You'd think you were at the foothills of the Himalayas with this Nepalese chicken curry recipe. It's simply bursting with flavour and complexity. Marinated with a blend of aromatic, toasted spices and yoghurt, this Nepali chicken curry is the perfect representation of the rich and diverse cuisine of this wonderful country.
The yoghurt marinade tenderises the chicken and the warm spices balance perfectly with the tanginess from the yoghurt. It's always been a firm favourite in our house and feels like such a 'treat meal'. The divine smell whilst it's cooking is simply intoxicating! Don't be intimated by the long list of spices, it's not a complicated dish and with our easy step-by-step instructions, making this chicken curry at home will be a doddle.
For more curry recipes, also try this creamy oven-baked Pasanda curry, or this quick chicken Karahi.
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What's to love about this recipe
- This is a mild curry so will be suitable for kids and people who don't enjoy hot spices.
- If you do prefer a spicy curry, you can easily up the amount of chilli pepper.
- The thick, rich sauce it's cooked in is delicious served on top of rice or to dip your naan bread in.
- This is a good introduction to Nepalese curries and the use of spices.
Key ingredients notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Cardamom pods - If this is your first time shelling cardamom pods, don't try to peel them with your nails. Put them in a mortar and pestle and crush them with the pestle until the shells crack open. This makes getting the seeds out much easier!
Garlic paste and ginger paste - We use the pastes for convenience and speed, but you can absolutely use fresh cloves and ginger root. If using fresh, you can either crush the garlic and grate the ginger separately, or you can add it to the mortar and pestle together with the toasted seeds (fennel and cardamom) and grind it down together into a paste - Yum!
Greek yoghurt - We prefer full fat Greek yoghurt for it's richness and creaminess, but you can use any full fat plain yoghurt. Low fat yoghurts will split.
Chicken - The recipe calls for thighs but you can swap this for drumsticks or chicken breasts. Do note though that thighs, the 'brown meat' of the chicken, are the tastiest part of the chicken.
Olive oil - Can be swapped for vegetable oil or ghee.
Nutmeg - Can be replaced with the same amount of mace. Fun fact - mace is the outer husk of nutmeg so can be used interchangeably if needed.
Chilli powder - This is a mild curry so we're only using a quarter teaspoon of chilli powder. If you'd like it hotter, you can up the amount to half a teaspoon, or more at your own peril! You can also add a few grinds of black pepper.
Sugar - To balance out the tanginess from the tomato. You can omit this if you're sugar free.
Tinned tomatoes - You can also use chopped fresh tomatoes. You will need 4-5 medium sized tomatoes for 400g.
How to make Nepalese chicken curry
Preparing the chicken
- Shell the cardamom pods and remove the seeds.
- Add the cardamom seeds along with the fennel seeds to a small frying pan.
- Fry the seeds together over a medium-high heat for around 2 minutes, or until you can see a few seeds 'popping' and it smells fragrant. Keep shaking the pan and be careful not to burn it.
- Add the toasted seeds to a mortar and pestle.
- Grind the toasted seeds down finely.
- Add the yoghurt to a large bowl. Add the toasted spices along with the garlic and ginger pastes to the yoghurt. Combine well.
- Add the chicken pieces to the yoghurt marinade.
- Coat the chicken well in the yoghurt.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to marinade for a minimum of two hours.
To make the curry
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/356℉/gas mark 4.
- Remove the chicken from the yoghurt marinade, scraping off as much of the yoghurt as possible. Reserve the leftover yoghurt for later.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan or saucepan (we use a large cast iron pot)
- Add the chicken to the hot pan. On a medium-high heat, fry the chicken pieces 5-6 minutes on one side. Turn over and fry for a further 3 minutes. The chicken should not be cooked, just well browned.
- Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the chopped onions, cumin seeds and cloves to the pan. Over medium heat, sauté the onions and spices together for 7 minutes, or until the onions are golden in colour.
- Add the ground cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg and chilli powder and fry together with the onions for 1 minute more.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan along with the tablespoon of sugar. Deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula or large spoon to incorporate the burned bits sticking to the bottom (flavour!).
