Kashmiri chicken recipe with step-by-step photos and a video. Kashmiri chicken curry is a delicious North Indian dish made with chicken, tomato, yogurt, nuts, and some simple spices. This rich, creamy, aromatic, and flavorful chicken curry is made within 30 minutes. Serve it with steamed rice or Naan.
This Kashmiri chicken curry tastes incredibly delicious. Tender chicken pieces are cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce flavored with authentic Kashmiri spices.
The combination of nuts paste and yogurt adds creaminess to the curry and balances the spicy flavors.
Similar chicken curries that you might like are Chicken Korma, Mughlai Chicken Curry, and Hyderabadi Chicken Masala.
Table of Contents
Kashmiri Chicken Curry
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Kashmir chicken curry recipe. This creamy chicken curry has all the delectable flavors of Kashmiri cuisine.
It is made with chicken, yogurt, nuts, and spices. This Kashmiri curry uses aromatic spices and creamy elements in the form of yogurt and nuts paste.
The nuts paste includes a blend of cashews and raisins that gives sweet and creamy flavors to the curry and thickens it.
What makes it unique from other chicken curries is the addition of dry fruits in the curry, especially raisins or apricots. In this recipe, I have added raisins. Instead of adding raisins, you can also add apricots.
In some regions, they add fruits to the chicken curry to add a sweet tone. Serve this flavorful Kashmiri curry with Rice, Roti, or Naan.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
Why You Need this Recipe
- Quick and easy to make – Easy step-by-step instructions with a recipe video to help beginners to make the curry easily at home.
- Easy to customize. Check out the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients. You can add or skip the ingredients as per your taste.
- One Pot or One Pan Recipe – Love one-pot recipes? I love them as they are easy to make and there are fewer dishes to clean.
- Make ahead recipe – You can cook it in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days.
- Balanced flavor – This recipe has a balanced sweet and savory flavor. You can adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the red chili powder. This is the dish that your whole family can enjoy including the kids.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – You can use either boneless chicken or chicken with bones (curry-cut chicken). Chicken with bones is more flavorful.
- Nuts – Cashews and raisins are used in this recipe. You can substitute cashews with almonds. Skip raisins or substitute them 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 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.
- 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.
- Tomatoes – I have used fresh ripe tomatoes. You can substitute it with canned tomatoes.
- Green Chilies – Optional. Skip if you do not like them.
- Coriander leaves – To garnish the chicken curry.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
Cooking Tips
- 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 tbsp 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 make Kashmiri Chicken (Step-by-step instructions with photos)
Preparations
- 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.
- Chop onions and keep them aside.
- Blend 4 tomatoes and keep them aside.
Making Kashmiri Chicken Curry
- 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 start to become brown on the 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.
- Sauté on low heat until masala starts to leave oil on the sides.
- If the masala looks dry and starts sticking to the pan, add water 2-3 tbsp 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.
- 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 the 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, Naan bread, or Roti.
Storage Suggestions
- 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.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve it with any of the following
- 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.
Variations that you can try
- 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.
More Chicken Recipes
- Butter Chicken
- Garlic Chicken Curry
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Restaurant Style Chicken Curry
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Kashmiri Chicken
Kashmiri chicken recipe with step by step photos and a video. Kashmiri chicken curry is a delicious North Indian dish made with chicken, tomato, yogurt, nuts, and some simple spices. This rich, creamy, aromatic, and flavorful chicken curry made within 30 minutes. Serve it with steamed rice or Naan.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan or pot
Ingredients
For cashew and raisins paste
- 8 cashews
- 12 raisins
- 1/4 cup milk
For the Kashmiri chicken curry
- 500 g chicken
- 1/2 cup Curd/Yogurt
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp fennel
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 cinnamon
- 1 cup finely chopped onions 2 onions
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes 4 tomatoes
- 2 green chilies optional
- Salt
- Handful of coriander leaves
Spice Powders
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder add as per taste
- 1/2 tsp spicy red chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp 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 Curry
- 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 tbsp 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 tbsp 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.
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