Easy Dahi Chicken (Yogurt Chicken Curry)

Dahi Chicken (Dahi Murgh) is a North Indian or Pakistani style chicken curry with chicken pieces cooked in a yogurt-based sauce. Serve it with roti, naan, or rice for a hearty meal.

Jump to:

• About Dahi Chicken
• Ingredients
• How To Make Dahi Chicken
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Dahi Chicken

Dahi is plain yogurt in Hindi.

Dahi Chicken, also known as dahi wala murgh is a Pakistani or North Indian style curry where the chicken pieces are cooked in a yogurt-based sauce.

Although many Indian chicken curry recipes use yogurt, it is used in small quantities. In dahi chicken, yogurt makes the base of the curry and a lot of it is used.

Spicy, tangy, and full of flavors, this curry comes together using simple ingredients in under an hour.

It is a great curry for everyday meals, Indian-themed parties, or get-togethers.

You can easily double or triple this easy dahi chicken recipe as per your need.

Here are more chicken curry recipes that you may like

• Chicken Keema Masala
• Chicken Masala
• Achari Chicken Curry
• Malabar Chicken Curry
• Chicken Chettinad
• Kadai Chicken
• Chicken Vindaloo
• Tomato Chicken Curry
• Chicken Salna
• Butter Chicken
• Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

Chicken – I like to make this curry using skinless bone-in chicken pieces as the bones add a lot of flavor to the curry.

Oil – Use any cooking oil to make this simple chicken curry. My favorite is mustard oil. It gives the curry a very unique flavor. You can also make the curry in ghee to make it extra indulgent.

Whole Spices – To enhance the flavor of this chicken curry, use whole spices such as cloves (laung), black peppercorns (kali mirch), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), and dry red chilies.

When added to hot oil, these whole spices infuse flavor and aroma, making the dish even more delicious.

Feel free to add other whole spices like bay leaves (tejpatta), mace (javitri), and green cardamom pods (hari elaichi).

Spice Powders – Spice up the curry with basic spice powders such as chicken masala powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt.

I like chicken masala powder from Shaan or Everest brands. They are available at all Indian grocery stores or online. You can use any brand of spice mix that you like.

Kashmiri red chili powder gives the dahi murgh curry a nice red color without making it too spicy. If you want it to be spicy, opt for regular red chili powder instead of Kashmiri red chili powder.

Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – The base of this gravy is prepared with plain yogurt. I like to add all-purpose flour (maida) to the yogurt as it prevents it from curdling while cooking. Flour also makes the yogurt chicken curry creamier.

You can use Greek yogurt in place of plain yogurt.

Others – You will also need red onions, ginger garlic paste, lime juice (or lemon juice), and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) to make this delicious recipe.

You can also add some kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and sliced green chillies at the end of the cooking for a nice flavor.

To make it richer, add ¼ cup of unsweetened heavy cream at the end of cooking.

Add 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder for a spicy kick.

How To Make Dahi Chicken

Whisk 2 cups of plain yogurt with

• 1 tablespoon chicken masala powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon salt

Keep it aside.

Heat 5 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Lightly crush

• 3-4 cloves
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

in a mortar and pestle.

When the oil is hot, add the crushed whole spices and 2-3 dry red chilies (stalks removed) and saute for 5-6 seconds.

Add 1 and ½ cups of thinly sliced red onions and cook until they turn light brown (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.

Add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and cook until the onions turn dark brown (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.

Now add 2 pounds (1 kg) of rinsed skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add the yogurt mixture and mix well.

Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add some water if the curry looks thick. Check for salt and add more if needed.

Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and mix well.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve dahi wala chicken with Phulka, Steamed Rice, or Jeera Rice for my meals, but you can also serve it with other Indian bread such as Missi Roti, Laccha Paratha, Rumali Roti, etc.

Serve sliced onions and green chutney on the side.

Dahi murgh also tastes great with Ghee Rice, Jeera Rice, or Veg Pulao.

Storage Suggestions

Dahi chicken curry will last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days when stored properly in an airtight container.

Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. Add hot water and adjust the consistency if it has become thick.

To freeze the dahi chicken curry, let it cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it on the stove.

You Might Also Like

Recipe Card