Spicy Indian red chicken curry is a rich, colorful and flavourful dish made with chicken, spices, curd, garlic and Kashmiri red chilli. The chicken pieces are marinated with spices and slowly cooked in the red chilli garlic paste.
This curry has a beautiful and vibrant red color, which is full of flavour and less spicy. The red chicken curry pairs beautifully with roti, naan, parotta, pulav, biryani or even with hot steamed rice, which makes it perfect for lunch, dinner and special occasions.
Spicy Red Chicken Curry
I saw this recipe on youtube and instantly loved it. It is a simple recipe, you just need few basic ingredients but the taste is truly mouth watering. Moreover the colour of this curry is very appetizing.
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I also made a simple tawa chicken to go with this recipe, will share it soon. The main flavouring of this is yogurt and the masala which we grind. I used kashmiri chilli so it gave a wonderful colour and it was less spicy.
About Red Chicken Curry
Spicy red chicken curry is one of the easy and delicious curry made with basic ingredients like chicken, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, kashmiri red chilli, curd and onion.
In this recipe, the main ingredient that gives the curry the bold color and flavour is red chilli paste. The magic happens when the marinated chicken is simmered in the red chilli paste, it soaks up all the spices and flavours and makes this dish truly outstanding.
Usually we make chicken curries using tomato and coconut for the thick and creamy base, but some days we will be looking for recipes that are so simple and spicy. At that time, I came across this vibrant chicken curry recipe on youtube, tried it immediately and instantly got hooked to this recipe. It became my absolute favourite curry. The vibrant red color of the curry makes it even more tempting !
Similar Recipes
Chicken Salna
Easy Chicken Curry
Traditional Chicken Curry
No Coconut Chicken Curry
The recipe calls for minimal ingredients like curd, chicken, onion, ginger garlic paste, kashmiri chilli powder, garlic, basic spice powders like garam masala powder and red chilli powder. And also this recipe is a one pot recipe and you can whip the curry in less than 30 minutes.
Without any coconut, cashew or cream, the chicken curry gets its bold, rich and heat flavours from the red chilli paste. The marinated chicken blends easily with the red masala and creates a lip smacking curry without much effort.
How I Make Spicy Chicken Curry
Marination : Wash and clean the chicken. In a bowl, add the marination ingredients like garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, curd, salt, chilli powder and chicken. Mix well, cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or rest for 4 hours.
Red paste : Soak the kashmiri red chilli in hot water for 15 to 30 minutes before grinding.
Pressure cooking : Fry the onions in a pressure cooker, then add marinated chicken, red chilli paste, water and salt. Cover and cook it for 1 to 2 whistles.
Ingredients
Chicken : Use both bone - in and boneless pieces for the maximum flavour and taste. If using chicken leg pieces, put some slit so that masala blends well.
Oil : You can use any oil for cooking the curry like coconut oil, vegetable oil or groundnut oil of your choice.
Onion : Onions are thinly sliced and added. The onions are cooked till golden brown to get the caramelized sweetness. This acts as the base for the curry.
Coriander leaves : Add handful of coriander leaves for garnishing. This gives a fragrant aroma to the curry.
Marination : Add spice powders like garam masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, ginger garlic paste, curd and salt in a bowl. Mix and marinate it with chicken. This flavourful Indian spices and curd makes the chicken tender, juicy and spicy.
Grinding : To achieve the vibrant red color, grind kashmir red chilli along with some garlic into a paste. This paste adds the color and strong flavour without making the curry too spicy.
Step by Step Pictures
1)Take chicken in a bowl. This is one whole chicken cut into curry-cut pieces. I am using chicken liver and all.
2)Add in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder and cumin powder.
3)Add in yogurt or curd.
4)Mix well and let it marinate for 30 minutes in fridge.
5)Meanwhile make chilli garlic paste. Take peeled garlic cloves in a blender. You can add more or less garlic depending on your liking.
6)Add in dry red chillies. Use Kashmiri dry red chillies for bright colour. Add some water and grind them to a smooth puree. Use hot water which makes the process easier.
7)Now the chilli garlic paste is ready. Set this aside.
8)Heat oil in a kadai or pan.
9)Add in sliced onions.
10)Saute the onions in oil till golden brown.
11)Add in the marinated chicken into the onions.
12)Mix it really well on high heat for 5 minutes.
13)Now cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked. It will take around 15 to 20 minutes.
14)Now increase the heat and fry the chicken so most of the moisture evaporates. The chicken should be slightly seared. It will take around 10 minutes.
