Badami Chicken Curry Recipe
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Badami Chicken Curry is a rich North Indian-style curry with chicken pieces cooked in a gravy made with almonds (badam). Serve it with naan or tandoori roti for a festive meal, special occasions, or a get-together.
If you like this recipe, try a few others from my collection: Chicken Keema Masala, Restaurant Style Kadai Chicken, Malai Chicken Curry, and Restaurant Style Chicken Angara.
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Table of Contents
Last weekend, I had friends over at my house, and I wanted to cook something that felt special and warm. I made this badami chicken curry, and the smell filled my kitchen while it cooked. When I served it, everyone loved it right away.
The curry has exquisite flavors, thanks to tender, succulent chicken pieces, slight sweetness from the almond paste, and creaminess from yogurt and heavy cream.
I served it with my tried and trusted butter naan, but you can also serve it with other Indian breads such as lachha paratha or tandoori roti. Serve some pickled onions and lemon wedges on the side for an unforgettable meal.
Ingredients
- Chicken – I like to use skinless bone-in chicken pieces, as the bone releases a lot of flavor in the curry. If you are not a bone-in chicken person, then use boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces.
- Almonds – Use good-quality almonds for a delicious, sweet flavor in the curry.
- Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) and Milk make the gravy base richer. I like to whisk the yogurt with some all-purpose flour (maida) to prevent it from curdling while cooking.
- Spice Powders – Badami chicken curry is spiced with basic spice powders such as turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and coriander powder.
- Cream – Use unsweetened heavy cream to make the curry richer.
- Whole Spices – You will need cloves (laung), black peppercorns (kali mirch), cinnamon (dalchini), black cardamom (badi elaichi), and bay leaf (tejpatta).
- Kasuri Methi – Adding dried fenugreek leaves adds a distinct flavor. Do not miss this.
- Others – You will also need cooking oil, ghee, onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and salt.
How To Make Badami Chicken Curry
Step 1: Soak 25 almonds in boiling water for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Peel their skin.
Step 3: Add the peeled almonds with ¼ cup of water to a blender. Blend to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Step 4: Heat 3 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Step 5: Add the following spices once the oil is hot, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 black peppercorns
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 black cardamoms
- 2-3 bay leaves
Step 6: Add 1 and ½ cups of finely chopped onions and cook until they turn light brown (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
Step 7: Add 2 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 8: Now add 1 kg of skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) and cook for 4-5 minutes.
If you want to make this curry using boneless chicken, use 500 g of boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces.
Step 9: Add ½ cup yogurt (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour) and 2-3 green chilies (slit in half) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 10: Add the following ingredients and mix well.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- almond paste
Step 11: Now add ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of water and stir to combine.
Step 12: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked well, stirring a few times.
Step 13: Add ¼ cup of unsweetened heavy cream and 2 tablespoon Kauri methi and mix well. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Step 14: Serve hot.
Storage Suggestions
This curry can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until hot, then serve again. Add some water if the curry thickens after refrigeration.
I do not suggest freezing this curry as it may curdle when thawed.
Other Indian Non-Vegetarian Curry Recipes We Recommend
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Badami Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 25 almonds
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2-3 whole cloves (laung)
- 2-3 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2-3 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 2-3 whole bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 1 and ½ cups finely chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 kilogram skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces)
- ½ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) (whisked with 1 teaspoon all purpose flour (maida))
- 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Kasuri methi
Instructions
- Soak the almonds in boiling water for 30 minutes.
- Peel their skin.
- Add the peeled almonds with ¼ cup of water to a blender. Blend to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
- Heat oil and ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamoms, and bay leaves, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn light brown (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Now add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add yogurt and green chilies and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder, salt, and almond paste, and mix well.
- Now add milk and ½ cup of water and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir a few times while cooking.
- Add cream and Kauri methi and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Serve hot.
Tried this today for a friends get together. It turned out pretty good. Just a different chicken curry. Not too heavy.
Thanks for sharing.
This looks like a great recipe! Do you have instructions on how to make almond paste? Also, can you buy this at stores?
Hi Sarah, to make almond paste, soak almonds in hot water for 3-4 hours. Then peel and blend in a blender with little water.
Superb recipe, thanks a ton! We went with milk (no water). Amazing result.
I must say this is one of the best chicken curry i have made, simple minimum spice and just divine. You can’t stop eating.
Awesome 🙂
I what to try this love curry, but what is maida,is this curry powder.
Hi Alison, sorry about that. It’s all purpose flour.
Great and easy recipe! Thanks ????
I am glad you liked it 🙂
Hi. What if I can’t get curd? I’m desperate to try this…
Hey Evie. You can use plain yogurt.
I made it with lamb as well. And it tastes amazing. Thank you for a brilliant recipe. Served it with Naan to guests who do not like curry. They want to eat it every day.
Happy to hear 🙂
My very first recipe that was tried without my mum’s help. Super awesome and easy to follow. Family loved it too.
I am so glad you liked it 🙂
Really lovely!! Making for the second time tonight and will definitely try more of your recipes.
I did end up just using almond butter to save on time and dishes and went heavy on the methi, it was great
Thnx for trying :). I am glad you liked it.
Usually we say badami will be somewhat sweet on the pallet, but this recipe turned out real good;especially with roasted almonds on the top. The entire family loved it. Thanks.
Thnx a lot for trying.Do not forget to give the recipe 5 stars. It will help to rank it.