Here's a delicious and easy Restaurant Style Chicken Curry recipe. This authentic Indian chicken curry is cooked in onion, tomato, and cashew-based sauce, flavored with ginger, garlic, and aromatic Indian spices. Serve this flavorful curry with roti/naan (Indian Flatbread) or rice. Learn to make it with step-by-step photos and a video recipe.
What is Restaurant Style Chicken Curry?
The restaurant-style chicken gravy is more flavorful than a simple homemade Indian chicken curry. There are a lot more fats, spices, and flavorings used in restaurant-style curries like this dhaba-style chicken curry or pre-made sauces used like restaurant-style chicken jalfrezi.
Every restaurant has its standardized recipe for consistency whether it is Indian butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. Before standardizing those recipes, a lot of taste testing and experimentation goes on to get outstanding flavors.
About this Chicken Curry Recipe
Frankly speaking, there is no particular recipe for restaurant-style curries or gravy. The ingredients (especially the local spices) differ from one region to the other. So, the recipe also differs from one restaurant to another.
In this recipe post, I am sharing a restaurant-style chicken curry recipe that you can easily make at home with stepwise photos and a video. So, even if you are a beginner, you can easily make this creamy chicken curry at home. There is less use of fats and spices compared to the restaurant's chicken curry.
But you will love the flavors of this chicken curry recipe. The chicken curry is rich, thick, and creamy. It is mildly spicy and the aroma is just amazing. You can make this creamy chicken curry ahead of time. Let it cool down completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these amazing Indian Chicken Curry recipes:
- Hyderabadi Chicken Masala
- Garlic Chicken Curry (Lehsuni Murgh)
- Chicken Masala
- Mughlai Chicken Curry
- Kolhapuri Chicken Curry
- Malvani Chicken Curry
Ingredients Notes
You can make this recipe with ingredients easily available in your Indian kitchen pantry. This easy chicken curry starts with marinating the chicken with yogurt and spices. Then slow-cook marinated chicken in a creamy tomato-cashew gravy. Believe me, the flavors are awesome. Give it a try, you will love it.
Here's what you will need to make the recipe. For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
- Chicken - You can use either boneless, skinless, chicken breast or thighs. Or chicken with bone (they are more flavorful). Cut it into medium-sized pieces.
- Cashews - I prefer to use cashews to make this Indian chicken curry. They act as a thickening agent. You can substitute it with almonds. Or if you are allergic to nuts then add coconut milk. Flavors will be different with coconut milk. But do add either one of these, otherwise you will end up with a curry that is thin or watery.
- Tomatoes - Use fresh ripe red tomatoes or plum tomatoes. They are juicy and add flavor to the curry. To substitute, you can also use canned tomatoes.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger - Basics of any Indian curry recipe.
- Spice powders - Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Here I have used two different red chili powders - Kashmiri red chili powder (for bright red color) and spicy red chili powder (for taste). You can substitute it with paprika.
- Yogurt/Curd - Use fresh yogurt or curd. It helps to tenderize the chicken and makes it soft and juicer. Do not skip it. Better to use thick curd or hung curd for a creamier texture.
- Green chilies - You can skip adding them if you prefer less spicy.
- Cream - Use less fat cream or fresh cream. Alternatively, you can use Malai mixed with a little milk. Restaurant-style curries are finished with the addition of some cream.
- Kasuri Methi - Kasuri Methi is dried fenugreek leaves. Roast it until aromatic, crush and then add it to the gravy. It enhances the flavor and aroma of the chicken curry.
- Whole Spices - Mace, green cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves are used to make this Indian chicken curry. Mace gives a beautiful aroma to the curry. If you do not have it, skip it. But add the rest of the ingredients to the tempering.
- Coriander leaves or cilantro - It adds fresh flavor to the curry.
- Butter - This is an optional ingredient. You can skip it if you do not want to add extra calories.
- Oil - You can use any cooking oil that does not have a strong aroma and has a high smoke point.
How to make Restaurant Style Chicken Curry with Step by Step Photos
Marinate the chicken
- In a mixing bowl combine chicken with turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt, and ginger-garlic paste.
- Cover and Keep it in the refrigerator. Marinate for 2 hours.
Making the tomato-cashew paste
- Soak Cashews in warm water for at least 15 minutes. Drain off the water.
- Grind tomatoes and cashews to make a paste. Set it aside.
Making the Indian restaurant-style chicken curry
- Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add whole spices, stir, and cook it for 15 seconds. Add ginger, garlic and onions. Stir-fry until onions are translucent.
- Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the masala starts to leave oil.
- Add the marinated chicken. Combine with the masala and cook for 5-7 minutes. Cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides.
- Add the prepared tomato & cashew paste. Stir to combine.
- Add 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in between to avoid gravy sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Check whether the chicken is completely cooked. If not add some water and cook. Finally add cream, kasuri methi, green chilies, and butter. Combine and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the spices. Add more salt or chili powder if required. Remove from heat. Add coriander leaves and mix.
- Indian Restaurant-style chicken curry is ready to serve. Serve with Homemade Naan or Rice.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The use of cashews in the chicken gravy helps to thicken it. Soak the cashews before you grind them. The cashews will become soft and you can easily grind them to a fine paste.
- Finely chop the ginger, garlic and onions. It will melt quickly when cooked and gives the gravy a beautiful texture.
- Ripe red tomatoes will add a very nice flavor and also help to thicken the gravy. They have a sweet flavor. But if the tomatoes you are using are sour then add ½ teaspoon sugar to them while grinding them.
- While cooking, make sure to cook the masala at every stage until it starts to leave oil from the sides. This makes sure that the masala is properly cooked and intensifies the flavors.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes.
