This Dhaba Style Chicken Curry stands for every road trip we’ve had with our families. Same bold flavours, hot, fragrant, and ready in under 45 minutes. Learn how to make it in a traditional pressure cooker, instant pot, and on the stovetop.
I think I’ve finally nailed it. This Dhaba Style Chicken Curry is SO good. Its legit, as close as it gets to eating it in a dhaba. Spicy, fragrant with spices, big, bold flavours and really juicy pieces of chicken.
Dhabas, for the uninitiated, are roadside restaurants that you’ll find along the highway. They’re road trip essentials and are scattered all over the country and really well-known for their bold, rustic flavors and ambience. Growing up, the highlight of any road trip was a stopover at a dhaba for steaming hot, spicy dhaba style chicken curry, dal fry or dal makhani and tandoori rotis fresh from the oven to mop it all up. These soul satisfying meals will always be etched on to my heart!
Unlike my other recipes, this one’s slightly time consuming because masala is ground and cooked till it’s color changes. This is characteristic of most Indian curries, and the slow cooking process or bhuno is what lends dishes a unique flavor.
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Dhaba Chicken Curry Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Chicken: Bone in chicken cut into 2 inch pieces. Most Indian curries use the entire bird (thighs, breast, drumsticks)
- Ginger Garlic Paste: Fresh ginger and garlic in equal parts ground to a paste with a little water. Use store bought in a pinch but fresh adds more flavour
- Lime Juice: Acid helps tenderise the meat
- Mustard Oil: Key to getting that unique dhaba flavour. It’s more pungent and adds a smokiness
- Whole Spices: Cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bayleaf. Skip if you don’t have but I recommend using them for that burst of flavour
- Ginger & Garlic: Ground with onions. You can substitute it with 1.5 tbsp store bought or homemade ginger garlic paste
- Onions: Form the main base of the gravy and add flavour, density and thickness
- Green Chillies: Add heat and flavour. Use serrano peppers if you don’t have Indian green chillies available
- Ground Spices: Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder and Garam Masala. I highly recommend using homemade garam masala. Add it towards the middle or end of the cooking process to retain its aroma and flavour
- Tempering: We use ghee, ginger, and green chillies to add an additional layer of flavor to finish off the curry. Don’t skip this step!
Why is this Chicken Curry recipe so unique
We were asking this question ourselves while trying to replicate that dhaba like flavour – How is it that common dishes taste extra unique when they come from a dhaba?
Here’s what we found: Dhabas use more oil, ghee and butter to add richness and to cook the food faster, there’s a natural smoky flavour because all the cooking is done on a really high flame or using firewood. They liberally use freshly ground spices wherever possible and finally, they end the dish with a sizzling tadka/tempering!
We’ve taken all this information and compiled it into one beautiful chicken curry.
How to make Chicken Curry
Check out the simple steps that go into making this beautiful curry
Marinate
1. Marinate the chicken in ginger garlic paste, lime juice and salt. This adds flavour from within and the acid helps tenderise the meat
2. Add onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies to a chopper and pulse to get a coarse mix.
Curry
1. Pound spices roughly with a mortar pestle to break them down and release their flavour
2. Saute them in hot oil to temper them
3. Brown the onion paste in oil that’s tempered with whole spices. This is a slow cooking process where the onion paste is sauteed on a low flame till it changes colour and becomes a deep golden brown. You’ll see a thin layer of oil floating on the top and the sides – thats when you know its cooked through and isn’t raw anymore
4. Cook tomatoes and spices for a few minutes till the tomatoes become pulpy soft
5. Roast the chicken along with garam masala in the onion tomato mixture, tossing it for a minute or two till the gravy coats all the pieces
6. Pressure Cook for 15 minutes. If using a traditional pressure cooker, start on high heat and after the first whistle, reduce the heat to low. Wait till you hear two more whistles and then turn off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally. To make instant pot chicken curry, pressure cook on high for 8 minutes
7. Temper julienned ginger and slit green chillies in butter and ghee.This adds an extra layer of flavour and gives it a nice hint of ginger
8. Serve chicken curry with tempering poured on top. Sprinkle some chopped coriander for freshness and flavour
Richa’s Top Tips
- Always marinate the chicken. The longer the better. This literally changes the game by adding flavour, seasoning, and tenderising.
- Brown the onion paste. Don’t rush this process. Browning onions slowly gets rid of any raw smell and flavour. You’ll know its done when you see a little oil separating on the sides and the colour changes to a deep golden. This, in addition with the herbs, spices and tomatoes create the perfect balance.
