Like most festivals, food is a significant part of Deepavali. Friends and family use this yearly opportunity to get together, stuffing themselves silly with scrumptious dishes and desserts that only surface this time of the year. And there’s no other food as significant and ubiquitous as the fiery curry. So, curry lovers of Malaysia, spice up your life with these Indian chicken curry recipes. PS: There are a couple of mutton curry recipes if you prefer a richer protein!
4 Indian Chicken Curry Recipes To Make This Deepavali
Classic Chicken Curry
This classic interpretation of an Indian chicken curry recipe is the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” in a dish. The recipe uses a whole chicken, which is a lot if you are only cooking for two. You can use a smaller portion of chicken breasts and thighs instead, but ensure that the parts are skinless and broken down into chunks. Don’t discard the bones, though! They give the stock a pleasant flavour, which makes the dish even tastier.
Recipe Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade:
- 1 skinless whole chicken, broken into individual pieces
- ½ cup of natural yoghurt
- 1 small red chilli
- 1 tsp of coriander seeds
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Curry:
- 3 tbsp of ghee
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
- 2 cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 green chillies
- 2 onions
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb-sized grated ginger
- 1 ½ tsp of coriander powder
- 2-3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 tsp of tomato paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 red chilli
- Chopped coriander for garnishing
Chicken Korma
Doused with generous amounts of herbs and spices to create a velvety texture, chicken korma is a beloved North Indian chicken curry recipe that appeals to all palates because it’s mild and has an addictive silky mouthfeel. The combination of yoghurt, cashew nuts, and garam masala thickens the gravy. Whether you have it with rice or dip it with a slice of bread, this flavourful entrée is a sure-win.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 tsp of garlic, finely grated
- 5 tbsp of canola oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 10 cashew nuts
- 1 cup of yoghurt
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of coriander powder
- 1 tsp of red chilli powder
- 2 tsp of garam masala
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp of ginger, finely grated
- 450g of skinless and boneless chicken thigh, cut into chunks
- 1 cup of water
- Salt to taste
- Chopped coriander for garnishing
Kerala-Style Chicken Curry
Kerala cuisine is known for its unique yet simple dishes. This concept resonates in this hearty Indian chicken curry recipe that contains just enough heat for your guests to break a sweat. Get tissues and cold beverages on standby! Instead of yoghurt, coconut milk keeps things authentic, binding the flavours together to create an aromatic dish like no other.
Recipe Ingredients:
- Splash of coconut oil
- ½ tsp of mustard seeds
- A handful of curry leaves
- 4 red chillies
- Ginger, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tsp of red chilli powder
- 6 tsp of coriander powder
- Water
- Chicken pieces, according to portion
- ½ cup of coconut milk
Chicken Chettinad
A hallmark dish of South India, chicken Chettinad relies heavily on spices for depth of flavour. In this adaptable Indian chicken curry recipe, you will scatter seeds of all kinds, from cumin to fenugreek. Be generous and don’t be wary of overseasoning because you will have to thin the sauce to a simmer before serving. Once done, serve immediately over fluffy basmati rice.
Recipe Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade:
- 500g of chicken, chopped
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Seasoning:
- 2 tbsp of sesame oil
- 3 sprigs of curry leaves
- 10-15 shallots, sliced
- Salt to taste
Chettinad Masala:
- 1 tbsp of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of cumin seeds
- ¼ cup of grated coconut
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 green cardamom pod
- 3 tbsp of coriander seeds
- 6 dried chillies
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 2 black stone flowers
- 1 star anise
- 8 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 blade of mace
- 6-8 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of tamarind paste
- Pinch of fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp of fennel seeds
- Water as required
2 Indian Mutton Curry Recipes To Try This Deepavali
Slow Cooker Mutton Curry
It shouldn’t be so easy to replicate this fall-off-the-bone marinated and slow-cooked mutton curry recipe. But it is. All you need to do is throw everything into a slow cooker, and let the kitchen appliance do its magic. You can use any cut of meat, but the shoulder is preferred because it has a good mix of fat and lean meat. The only downside here is the long hours. You need at least six hours to achieve tender results, so don’t rush it.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1kg of lamb shoulder, chopped into pieces
- ½ cup of yoghurt
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of salt
- 4 tbsp of oil
- ½ cup of onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp of ginger, chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 2 tbsp of meat masala
- 1 tbsp of red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp of coriander powder
- 1 tsp of garam masala
- 1 tsp of fennel seeds
- ½ tsp of salt
- 1 ½ cups of tomato puree
- ¾ cup of water
- 1 tbsp of coriander, chopped
Dhaba-Style Mutton Curry
Dhabas are roadside restaurants in India. Operating round the clock as a pitstop for truckers to rest and recharge, Dhabas serve authentic Indian cuisine in a rustic fashion. This mutton curry recipe is modelled after the Dhaba experience, offering a good spicy kick from a mash-up of chillies and spices. Nonetheless, there’s a touch of modernity here as the dish is cooked using a pressure cooker.
Recipe Ingredients:
Mutton Marinade:
- 500g of mutton pieces
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of salt
- 150ml of water
- 1 tbsp of oil
Seasoning:
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cloves
- 2 black cardamom pods, crushed
- 6 black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
Masala Paste:
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- 2 ½ tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp of cumin powder
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- ¾ tsp of fennel powder
- 2 tsp of coriander powder
- ½ tsp of garam masala
Other Ingredients:
- 2 small onions, grated
- 2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
Bring The Heat This Deepavali With These Spicy And Flavoursome Indian Chicken And Mutton Curry Recipes
Although these Indian curry chicken and mutton recipes require substantial ingredients, the reactions at the dinner table will be all worth it. Trust us—everyone will want second (or third, fourth) helpings. You can also batch cook to store some for later; just keep the extras in airtight containers and pop them in the fridge. Generally, curries stay fresh for up to a week in the cold.
Deepavali isn’t complete without snacks, and murukku is a must-have. For a thorough step-by-step guide, check out these murukku recipes.