15)Add in the chilli garlic puree at this point.
16)Mix this really well. Cook this stirring often for 5 more minutes until the raw smell from garlic leaves.
17) Pour in some water.
18)Mix well.
20)Cover the pan with lid and cook covered on medium heat until oil separates on top.
21)This oil floating on top indicates that all the ingredients is cooked.
22)Add in coriander leaves and lemon juice.
23)Mix well and serve.
24)Enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Add some chopped tomatoes for slight tanginess.
- To make it rich gravy, add ¼ coconut milk or ¼ fresh cream towards the end.
- The more time the chicken is marinated, it brings out more flavours and aroma.
- Add freshly grinded ginger garlic paste while marinating.
- Spoon of lemon juice in marination to tenderize the chicken.
- Adjust or add water according to your preferred consistency.
- Add a spoon of ghee or butter at the end of cooking.
Storage & Serving
Cool the leftover chicken curry completely. Store the curry in an airtight container and it stays good in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat the curry using the stovetop method with a splash of water.
This spicy red chicken curry goes perfectly with roti, naan, chapathi, parotta, hot steamed rice, pulav or even with dosai.
FAQ
Q . Can I add other vegetables to this curry ?
Yes you can add other vegetables like bell pepper, potato and tomato.
Q. Is this a spicy curry ?
Well, this is not a very spicy curry as kashmiri chillies are less spicy and add a more vibrant color. Adjust the other spice powder quantity according to your spice tolerance.
Q. What other meat or vegetables can be substituted instead of chicken ?
Instead of chicken, try this recipe with mutton, paneer, potato, boiled egg, tofu and mushroom.
Variations
Red chicken with coconut : For a thick and creamy twist, add a bit of cashew coconut milk at the end.
Grilled chicken curry : Grill the marinated chicken pieces in tawa or in the oven. Then add it to the curry, cook and serve.
Butter red chicken curry : Add a 2 tablespoon of butter and cream at the end, to enjoy like a butter chicken curry. Serve it with naan, roti and parotta.
📖 Recipe Card
Spicy Red Chicken Curry Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chicken
- 4 tablespoon Oil
- 2 large Onions peeled & sliced thinly
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
For Marination
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 2 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt (Curd)
- Salt to taste
For Grinding
- 15 no Dried Kashmiri Red Chillies
- 6 cloves Garlic peeled
Instructions
- Take chicken in a bowl, add all the marination ingredients into it and mix well. Leave it to marinate for 30 mins.
- Take dry red chillies and garlic in a blender and puree till smooth.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add in onions and saute till golden. Now add in the chicken along with the marination and saute on high heat for 5 mins. Cover the kadai and cook on a low heat for 20 mins.
- Now the chicken must be cooked, increase the heat and cook on high heat till the chicken is well seared and oil separates from this. It will take around 10 minutes.
- Now add in ground chilli masala and mix well. Saute well for 10 more mins till raw smell leaves away. Add more water and simmer covered till oil floats on top.
- Add in coriander leaves & lemon juice and mix well. Serve.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.
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Anonymous
can we make this with mutton?
Nishant Khade
You will have to make a few changes:
1. Marinate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight if possible.
2. Cook the mutton until it is 85% cooked before adding the chilli-garlic mixture.
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can.
Anonymous
This was a superb recipe..everyone enjoyed at my home..thank u Aarthi..
Subha thangam
That was a wonderful recipe and I tried it.thanks for the post and compliments I got for the dish.gud picturization. Keep gng.
Sushmitha
Hello Aarthi,
tried this recipe today, came out really well. Husband liked it a lot.
Thanks 🙂
Anonymous
Wont the dry red chillies make it spicy?
Aarthi
@Anonymoussince we are using kashmiri chilli powder. it wont make it spicy
Anonymous
It's a great recipe aarthi. Everyone loved at home. Keep making us happy with your delicious dishes..
Anonymous
Can we make this with paneee ?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use paneer or any veggies
Pam
Hi what is podi referring to in the recipe?
Aarthi
podi means spice powders
Anonymous
This looks so delicious! What is a Kashmiri dry chilli? Is it same as those from Chinese provision stores?
Saurabh Tanya
Hi Aarthi just wanted to let you know ...I wanted to check out your red spicy indian chicken curry it took me three attempts to look at the site every time your site would open and suddenly this download free app would come which doesnot have a closing option and I could see the recipe!
