.
Fish sauce, shrimp paste and allergens: Thai curry pastes often contain shrimp paste and fish sauce, so they are not suitable for anyone with a fish or shellfish allergy. Check the label, tell guests what is in the dish, and use a vegan paste if you need to avoid them.
Chilli and spices: chilli can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands well after chopping it and don't touch your face. Add heat in small steps and keep portions for children mild.
Level 3 · Japanese
A katsu-style curry
Japanese curry is thick, mild and slightly sweet, made with a roux of flour and curry powder, and served with a crumbed cutlet and rice. Grate an apple into the sauce for sweetness. Make the cutlets as in Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 3 (schnitzel).
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 potato, diced
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 600 ml chicken stock, unsalted
- 1 small apple, grated
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 chicken breasts, halved and pounded
- 3 tbsp plain flour, for coating
- 1 egg, beaten
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp rapeseed oil, for frying
- Soften the onion, carrot and potato in the oil for 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and curry powder for 1 minute, add the stock, apple and soy sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes until thick. Blend half if you like it smooth.
- Coat the pounded chicken in flour, egg and panko. Shallow-fry in the oil over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side until golden and 75°C. Drain on a rack.
- Slice the cutlets, serve over rice with the sauce spooned around.
Raw chicken, hot oil, egg and allergens
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Shallow-frying and hot oil: hot oil causes serious burns and can catch fire. Use a heavy, deep pan filled no more than a third with oil, heat it to 160 to 175°C and check with a thermometer, dry the chicken well, lower it in away from you, and never leave the pan. If oil catches fire, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid; never use water. Keep children out of the kitchen.
Egg white in a marinade: velveting uses raw egg white in the marinade. It is safe because the chicken is cooked to 75°C, but wash your hands, board and bowl after handling it, and never taste the raw marinade.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg, soya and celery.
Experiments
Experiment
Bone-in or boneless
Flavour.
- Cook the same curry with bone-in thighs and with boneless thighs.
Look for: The bone-in curry is richer and the meat juicier; the boneless one is quicker and easier to eat but less flavourful.
Experiment
Spices toasted or not
Aroma.
- Make two bases, one with whole spices bloomed in oil and one with ground spices only.
Look for: Blooming whole spices gives a fuller, rounder aroma; ground-only is flatter and burns more easily.
Experiment
Yogurt marinade or none
Tenderness.
- Marinate half the chicken in yogurt and spice for 2 hours.
Look for: The marinated chicken is more tender and flavoured through; the plain chicken is fine but plainer.
Experiment
Curry paste fried or stirred in
Depth.
- Fry the Thai paste in oil in one pot, and stir it into coconut milk in another.
Look for: Frying releases the aroma and darkens the sauce; stirred in raw, the curry tastes harsh and raw.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home-style chicken curry | ||||
| Tomato and ginger karahi | ||||
| Thai red chicken curry | ||||
| Katsu-style curry | ||||
| Bone-in or boneless | ||||
| Spices toasted or not | ||||
| Yogurt marinade or none | ||||
| Curry paste fried or stirred in |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter curry | Spices burnt | Fry spices for under a minute and add the onion at once |
| Thin sauce | Too much water or lid on | Remove the lid and simmer to reduce |
| Greasy curry | Skin left on | Remove the skin and skim the oil |
| Split coconut sauce | Boiled hard | Keep to a gentle simmer |
| Tough chicken | Breast or fast boil | Use thighs and simmer gently |
| Raw-tasting spices | Not cooked enough | Cook the base until the oil separates |
Hot oil, spices and leftovers
Hot oil and spices: a tarka (tempering) heats oil until spices pop and sizzle in seconds. Have everything ready, keep a lid to hand, stand back when you pour it onto the dal, because it spits and steams, and don't let the spices go black, which makes them bitter.Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.
Leftover chicken: cool cooked chicken quickly (within about 1 to 2 hours), cover and refrigerate, and eat within 2 days. Reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. Never leave chicken on the table for more than 2 hours. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to about 3 months.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can bloom whole spices without burning them.
- I can cook onions until deeply golden.
- I can simmer bone-in chicken until tender.
- I can fry a curry paste.
- I check chicken is past 75°C.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2, chapter 4 is Chicken Stir-Fries: high heat, velveting and sauce order.