Kashmiri Chicken is a rich, creamy, and flavorful chicken curry made with yogurt, nuts, and authentic Kashmiri spices like fennel, cloves, and cardamom. This Kashmiri Chicken recipe is quick and easy, perfect for a weeknight dinner, and pairs beautifully with rice or naan. Learn how to make this delicious Kashmiri Chicken dish in just 30 minutes with stepwise photos and a quick video tutorial.
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This Kashmiri chicken dish is quick and easy to make in one pot, and you can customize it to your taste. The chicken is so tender, cooked in a creamy tomato-yogurt sauce with those amazing Kashmiri spices. Similar chicken curry you might enjoy Chicken Korma, Mughlai Chicken Curry, Chicken Bhuna Masala, and Hyderabadi Chicken Masala.
I love how the creamy chicken curry with cashews and yogurt balances the rich spices beautifully. For an authentic experience, try this traditional Kashmiri curry that's full of flavor.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
Ingredients Needed
This Kashmiri-style chicken uses a combination of yogurt, cashews, and rich spices recipe, you will need chicken, yogurt, and an assortment of Kashmiri spices like fennel, cardamom, and cloves. What sets it apart from other chicken curries is the use of dry fruits, like cashews, raisins, or apricots. In some places, they even add other fruits that add a unique sweetness to this Kashmiri curry.
- Chicken: You can use either boneless chicken or chicken with bones (curry-cut chicken). Chicken with bones makes this chicken curry more flavorful.
- Cashew-Raisin Paste: This paste gives sweet and creamy flavors to the curry and thickens it. You can substitute cashews with almonds. Skip raisins or substitute raisins with any sweetener like sugar or honey.
- Milk: I used full-fat milk to make the nuts paste. Skip to make it a dairy-free recipe and substitute it with water.
- Oil: Traditionally, mustard oil is used. I used sunflower oil. Use any cooking oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point.
- Yogurt: Use full-fat yogurt to make this Kashmiri curry. Do not skip adding it. It adds flavor and creaminess to the curry. Use dairy-free yogurt to make the recipe dairy-free.
- Whole spices: bay leaf, fennel, green cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon. Add whatever whole spices you have on hand. They give a nice aroma to the curry.
- Onions, ginger, and garlic: Basics of any Indian curry. I used red onions for this recipe. You can substitute it with white or yellow onions.
- Flavoring: salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder, and dry ginger powder.
- Tomatoes: I have used fresh ripe tomatoes for this chicken curry recipe. You can substitute it with canned tomatoes.
- Red Chili Powder: I have used two different red chili powders in this recipe. One is Kashmiri red chili powder that gives bright red color to the dish and is mild in flavor. Another is spicy red chili powder to spice up the dish. If you do not have Kashmiri red chili powder substitute it with any other red chili powder and add as per taste.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below. Here's how to make Kashmiri chicken.
How to make Kashmiri Chicken (Step-by-Step Photos)
Preparations
1) Chop onions and keep them aside. Blend 4 tomatoes and keep them aside.
2) Make Cashew and raisins paste - Soak cashews and raisins in water for 30 minutes. Remove them from the water and add them to the blender with milk. Blend them to a fine paste. This paste is key to the rich texture of your chicken curry.
Making Kashmiri Chicken
1) Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add oil. Add bay leaf, fennel, green cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon. Fry it for 30 seconds or until aromatic. This gives Kashmiri-style chicken curry its authentic flavor.
2) Stir in onions and sauté until onions start to become brown on the edges. Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook on low medium heat until raw smell from ginger and garlic leaves.
3) Reduce the heat to low. Add spice powders. Sauté on low heat until masala starts to leave oil on the sides.
4) If the masala looks dry and starts sticking to the pan, add water 2-3 tablespoon at a time and stir to combine. Keep adding water at regular intervals and stir until the masala is cooked well and starts to leave oil.
5) Add pureed tomatoes. Combine and cook until it comes to a boil. Cover and cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides. Stir it in between as required.
6) Add green chilies (optional). Combine and stir it for a minute. Now add chicken and salt. Combine and cook until the color of the chicken turns from pink to white.
7) Add yogurt and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is cooked well. You will see oil floats on the surface. Masala is cooked well.
8) Finally, stir in cashew and raisin paste. This creates the signature creamy sauce for your chicken curry recipe. Cover and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Kashmiri chicken curry is ready to serve.
Serve kashmiri chicken with Rice, Naan bread, or Roti.
