A rich, restaurant-style Indian chicken handi — chicken simmered with fried onions, tomatoes, yogurt and cream in a fragrant spice base. Lovely with naan or roti.
Chicken handi is a rich, restaurant-style Indian curry — chicken slow-cooked with golden onions, tomatoes, yogurt and cream, finished with fragrant fenugreek and garam masala. Deeply flavoured and luxuriously creamy, it's a real treat with warm naan.
Prep 25 min
Cook 50 min
Total 75 min
Medium
- 1.2 kg Chicken
- 5 thinly sliced Onion
- 2 finely chopped Tomatoes
- 8 cloves chopped Garlic
- 1 tbsp Ginger Paste
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 3 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 2 Green Chilli
- 1 cup Yogurt
- ¾ cup Cream
- 3 tsp Dried Fenugreek
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- To taste Salt
Video
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a large pot or wok big enough for all the chicken. Once hot, fry the sliced onions until deep golden brown, then lift out onto a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the chopped garlic for a minute, then add the tomatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Return the fried onions, stir, then add the ginger paste and sauté well.
- Add the cumin seeds, half the coriander seeds and the chopped green chillies and give a quick stir.
- Add the turmeric and red chilli powder and sauté the spices for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chicken, season with salt, and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until almost cooked through, about 15 minutes — slow cooking enhances the flavour, so don't rush it on high heat.
- When the oil separates from the spices, add the beaten yogurt over the lowest heat so it doesn't split, then sprinkle in the remaining coriander seeds and half the dried fenugreek and mix well.
- Finally, add the cream and mix to combine.
- Sprinkle over the remaining fenugreek and the garam masala and serve hot with naan or rotis.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Fry the onions to a deep golden brown — they're the foundation of the curry's richness.
- Cook low and slow; the gentle heat builds layers of flavour that rushing can't.
- Beat the yogurt and add it over the lowest heat, stirring, so it doesn't split.
- Crush the dried fenugreek between your palms as you add it to release its aroma.
Frequently Asked Questions
A traditional deep, rounded cooking pot — the dish takes its name from it, and its slow-cooked, layered character.
Whisk it smooth first and stir it in over very low heat; adding it too fast or too hot makes it split.
Reduce the cream and use a little more yogurt for a lighter, tangier curry that's still full of flavour.
