Sometimes there’s nothing better than a decent spicy chicken curry. But while there are many chicken curry recipes that call for hours and hours of cooking – let’s be honest, who really has time these days to slave over a hot stove? If you have an Instant Pot then this chicken madras recipe will only cook in 5 minutes! Honestly, this is such an easy chicken curry recipe. In fact, it’s foolproof – and even if you don’t have an Instant Pot you can still make it in under half an hour.
I came up with this recipe for easy chicken curry because I had several ingredients that needed to be used – plus, I wanted a homemade curry that was easy enough to make during the week. Combining Indian spices with garlic and ginger, the taste is fresh and packs a punch. You won’t ever need to get a curry sauce out of a jar or get a readymade curry again.
Here are some other quick & easy recipes
Quick and easy chicken curry recipe
What do you need to make this chicken curry? If you’re a keen cook, then you may have a lot of the spices in your store cupboard already. You’ll need spices garam masala, ground cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and chilli powder alongside fresh ingredients ginger, garlic, chilli and one onion.
And all you have to do is put the above ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blitz until it resembles a paste. Then you fry off the paste in vegetable oil until it browns and softens, then add chicken pieces. Coating the chicken in all the spices, you then add tinned tomatoes, seasoning, and lemon juice. That’s pretty much it…
Instant Pot chicken curry
If you’re using the Instant Pot method – it really does only take 5 minutes to cook this easy chicken curry. Set the Instant Pot to saute – then add the vegetable oil. Once heated, add the onion paste and spices and cook for around 3 minutes. Then add the chicken and coat the pieces in the paste. Add the tinned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, and set the Instant Pot on high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Once the pressure is released, stir through the lemon juice, sprinkle the coriander and serve.
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
That’s not an issue. You can still make Indian chicken curry in a pan on the hob. Saute the onion paste in a deep frying pan, and then once you’ve added the seasoning and the tinned tomatoes, simmer on a low heat for around 25 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is soft and tender.
How spicy is this chicken curry?
This is a fairly hot and spicy curry madras – so if you would like it to not be so fiery, refrain from adding the fresh chilli and the chilli powder. This chicken curry will still taste amazing but won’t make your eyes water! If you’re a spice fiend, then by all means you can add more fresh chilli and more chilli powder.
What to do with leftovers?
When I make this chicken curry, I like to batch cook – so it’s perfect for freezing and eating at a later date. Put the curry in a suitable freezer container and you can keep it for up to three months. Make sure to fully defrost before reheating.
Quick & easy chicken curry
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red chilli chopped
- 2 cm piece of ginger
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons hot chilli powder
- 4 chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes undrained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- A handful of chopped coriander for serving
Instructions
- In a blender, blitz the onion, red chilli pepper, ginger, and garlic together until it becomes a paste.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat the oil.
- Add the paste and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until it softens.
- Then add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala, coriander, and chilli powder. Sauté well for a few minutes so the spices release their flavour.
- Add the chicken and make sure each piece is coated in all the spices and paste. If anything is sticking to the bottom, add a splash of water to deglaze the bottom.
- Add the tomatoes and combine well.
- Stir in the salt and pepper.
- Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot, and set to Pressure Cook mode on high for 5 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander on top and serve immediately.
On the hob method
- Follow the above instructions, but instead of using the Instant Pot, fry the paste in a deep pan, and once you've combined the tomatoes, seasoning and lemon juice, simmer on a gentle heat for 20-25 minutes while the sauce thickens and chicken cooks.
Brilliant recipe, and easy to make
Kids loved this one!
Great recipe. My pantry spices are now put to good use! Highly recommend