Tips to make the Best Kashmiri Chicken
- To make the perfect Kashmiri Chicken recipe, soak cashews in water for 30 minutes before grinding. It makes the cashews soft and you can easily grind them to fine paste.
- Add water 2-3 tablespoon at frequent intervals and stir, to prevent masala from sticking to the base of the pan.
- Before adding yogurt, reduce the heat to low.
- Whisk the yogurt well in the bowl and then add it to the pan. After adding yogurt, stir immediately, and cook stirring continuously on low heat until the gravy comes to a boil. It prevents the curdling of yogurt.
- This dish is not too spicy. I have added spicy red chili powder to spice it up. Skip the addition of spicy red chili powder and green chilies to the recipe if you do not prefer spicy dishes.
How to serve?
This easy Kashmiri Chicken recipe is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy authentic Kashmiri flavors at home. Serve this delicious Kashmiri Chicken curry with rice or naan for a complete meal.
- Steamed rice, Jeera rice, or Pulao
- Naan bread, Roti, or Paratha
Serve it with accompaniments such as pickles, raita, plain yogurt, onion slices, and lemon wedges.
More Chicken Recipes
- Butter Chicken
- Garlic Chicken Curry
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Restaurant Style Chicken Curry
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Recipe Card
Kashmiri Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan or pot
Ingredients
For cashew and raisins paste
- 8 cashews
- 12 raisins
- ¼ cup milk
For the Kashmiri chicken
- 500 g chicken
- ½ cup Curd/Yogurt
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 cinnamon
- 1 cup finely chopped onions 2 onions
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes 4 tomatoes
- 2 green chilies optional
- Salt
- Handful of coriander leaves
Spice Powders
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon spicy red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 3 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground dry ginger
Instructions
Preparations
- Make Cashew and raisins paste - Soak cashews and raisins in water for 30 minutes. Remove them from water and add it to the blender with milk. Blend them to a fine paste.
- Chop onions and keep it aside.
- Blend 4 tomatoes and keep it aside.
Making Kashmiri Chicken
- Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add oil.
- Add bay leaf, fennel, green cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon. Fry it for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Stir in onions and sauté until onions starts to become brown on edges.
- Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook on low medium heat until raw smell from ginger and garlic leaves.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add spice powders and sauté on low heat until masala starts to leave oil on the sides.
- If masala looks dry and starts sticking to the pan, add water 2-3 tablespoon at a time and stir to combine. Keep adding water at regular intervals and stir until masala is cooked well and starts to leave oil.
- Add pureed tomatoes. Combine and cook until it comes to a boil. Cover and cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides. Stir it in between as required.
- Add green chilies (optional). Combine and stir it for a minute.
- Now add chicken and salt. Combine and cook until the color of chicken turns from pink to white.
- Add yogurt and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is cooked well. You will see oil floats on the surface. Masala is cooked well.
- Finally, stir in cashew and raisin paste. Cover and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Kashmiri chicken curry is ready to serve.
- Serve chicken curry with Rice and dal or Neer dosa.
Video
Notes
- Soak cashews in water for 30 minutes before grinding. It makes the cashews soft and you can easily grind them to a fine paste.
- Add water 2-3 tablespoon at frequent intervals and stir, to prevent masala from sticking to the base of the pan.
- Before adding yogurt reduce the heat to low.
- Whisk the yogurt well in the bowl and then add it to the pan. After adding yogurt, stir immediately, and cook stirring continuously on low heat until the gravy comes to a boil. It prevents the curdling of yogurt.
- This dish is not too spicy. I have added spicy red chili powder to spice it up. Skip the addition of spicy red chili powder and green chilies to the recipe if you do not prefer spicy dishes.
- Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
- Storage & Reheating:
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- If you are planning to store the leftovers then store them within 2 hours of cooking.
- To Refrigerate - Let the Kashmiri curry cool down completely. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2 days.
- To Freeze - Let the curry cool down completely. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for a month.
- Label - Always label the containers with the date of preparation of the curry.
- Reheat - Thaw the frozen chicken curry overnight in the refrigerator. Sprinkle some water over it and stir. Now heat it over medium heat on the stovetop until it is piping hot. Stir it at regular intervals for even heating.
- Do not restore the curry once you reheat it.
- Always check for the signs of spoilage before reheating the curry. If there is any foul smell, bad taste, or black spots in the curry immediately discard it.
- Variations:
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- Make it vegetarian - Substitute chicken with paneer, tofu, or chickpeas.
- Make it dairy-free - Skip the addition of milk and substitute yogurt with coconut milk or any dairy-free yogurt.
- Make it with any other meat like Lamb.
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