- Allow the stock to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and any leftover yoghurt marinade to the pan.
- Add the bay leaves and the salt and give it a good stir.
- Over a low heat, bring the sauce back up to a light simmer and remove from the heat.
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the sauce along with any chicken juices remaining on the plate.
- Cook uncovered for 45 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve hot with rice or naans.
Serving suggestions
- For those who do like heat, you can serve a bowl of chopped chillies alongside the curry.
- Serve with fresh chopped coriander.
- Use deep bowls or plates: Nepalese chicken curry has a thick and flavourful sauce, so it's best to serve it in a vessel with a slightly raised edge to contain the sauce.
- Serve the accompaniments like rice and naan in separate bowls so guests can mix and match to their preference.
- For a traditional Nepali style and elegant touch to your serving arrangement, serve the curry in copper or brass serving bowls.
Side dishes to serve with Nepalese chicken curry
- Rice dishes like coconut basmati rice or yellow basmati rice
- Raita
- A vegetable side dish like sauteed spinach, roasted cauliflower, cauliflower rice, dahl or vegetable curry
- Chutneys and pickles
- Salad
Storage
This curry will keep well stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, reheat in the microwave.
Can you freeze it?
You can freeze the curry for up to 3 months if store in an airtight container. To defrost, place in the fridge overnight to thaw. Reheat in the microwave.
Other curry recipes you might enjoy
Recipe
Nepalese chicken curry
Equipment you may need
- 1 Large pot or pan suitable for both hob and oven use
Ingredients
- 8 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3 teaspoons garlic paste - or 3 cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons ginger paste - or freshly grated
- 200 grams Greek yoghurt - or other plain full fat yoghurt
- 1 kilogram chicken thighs - skin on, bone in
- 3 tablespoons olive oil - or vegetable oil
- 200 grams chopped onion - equivalent to 2 medium onions
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder - or more to taste
- 250 millilitre chicken stock - made with one full stock cube
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tin 400g tomatoes - or 4-5 medium sized fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
Instructions
Preparing the chicken
- Shell the cardamom pods and remove the seeds.
- Add the cardamom seeds along with the fennel seeds to a small frying pan.
- Fry the seeds together over a medium-high heat for around 2 minutes, or until you can see a few seeds 'popping' and it smells fragrant. Keep shaking the pan and be careful not to burn it.
- Add the toasted seeds to a mortar and pestle and grind down finely.
- Add the yoghurt to a large bowl. Add the toasted spices along with the garlic and ginger pastes to the yoghurt. Combine well.
- Add the chicken pieces to the yoghurt spice mix. Coat the chicken well in the yoghurt.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to marinade for a minimum of two hours.
To make the curry
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/356℉/gas mark 4.
- Remove the chicken from the yoghurt marinade, scraping off as much of the yoghurt as possible. Reserve the leftover yoghurt for later.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan or saucepan (we use a large cast iron pot)
- On a medium-high heat, fry the chicken pieces 5-6 minutes on one side. Turn over and fry for a further 3 minutes. The chicken should not be cooked, just well browned.
- Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the chopped onions, cumin seeds and cloves to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and sauté the onions and spices together for 7 minutes, or until the onions are golden in colour.
- Add the cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg and chilli powder and fry together with the onions for 1 minute more.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan along with the tablespoon of sugar. Deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula or large spoon to scrape off any of the burned bits (flavour!).
- Allow the stock to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and any leftover yoghurt marinade to the pan.
- Add the bay leaves and the salt and give it a good stir.
- Bring the sauce back up to a light simmer and remove from the heat. Place the chicken thighs on top of the sauce along with any chicken juices remaining on the plate.
- Cook uncovered for 45 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve hot with rice or naans.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
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Robert Jones says
Will you be producing a cookbook with the curry recipes in the near future if so l would be the first to buy one thanks.
Maretha @ The Cinnamon Jar says
Haha! Thank you Robert - that really made my day! If that ever happens, you will be the first to know, I promise!