Easy Garlic Chicken Curry Without Tomato

A rich garlic chicken curry, flavored with green chillies, a few simple Indian spices, and cooked in a thick onion and cilantro [fresh coriander] gravy, what more can one ask for? This great takeaway alternative, also known as lehsuni murgh, goes well with any flatbread, such as roti, chapatti, naan, as well as fragrant jeera rice or simple boiled rice.

If you think you bumped in another recipe that looks too good to be easy, then I am afraid to tell you, that is definitely not the case.

This delicious garlic chicken curry recipe is ready in about half an hour, only requires one saucepan, and the ingredients used are minimal.

As far as Indian spices go, this curry recipe only calls for turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala, with all the other ingredients being fresh, such as chicken thighs or breast, onions, garlic cloves [of course!], and cilantro, to name a few!

You will start by preparing a garlic curry base, blend half of it, add it back to the pan with the chicken, and then top it off with green chilli and garlic-infused oil.

That is all there is to it. Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Curry Ingredients

• Chicken: If possible, opt for bone-in chicken, such as skinless thighs or drums, as they tend to remain juicier after cooking because of their higher fat content. As an alternative, diced skinless chicken breast will work well too, although ensure you don't overcook it as it may become dry.
• Oil: Opt for a flavorless oil, such as sunflower or vegetable oil.
• Onion, and Ginger Garlic Paste: Basic gravy ingredients. Use any color onions you have [I used red, but a white or brown onion is perfect too!], and if you don't have ginger garlic paste, swap it for fresh ones.
• Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, and Garam Masala: These are some of the most commonly used Indian Spices. Should you like your curry hot, use regular red chilli powder, but for a milder, yet colorful hit, opt for Kashmiri chili powder, which is still hot, but not as much. No black pepper is required, but you can add a touch if you really want to.
• Cilantro [Fresh Coriander]: Brings a hint of freshness to the curry.
• Green Chillies, and Garlic Cloves: These ingredients are part of the final tadka [tempering] that is added to the curry and completely change its flavor. Use fresh garlic cloves and green chillies.

How To Make Garlic Chicken Curry?

1. In a pan, warm up the oil and cook the onions with some salt (this speeds up the process) on medium-low heat.
2. Once these are translucent, add the turmeric, coriander powder, and red chili powder and mix well.
3. Once the spices are cooked and separate from the oil, add the ginger garlic paste and lightly fry.
4. Once the smell of the raw garlic has gone, add half the fresh coriander and allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes, then take half of the curry base and blend it.

5. Once half the curry is blended, add it back to the pan and mix well; at this stage add the chopped chicken and allow it to cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
6. Add some water to the curry as well as the remaining finely chopped fresh coriander and bring the chicken curry to a boil; once it is boiling, lower the flame and put a lid on the pan and allow the curry to simmer.
7. When the chicken is nearly cooked, add the garam masala.

8. At this stage, in a small saucepan or frying pan, add some oil, sliced garlic, and slit green chilies.
9. Turn on the heat to medium-low and allow the oil to warm up and cook the garlic till it is golden in color.
10. Once the garlic is golden, add the tempering to the garlic chicken curry.
11. Mix, serve, and enjoy with fluffy steamed rice or any flatbread of your liking!

People Also Ask [FAQs]

How To Store Garlic Chicken Curry?

This Lehsuni Murgh curry can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.

It can also be frozen, always in an airtight container, for about 4-6 weeks.

Before serving again, always ensure the chicken curry has been fully reheated.