- Marinating the chicken also makes the chicken pieces soft and juicy from the inside.
- If you are not making restaurant-style chicken curry then skip adding cream and butter. This simple homemade chicken curry still tastes good.
- Roast the Kasuri Methi until aromatic before adding it to the gravy. Kasuri methi enhances the aroma of the curry. Skip, if you do not have it.
- Butter is added at the end to finish cooking the gravy. It will give a nice glaze and flavor to the gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The reasons are:
1) Fats - Restaurants use more oil or fats in their curries than normal homemade curries. If you observe, the restaurant-style curries have enough oil floating at the top.
2) MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) - This is a taste enhancer and the main reason that you love the flavor of restaurant-style curries. But it is not good for health.
3) Professional Cooking Technique - A chef learns those skills after preparing the same dish many times. They know how and when to add ingredients. Overall, how long each ingredient should be cooked, to bring out the best flavors in the restaurant's curry.
4) Nuts - Many restaurants use nuts like cashews, almonds, etc. to thicken the curries.
5) Marinating - The meat is marinated for longer hours (overnight). This makes them more juicer and tastier. For homemade curries, we either skip marinating the meat or marinate for a short time. This makes a big difference in the flavor of the curry.
6) Slow Cooking -In restaurants, the onion-tomato-based gravy is cooked at low heat for longer hours which brings the best flavor to the curry. This technique is mostly used in butter chicken gravy.
7) Pureeing and Straining the Gravy - For some curries that have a smooth buttery texture (like most Makhani Gravies) the gravy is ground to a fine paste and strained. We usually skip straining the gravy while making it at home.
8) Measurement - Every restaurant has standardized recipes. They are made after a lot of experiments and taste testing. All the ingredients are properly measured and then the dish is made. So there is consistency in the taste every time.
9) Added color - Sometimes to get the bright colors especially while making tandoori chicken they add red or orange food color. These food colors make the dish look tempting but they are not good for health.
Serve this Indian chicken curry with Roti/Naan bread made without yeast.(Indian flatbread).
You can serve it with steamed rice or Jeera rice.
Serve some salads, onion slices and lemon wedge on the side.
If you are planning to store the chicken curry store it within 2 hours of cooking. Leftover Chicken curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays good for 2 days.
The curry will become thick after some time. Add some water to adjust the consistency of the gravy, reheat it & serve.
Chicken Curry Variations
- Make Paneer Masala Dhaba Style: Add some paneer cubes to the gravy. Restaurant-style paneer masala is ready.
- Make it vegetarian: Add some stir-fried vegetables to the gravy.
- Make Restaurant Style Mushroom Masala: You can add mushrooms instead of chicken, saute mushrooms, and make restaurant-style mushroom masala.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. We'd love to hear your feedback.
For any questions or concerns while making this recipe, please get in touch with me directly at nayakprety@gmail.com. I'll try my best to respond promptly.
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Recipe Card
Restaurant Style Chicken Curry (Indian Chicken Curry Recipe)
Equipment
- Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
Tomato-Cashew paste
- 6-7 cashews Soak in water for 15 minutes.
- 4 tomatoes Ripe red tomatoes or Plum tomatoes
To marinate the chicken:
- 350 gram chicken (either boneless or chicken with bone), cut into medium size.
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder spicy, add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ cup Yogurt/curd Use thick curd
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
Other ingredients:
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 onions finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon cream
- 1 teaspoon roasted Kasuri Methi
- 2 green chilies optional
- 1 teaspoon butter optional
- 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Whole Spices
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 1 petal of mace
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a mixing bowl combine chicken with turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste.
- Cover and Keep it in the refrigerator. Marinate for 2 hours.
Making the tomato-cashew paste
- Soak Cashews in warm water for atleast 15 minutes. Drain off the water.
- Grind tomatoes and cashews to make paste. Set it aside.
Making the Indian chicken curry
- Heat 3 teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add whole spices, stir and cook it for 15 seconds.
- Add ginger, garlic and onions. Stir-fry until onions are translucent.
- Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the masala starts to leave oil.
- Add the marinated chicken. Combine with the masala and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides.
- Add the prepared tomato & cashew paste. Stir to combine.
- Add 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in between to avoid gravy sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Check whether the chicken is completely cooked. If not add some water and cook.
- Finally add cream, kasuri methi, green chilies, and butter. Combine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the spices. Add more salt or chili powder, if required. Remove from heat. Add coriander leaves and mix.
- Restaurant-style chicken curry is ready to serve. Serve with Roti or Rice
Video
Notes
- The use of Cashews in the chicken gravy helps to thicken it. Soak the cashews before you grind them. The cashews will become soft and you can easily grind them to a fine paste.
- Ripe red tomatoes will add a very nice flavor and also help to thicken the gravy. They have a sweet flavor. But, if the tomatoes you are using are sour, then add ½ teaspoon sugar to them while grinding.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight. After marinating the chicken, cover and keep it in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes.
- Marinating the chicken also makes the chicken pieces soft and juicy from the inside.
- If you are not making restaurant-style chicken curry then skip adding cream and butter. This simple homemade chicken curry still tastes good.
- After adding cream do not cook for more than 2 minutes.
- Roast the Kasuri Methi until aromatic before adding it to the gravy.
- Butter is added at the end of cooking the gravy. It will give a nice glaze and flavor to the gravy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
E Masc
Taste was delicious however I didn’t know what whole spices to add as I didn’t see in ingredients so added bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon bark and a few cloves.
Preeti
Updated the ingredients list. Gald to hear that you liked it.
Guest
Best chicken curry recipe.
Preeti
Thanks.
Guest
Awesome! Loved it.
Preeti
Thanks