Aarthi
@Saurabh TanyaI am sorry to hear it..only for some it is happening
Aarthi
@Anonymousthat chilli looks little wrinkled
Anonymous
I've tried it. I like the flavor. Though it is spicy. I added a little cream and use coconut water instead of plain water. Taste great. THanks.
sneha palande
Can we marinate the chicken overnight n keep it in a fridge
Aarthi
Yes u can
princess
I dont have kashmiri dry chilli's, can I just use a few normal dry chilli's? and maybe add the kashmiri chilli powder?(have that one).. Thanku so much fr sharing all ur recipes, looks delicious! 🙂
Aarthi
yes u can
Anonymous
It is a great recipe arthi. Everyone at my home loved it. Thank u
Anonymous
Great recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Marcel Mulder
Hello Krishna, we love Indian food and go often to The Bombay Spice Rest in Hengelo Ov The Netherlands. We like to trie to make it selves. Sometimes it will be very good. Today we tried this recipe and I think we did something wrong. The taste was not so smooth and rich we like. The color was more Brown than Red. We made it whit chicken. You have a nice smooth and thick Garlic and Chile mix. We had it nearly wiht-blanc with some red. We will do it again on a other time.
Paul
Try adding some pureed tomatoes to get a more red colour. Add it to the onions once they have turned golden and cook on high for several minutes stirring constantly. Than continue with the recipe ...
Lavanya Naveen
Can We pressure cook this recipe
Aarthi
Yes u can
Lavanya Naveen
Tried Your Recipe seriously It Tasted Yummy... My Daughter she Hate Spicy Food But When I Gave Her To Taste Lill She Loved It & She Had Spicy Dinner completely...It Was Yummy For Our Tummy☺👍 Thanks For Recipe...
Jasmine Kaur
made this tonight, turned out excellent!! Everyone loved it! Even my very picky little eaters.
Thank you.
Anonymous
Dear Aarthi I have tried many recipe
of yours.All turn up to be a hit my family.I have a request.Can u share with me how to prepare homemade garam masala.thanks
Aarthi
Check this https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/03/homemade-garam-masala-powder-my-version.html
Anonymous
Thanks
Anonymous
Wow this is comfort food. Thank you for sharing the technique and ingredients.
Keith
Just tried your recipe this evening and accompanied the curry with a lemon coconut rice. It was enjoyed by all. Thank you
Unknown
Hi Aarthi,
I've tried out couple of your recipes and they've all turned out super hits. Thank you so much for putting these out for all of us 🙂
Regards
Keshav
shilpa james
Love ths recipe...easy n yumm...thankuuu
shilpa james
I've made it so many times now..and have shared it with others as well...thumbs up!!
Suzi Lyle
I made this today and it was wonderful, although I had to add coconut cream because it was just a bit too spicy! Fantastic, thank you for sharing!
Wardah
Made it today.. But i am getting the raw smell of the garlic what do i do
Aarthi
you have to saute the garlic till raw smell leaves
Vijaylaxmi
Aarthi, I have tried many of ur chicken recipes and it came out really well. Pls give me chicken Vindaloo recipe too
Vijaylaxmi
Aarthi, I have tried many of ur chicken recipes and it came out really well. Pls give me chicken Vindaloo recipe too
Vijaylaxmi
Aarthi, I have tried many of ur chicken recipes and it came out really well. Pls give me chicken Vindaloo recipe too Thank you in advance.
Michael
OMG !!! I love Indian food but have never attempted to make it at home. This recipe rivals any I have ever had at any Indian restaurant!!!. I don't totally know how Pinterest works or how I can see more of your recipes but I will be watching closely to get more...Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you
Stuart
Thanks for this great recipe! I substituted serrano peppers, as they were all I had, and the dish was amazing!
Roshan
What makes the curry that dark red color?? every time I make it its more of a light brown
Aarthi
Use kashmiri chilli powder.
Poonam
Can this be served with roti?
Anthony Ivers-Read
So the red chili powder is Kashmiri Chili powder along with the dried Kashmiri chilis?
Natasha
Hi. When it says, yogurt. Is this just plain, regular unflavored yogurt?
Anonymous
Made this for the first time, but used just fresh red chilli because I never had dry Kashmiri chilli and it turned out absolutely delicious! Thank you 😊
orla
how much water do you need to add?
Gris
Hi Aarthi,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll try it this weekend. I use Kashmiri chillies, however, I still don’t get the deep red colour. Is it ok to use smoked paprika to get the red colour? Will it alter the taste of teh curry? Thank you.