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Tips & Tricks For The Best Garlic Chicken Curry

• Cooking the Garlic and Green Chillies: It is important the sliced garlic and green chilies are added to the cold oil. As this warms up, the ingredients flavor it and will enhance your curry's flavor. Make sure the garlic is golden and not dark brown, as this may make it quite bitter.
• Butter: As an alternative, the garlic and chilies can be cooked in butter the same way, but do not swap unflavored vegetable oil for coconut or olive oil, as these are too strong and the flavor will change.
• Marinated Chicken: Should you like your chicken dish to be extra garlicky, then you can marinate the chicken in a teaspoon of garlic paste for half an hour before cooking.
• Cumin Powder: Many chicken curries use cumin powder, however this one doesn't. Should you like to try, for a change, you can add a teaspoon of ground cumin at the same point as you add the turmeric.
• Garlic Chicken Recipe: As this is garlic chicken, feel free to add more garlic cloves if you like it, as well as more green chilies.
• Curry Powder: Although many use curry powder in Indian cooking, please do not use it in this recipe, as it is not a suitable swap for any of the Asian spices used.
• Lemon Juice: Before serving, for a little tanginess, feel free to squeeze a slice of lemon on top of your curry bowl.
• Vegetarian Alternative: Why don't you try the same recipe using paneer or tofu instead?
• Smooth Gravy: Should you like your curry gravy very smooth, you can blend the whole mixture instead of just half of it. For a chunkier curry, don't blend the gravy at all.

This Lehsuni Murgh is the curry of dreams! Tender chicken bites served in a rich garlicky gravy with some heat, what more can one ask for?

Serve it with plain or jeera rice, or with some flatbreads, such as roti, chapatis, naan, or parathas.

If you have some leftovers, try them on top of a jacket potato [I've learned this trick here in the UK, and although my very Indian husband refuses to give it a go, it is actually good!] as a quick lunchbox fix.

But most of all, eat it as you wish, as long as you enjoy it!

🥗 In the mood for other chicken dishes?

Recipe

Easy Garlic Chicken Curry Without Tomato

Elle

Quick and easy, yet full of flavor.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 portions

Calories 271 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

For the Chicken Curry

• 2 tablespoon Sunflower Oil Or any flavorless vegetable oil
• 2 Large Onions
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 20 g Fresh Coriander
• 4 Skinless Chicken Thighs
• ¾ teaspoon Garam Masala
• 300 ml Water
• Salt to Taste

For the Tempering

• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil Or any flavorless vegetable oil
• 3 Green Chilies
• 10 g Fresh Garlic

Instructions

 

Prep

• Slice the onions in Juliennes and set aside; wash the coriander, chop it (eliminating the hardest part of the stem), and set aside as well, separately from the onions.
• Remove the skin from the chicken and dice the thighs in large chuncks.

Start Cooking

• In a pan, add the sunflower oil and warm up on medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and a little salt, as this will speed up the cooking of it. Stir well and keep on cooking until the onions start to soften and are translucent, which will take about 4 minutes.
• Once the onions are translucent add the turmeric, coriander powder, and red chili powder, stir well and allow the spices to cook. This will take about one minute; you will know the spices are cooked once the smell of rawness has gone and the oil separates from them.
• At this point add the ginger garlic paste, mix well again and allow it to ‘fry’; once more, this will be cooked once the smell of rawness, especially of the garlic, has gone, which should take 30 seconds to one minute.
• Add half of the fresh coriander to the mix and stir well; allow this to cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
• Take half of the mixture and blend with a little water if necessary. Return the blended mix to the pan with the non-blended part, and mix well.
• At this stage add the diced chicken.
• Mix well and allow the chicken to cook for 2 minutes, then add the water, and bring to a boil.
• Add the remaining of the fresh coriander and stir well once more.
• Bring the flame down to low, put a lid on the pan, and allow to cook while simmering. The chicken will be ready in 10-15 minutes.
• - Halfway through the 15 minutes, add the garam masala to the pot, mix well and allow it to continue cooking.

Garlic and Green Chillies Tadka [Tempering]

• 5 minutes before the chicken is ready, finely chop the fresh garlic and wash and slit sideways the green chilies.
• In a small pot add the remaining sunflower oil, finely chopped fresh garlic and slit green chilies.
• On a medium-low heat, allow the oil to start warming up and keep on cooking until the garlic is golden in colour.
• At this point, add the tadka to the chicken and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

This Lehsuni Murgh curry can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
It can also be frozen, always in an airtight container, for about 4-6 weeks. Before serving again, always ensure the chicken curry has been fully reheated. 

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 23gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 227mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 440IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

Keyword garlic chicken curry

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