This is one of my go-to easy curry to make. It’s also one of my husband’s favorite things that I make so I find myself making this often. Adjust the heat level to your liking by adding more (or less) chili. Cayenne is what I use here that gives this dish its heat because I always have some in my pantry, but feel free to try out other peppers.
Best thing about this dish is that you can substitute chicken with pretty much anything – fish, shrimp, potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, etc.
Serve it over hot jasmine or basmati rice; or heck have it with quinoa for a low carb option.
Substitute chicken with cauliflower and chickpeas, served over quinoa.
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Coriander
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Chili flakes, add more for spicier
- 1 tsp Cayenne, add more for spicier
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
The Curry
- 8 pieces Chicken thigh fillets, bone in, skin on
- 2 tbsp Garam Masala
- 4 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter
- 1/4 cup garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup ginger, minced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 1 cup coconut milk or coconut cream
- handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
How I Make It
- Combine all the spice mix ingredients and set aside.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. Trim any excess skin (optional). Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Garam Masala. Heat half the ghee (or clarified butter) in a heavy-bottom pot and brown the chicken pieces on both sides (the chicken does not need to be cooked through, just browned). You may need to do this in batches. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain excess fat from the pan (but leave some in there, don't wipe it clean!)
- In the same pot that the chicken was browned in, heat up the remaining ghee. Add onions and stir to loosen any fond and seasonings from the pot. Sweat the onions until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger. Your kitchen will smell nicely aromatic at this point!
- Add the spice mixture and stir through.
- Add coconut milk and tomato puree.
- Mix the curry sauce well, and add the chicken thighs back in (along with any juices that may have accumulated). Bring to a low boil, then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Add the chopped cilantro and stir through.
- Serve with rice; sprinkle with more cilantro over the top for a beautiful presentation!
Notes
- Substitute chicken with chickpeas and cauliflower (or potato or any other vegetable of your choice) for a meatless option.
- Adjust the tomato to coconut ratio to your liking - I find that a 2:1 ratio is my preferred result.
- Instead of rice, you can serve over quinoa for a low carb option!
Nutrition
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 861mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1024IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg
