Chicken Pathia curry with step-by-step photos and video recipe. Chicken Pathia is a tangy, sweet, and spicy British Indian restaurant’s favorite chicken curry, popular in the curry houses of the United Kingdom. The tanginess of the tomatoes and tamarind, the heat from the chilies, and the sweetness of the jaggery all come together creating delightful restaurant flavors that will leave you craving more. Quick 30-minute recipe, made with pantry staple ingredients. Dairy-free and Gluten-free recipe.
If you’re a fan of bold and robust flavors, then this Pathia curry is sure to become one of your go-to dishes. Whether you’re hosting a spectacular event or just enjoying a hearty home-cooked meal, its vibrant color and aroma make it an enticing centerpiece for any dining table.
Compared to other Restaurant-Style Chicken Curry, Pathia curry is one of the healthy chicken curries made without cream or cashews. Similar chicken recipes that you may like are Chicken Masala, Chicken Balti, Chicken Jalfrezi, and Chicken Korma.
Table of Contents
About this recipe
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Chicken Pathia. It is a popular dish enjoyed every day in curry houses all over the UK.
Originating from the Parsi community, they immigrated to India and settled in Gujarat. They brought their culture and cuisine here and started to make their dish with locally available ingredients.
Chicken Pathia is a classic dish that reflects the fusion of Persian and Indian culinary traditions. The exact origins of it are somewhat debated.
It combines tender chicken pieces with luscious tomato-based gravy, infused with an exquisite blend of spices, and elevated with the tang of tamarind and a hint of sweetness from jaggery or brown sugar. The result is a delicious blend of flavors that will excite your taste buds.
This dish can be enjoyed with steamed rice, fluffy naan bread, or even paired with buttery rotis.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
Why You Need This Recipe
- Easy step-by-step instructions with photos and a recipe video.
- Quick 30-minute recipe – The Pathia curry sauce is made from scratch. A truly delicious home-style meal that can be made within 30 minutes and tastes exactly like a restaurant or takeaway.
- One-Pot Meal – I love one-pot/pan meals. Everything is made in a single pot or pan. Fewer dishes to go and are easy to clean up.
- Made with pantry staple ingredients – All the ingredients to make this curry are easily available in the kitchen pantry. You can adjust the recipe flavors as per your taste or the availability of ingredients. Check out the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients.
- Make ahead recipe – You can cook it in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days.
- Well-balanced taste – A perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy flavors. You will love how beautifully the flavors come together to create this flavorful meal.
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – I have used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless chicken thighs or chicken with bones.
- Paprika – Skip if you do not prefer spicy dishes. Add more to make it spicier. Substitute it with Kashmiri red chili powder or add ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
- Oil – You can use any neutral flavor oil with a high smoke point. I have used sunflower oil for this recipe.
- Onion – I have used red onions for this recipe. You can substitute it with yellow onions.
- Ginger-garlic paste – I have used fresh homemade ginger-garlic paste. You can easily purchase it from nearby Indian stores or online. Substitute it with grated fresh ginger and minced garlic.
- Salt
- Kasuri Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) – It gives a very nice aroma and flavor to the curry. You can purchase it in any Indian stores nearby or online. Skip if not available.
- Curry Powder – I have used homemade curry powder to make this recipe. It takes a few pantry staple ingredients and only 5 minutes to make it. However, you can substitute it with medium hot curry powder. Or if you like spicy curries then go for hot curry powder.
- Tomato Passata – Substitute with fresh tomato puree. Blend roughly chopped tomatoes in a blender and puree is ready. You can also use tinned/canned tomatoes. But they might have salt so add salt as per taste to the recipe.
- Tamarind Paste (or Tamarind concentrate) – It is sour and slightly sweet to taste. I have used tamarind paste. If you have tamarind block, soak a small portion of it in hot water for 15 minutes then squeeze to make a paste. Substitute it with lime (or lemon) and little sugar or jaggery.
- Sugar – Traditionally, jaggery is used to make pathia sauce. However, you can substitute it with sugar. I have used brown sugar for this recipe.
- Lemon Juice – Tomatoes and tamarind make this Pathia curry tangy. I would suggest adding lemon juice at the end only if it is required.
- Green Chili – If you do not prefer spicy dishes or making it for kids skip adding it. Substitute it with bird’s eye chilies.
- Coriander Leaves (or Cilantro) – Used to garnish the dish. Skip if you do not have it.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
Cooking Tips
- If you do not have tamarind, substitute it with lime (or lemon) and sugar.
- Add lemon juice only at the end. Tomatoes and tamarind make the Pathia sauce tangy. Taste the sauce first and then add lemon juice as per taste.
- Do not add more water to the Pathia curry sauce. It is a thick curry, adding more water will dilute the flavors.
- Pathia curry is a medium spiced curry. But if you like it spicy, add more curry powder or go for hot curry powder. If using homemade curry powder, increase the quantity of red chili powder to make it spicy.
How to make Chicken Pathia (Step by step instructions with photos)
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté until transparent.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and cook stirring continuously until the color of the chicken turns from pink to white.
- Stir in paprika, salt, kasuri methi, and medium hot curry powder.
- Add tomato passata, tamarind paste, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Let it come to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook it on low heat until the chicken is cooked. It might take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste the gravy and add salt & lemon juice as per taste. Add green chilies. You can add little water to adjust the consistency of the Pathia sauce.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve with Naan or steamed rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a medium spicy dish. You can adjust the spiciness according to your taste preferences. It’s always a good idea to start with a medium curry powder. If you want to make it spicy, add more chili powder or additional fresh green chilies.
Similarly, if you prefer a milder version, you can reduce the amount of chili powder or use mild chili varieties.
The spiciness of Pathia sauce is well balanced with the tanginess of tomatoes and tamarind, along with a hint of sweetness from jaggery or brown sugar. The balance of these flavors is what makes Chicken Pathia a truly delightful and well-rounded dish.
You can make it with Prawns (Shrimp), or Lamb. To make it vegetarian use Paneer, Tofu, Bell Pepper, or Mushroom.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Pathia curry with any one of the following:
- Steamed Rice or Jeera Rice
- Naan or Roti
- Salad or Raita
Storage Suggestions
- If you are planning to store the leftovers then store them within 2 hours of cooking.
- Refrigeration – Allow the dish to cool down to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days
- Freezing – Allow the dish to cool completely, and transfer it to freezer-safe containers. Stays good for a month. Label the containers with the date for easy reference.
- Thawing and Reheating – If you’ve frozen the dish thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, transfer it to a saucepan, add little water, stir, and reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until it is piping hot (and reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C)). Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave, adding little water, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating.
- Do not restore the food once thawed and reheated. It is better to store in small portions and take out only the portion ready to consume to reheat.
- Use your judgment and consider the specific conditions and freshness of the chicken when deciding to consume it. If the chicken has an off smell, unusual texture, or shows signs of spoilage, it’s best to discard it to ensure food safety.
Variations that you can try
- You can substitute chicken with prawns, lamb, or vegetables. Only the cooking time will differ.
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Chicken Pathia Curry
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot or pan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 500 g boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt
- 1 tsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) skip if not available
- 2 tbsp medium hot curry powder (if you want to make it at home see recipe notes)
- 400 ml tomato passata or fresh tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp tamarind paste substitue with lime and sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar or jaggery
- 1 tsp lemon juice (add as per taste)
- 1 green chili (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pot/pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté until transparent.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and cook stirring continuously until the color of chicken turns from pink to white.
- Stir in paprika, salt, kasuri methi and medium hot curry powder.
- Add tomato passata, tamarind paste and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Let it come to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook it on low heat until the chicken is cooked. It might take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste the gravy and add salt & lemon juice as per taste. Add green chilies (optional). You can add little water to adjust the consistency of the Pathia sauce.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with Naan or steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- If you do not have tamarind, substitute it with lime (or lemon) and sugar.
- I have used homemade curry powder for this recipe. It takes only 5 minutes and a few pantry staple ingredients to make it at home. However, if you have a store-bought one you can use that.
- Add lemon juice only at the end. Tomatoes and tamarind make the Pathia sauce tangy. Taste the sauce first and then add lemon juice as per taste.
- Do not add more water to the Pathia curry sauce. It is a thick curry, adding more water will dilute the flavors.
- Pathia curry is a medium spiced curry. But if you like it spicy, add more curry powder or go for hot curry powder. If using homemade curry powder, increase the quantity of red chili powder to make it spicy.
Trying to print off the recipe