Chicken Pathia is a medium-hot, sweet-and-sour British Indian curry with a thick tomato-based sauce. The tanginess comes from tomato and tamarind, while a little sugar or jaggery balances the sourness.
Unlike some restaurant-style chicken curries, chicken pathia is made without cashews or cream. Here's my quick and easy recipe, made in one pan, without a restaurant-style base sauce, that's ready in about 30 minutes. Serve it with roti, Naan (without yeast), or rice.
Featured Comment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've made this a few times. It's as good as any restaurant. Out of this world! - Karen Waring
A tried-and-tested recipe by many readers. I've received lovely feedback from readers who have tried this chicken pathia recipe after finding it on my Facebook page. Many have shared their results and told me how much they enjoyed this curry. You can read some of their comments here.
This British Indian restaurant-style Chicken Pathia is made completely from scratch, without using a restaurant-style base sauce or pre-cooked chicken. I cook the chicken directly in the sauce to make this takeaway-style curry at home in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
Serve Pathia with naan, roti, or steamed rice. I especially like it with naan because it is perfect for scooping up the thick, tangy sauce. Other chicken curry recipes that you may like are Chicken Masala, Chicken Jalfrezi, and Chicken Korma.
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Ingredients Notes
This chicken pathia recipe uses simple ingredients like onions, tomato passata (or puree), and homemade curry powder. I have shared my homemade curry powder recipe earlier. It only takes about 5 minutes to make and is convenient to keep ready for recipes like this.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs also work well and stay juicier. You can also use bone-in chicken, but it may need additional cooking time.
- Paprika: You can substitute Kashmiri red chili powder. Both add color and mild heat. For a spicier Pathia, increase the amount of chili powder or green chili.
- Homemade Curry Powder: I use my homemade curry powder for this recipe. You can substitute medium-hot curry powder or use hot curry powder for a spicier Pathia.
- Tomato Passata: You can use fresh tomato purée or canned tomatoes instead. If using fresh tomatoes, add a little ketchup for a more concentrated sweet and tangy tomato flavor.
- Tamarind Paste (or Tamarind concentrate): Tamarind gives Pathia a tangy flavor. If using tamarind block, soak it in hot water, squeeze, and remove the pulp to make tamarind paste. You can substitute it with lemon juice and a little sugar or jaggery, although the flavor will be slightly different.
- Sugar: Jaggery is traditionally used to balance the sourness in Pathia sauce. I use brown sugar, but regular sugar also works.
- Lemon Juice: Tomatoes and tamarind already add plenty of tang. Taste the curry at the end and add lemon juice only if needed.
- Green Chili: Skip it for a milder Chicken Pathia or when making it for kids. For extra heat, add more green chili or use bird's eye chili.
- Kasuri Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves): Dried fenugreek leaves add aroma to the curry. You can skip them if unavailable.
- Coriander Leaves (or Cilantro): Use fresh coriander (cilantro) for garnish. It can be skipped if unavailable.
- Oil: I use sunflower oil, but any neutral cooking oil works. You can also use ghee or butter if preferred.
How to Make Chicken Pathia Recipe With Step-By-Step Photos
1) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and sauté until it becomes light golden. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds.
2) Add the chicken, stir well, and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white. Now, add paprika, salt, kasuri methi, and homemade curry powder. Stir to combine.
3) Add the tomato passata, tamarind paste, and sugar. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
4) Taste the gravy and adjust the salt and lemon juice according to your preference. Add green chilies. The curry should have a thick consistency, not too thin or watery. If needed, add a little water to adjust the consistency.
5) Remove from heat and garnish the chicken pathia with coriander leaves.
What do you serve with chicken pathia?
Chicken Pathia is delicious with naan bread, roti, or steamed basmati rice. Naan is especially good for scooping up the sweet-and-tangy sauce.
Tips to Make the Best Chicken Pathia
- Add lemon juice only at the end. Tomatoes and tamarind already make the Pathia sauce tangy, so taste it first and add lemon juice only if needed.
- Pathia is medium-spiced. For a spicier curry, add more curry powder or use a hot curry powder. If using homemade curry powder, increase the red chili powder.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken Pathia has a sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy flavor. Tomato and tamarind give the curry its sourness, while sugar or jaggery balances it. It has a thicker, semi-thick sauce and is different from creamy curries such as Butter Chicken or Chicken Korma.
Chicken Pathia is a medium-hot curry. You can easily adjust the heat to your taste. For a spicier curry, add more chili powder or fresh green chilies. For a milder version, reduce the chili powder or use mild chili varieties.
You can make Pathia with prawns (shrimp) or lamb. For a vegetarian version, use paneer, tofu, bell pepper, or mushrooms.
Let the curry cool and refrigerate it in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To reheat frozen Pathia, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot (165°F/74°C). Add a splash of water if needed. Do not refreeze after thawing and reheating.
Recipe Card
Chicken Pathia Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot or pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (or minced garlic and grated ginger)
- 500 g boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes or chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri red chili powder
- salt
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) skip if not available
- 2 tablespoon homemade curry powder or medium-hot curry powder (if you want to make it at home see recipe notes)
- 400 ml tomato passata or fresh tomato purée (check recipe notes)
- ½ teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar or jaggery
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (add as per taste)
- 1 green chili (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Add the onion and sauté until it becomes light golden. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken, stir well, and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white.
- Now add the paprika, salt, kasuri methi, and curry powder. Stir to combine.
- Add the tomato passata, tamarind paste, and sugar. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Taste the gravy and adjust the salt and lemon juice according to your preference. Add green chilies. If needed, add a little water to achieve your desired sauce consistency.
- Remove from the heat and garnish chicken pathia with coriander leaves. Serve hot with naan or steamed rice.
Notes
- I used homemade curry powder for this recipe.
- Add lemon juice only at the end. Tomatoes and tamarind already make the Pathia sauce tangy, so taste it first and add lemon juice only if needed.
- Pathia is medium-spiced. For a spicier curry, add more curry powder or use a hot curry powder. If using homemade curry powder, increase the red chili powder.
- If you don't have tamarind, you can substitute it with lime or lemon juice and a little sugar. Add it gradually and adjust to taste.
- Tomato passata: You can substitute it with fresh tomato purée. If using fresh purée, add a little ketchup to enhance the concentrated sweet-and-sour tomato flavor.
- Variations: With this recipe, you can make lamb pathia, prawn pathia, or, for a vegetarian twist, make paneer or chickpeas pathia.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hugh Hickson
Trying to print off the recipe