- Don’t skimp on oil. There is a fair amount of fat in this recipe in the form of oil, butter and ghee. I would not recommend skimping on oil as it will compromise the flavor.
- Always use quality garam masala. I always recommend homemade garam masala. But even if using store bought, make sure its not more than a year old. Add it just before cooking the chicken so that it retains its freshness and aroma
- Do not forget the tempering. It gives it that extra kick along with the richness from the ghee.
Storage Tips
- If you have leftovers, let the chicken curry cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- If you’d like to store it for longer, you can freeze Dhaba Chicken Curry for up to 2–3 months. For convenience, portion it into freezer-safe containers so you can thaw only as much as you need.
- When you’re ready to reheat, thaw the frozen curry in the refrigerator overnight and then warm it gently on the stovetop. The gravy tends to thicken as it sits, so add a splash of water while reheating if needed. Make sure the chicken is heated through before serving.
- And the best part? The flavours have more time to come together as the curry sits, so leftovers can taste even better the next day. This also makes it a great make-ahead chicken curry for busy weeknights.
Serving Ideas
Wondering what to serve with Dhaba Chicken Curry? You really can’t go wrong with something that helps soak up all that delicious, spicy gravy!
- For an easy weeknight meal, serve this Indian chicken curry with jeera rice, steamed basmati rice or soft rotis.
- If you’re craving a proper dhaba-style spread, go for tandoori roti or naan with a bowl of cool raita, sliced onions and lemon wedges on the side.
- For a bigger Indian meal, add dal fry or dal makhani and a simple vegetable sabzi. And don’t forget extra rotis or rice because you’ll want every last bit of that gravy!
I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do, it’s truly one of my favorites! And like all curries, this tastes even better the next day, so no need to worry about leftovers! If you love dhaba style food, check out my other favourite like Dhaba Dal Fry, Dhaba Dal Tadka, Matar Paneer, Karahi Chicken, Dal Makhani.
When you make this recipe, don’t forget to send me pictures over on my IG @my_foodstory. I love seeing your recreations!
Watch Dhaba Chicken Curry Recipe Video
Dhaba Style Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken skinless, bone-in whole chicken cut into medium sized pieces (referred to as curry cut in India)
For the marinade:
- 2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 Juice of lime
- 1 tablespoon Salt
For the curry:
- 1/4 cup Mustard Oil see note 2
- 4 medium Red Onions
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 1½ inches Ginger
- 3 – 4 Green Chilies use Serrano Peppers as replacement, adjust the spice as required
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Bay leaves
- ½ Cinnamon stick Stick
- 4 – 5 Cardamoms
- 8 – 10 Peppercorns
- 4 – 5 Cloves
- 4 medium Tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder optional; adjust the spice as required
- 2 tablespoons Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon meat masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups water
For tempering:
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Green Chilies slit lengthwise
- ½ inch Ginger julienned
- 2 tablespoon Coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste, lime juice and salt. Cover and set aside while you prep everything else
- Add onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies to a chopper and pulse to get a coarse mix.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a large heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds. Roughly pound all the whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns and cloves) and add to the oil.
- once they start to splutter, add the onion mix. Cook the onion mix on a low flame, stirring occasionally till it is reduced to a golden brown mix and you see a thin layer of oil along the sides
- Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using) and coriander powder. Cook till the tomatoes start melting, and almost form a paste.
- Add chicken and garam masala powder and roast for a minute or two till the chicken pieces turn pink and get coated with the masala. Add meat masala powder, 1 ¼ cups of water, mix well.
Pressure Cooker:
- At this stage, if you are using a pressure cooker, place the lid and pressure cook on high till the first whistle goes off. Then reduce the flame to low and pressure cook for two more whistles and turn off the flame. If using a different kind of pressure cooker (without a whistle system), pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Simmer for 5-10 mins on high flame, if required, to thicken the curry (chicken leaves a lot of water). I didn't need to do this.
Stovetop Method:
- If you are using a heavy bottomed pan, bring the curry to a boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Uncover the pan, and cook for another 10-15 minutes till the curry starts to thicken. Once the curry is ready, switch off the flame.
- Instant Pot Method:
- If using an instant pot, place the lid and change the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Release pressure manually. Simmer the curry for a few minutes to achieve the desired thickness if there is too much water.
- Tempering:
- In another small pan, heat ghee and butter and add green chilies and ginger. Once they start to splutter, switch off the flame and mix the tadka (or tempering) into the curry. Top with coriander.
- Let the curry sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Tastes best with rotis or rice.
Video
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
The post Dhaba Style Chicken Curry appeared first on My Food Story.
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