Step by Step Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe. Out of the many Indian Chicken Recipes, this Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe is one of our favourite. Juicy morsels of chicken simmered in a smoky onion tomato gravy is perfect to pair with some tandoori roti or Jeera Rice.
Dhabas are popular roadside food joints that are prominent along the highways in Northern India where it’s a common sight to see people flocked to enjoy some wholesome and flavourful Indian khanna.
As you move from different dhabas across North India, you’ll notice that every region has its own unique flavour, but one dish that has been a hot favourite is the Chicken curry served at these dhabas.
What makes dhaba style food stand out is the use of simple ingredients to create something phenomenal. To make this Dhaba Style Chicken curry, first chicken is to be marinated for a few hours with ginger paste, garlic paste, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder that gives the chicken a beautiful colour and flavour and a little garam masala.
Once the chicken has been marinated and all the flavours of the marinate have been infused into the chicken, the curry is prepared.
For the curry we are using mustard oil for that slight pungency. Once the oil is heated, spices like cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamom and dry red chillies are added and they are allowed to crackle for a few seconds. Next chopped onions are added and allowed to brown, followed by the addition of chopped ginger and garlic.
The marinated chicken along with its marinate masala is added and allowed to cook with the spices for a few minutes. Next tomato is added and cooked, followed by the addition of curd. Curd is to be whisked with some gram flour or besan that lends a lovely thick and creamy texture to the chicken curry and also prevents it from seperating.
Finally, coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder are added and the chicken is allowed to cook till tender. Finally, garam masala and kasuri methi are added. This chicken curry can be mopped up with hot tandoori rotis or Jeera Rice.
When you’re looking at making a delicious Indian Chicken Recipes with a beautiful flavour mix, try this Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe and you won’t be disappointed.
This recipe doesn’t take too much time to make, once the chicken has been left to marinate. So you can keep the chicken for a few hours and forget about it, after that mix in all the spices and powders to create this curry.
The medley of Indian flavours tastes beautiful and chicken is an excellent meat to cook with, given that it’s super high in protein while staying low in fat. Some of the other Indian Chicken Curry recipes I’ve posted are: Bengali Doi Murgh Curry, Badami Chicken Curry, Chicken Vindaloo and Thai Red Chicken Curry.
Here is how to make Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe.
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Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe
- For marination
- Chicken - 1 kg ( Curry cut )
- Ginger paste - 1 tsp
- Garlic paste - 1 tsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
- Salt - 2 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp
- Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
- For the curry
- Mustard oil - 4 tbsp
- Cloves - 2-3 ( Crushed )
- Black peppercorns - 5-6 ( Crushed )
- Cinnamon - 1 inch stick ( Crushed )
- Black cardamom - 2 ( Crushed )
- Dry red chillies - 3-4
- Onion - 2 cups ( Grated )
- Ginger - 1 tsp ( Chopped )
- Garlic - 1 tsp ( Chopped )
- Tomato - 1 cup ( Grated )
- Curd - 1 cup ( Whisked with 2 tsp besan )
- Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Kasuri Methi - 2 tbsp
- Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
- Mix chicken with the ingredients for marination and let it marinate for 2-3 hours.
- For the curry, heat oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add crushed cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamom and dry red chillies and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add onion and fry until slightly browned.
- Add ginger and garlic and fry until onion is nicely browned.
- Add chicken along with the marinade and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Add tomato and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add curd and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and salt to taste and cover and cook until chicken is done.
- Add garam masala powder and kasuti methi and cook for another minute.
- Serve hot with tandoori roti.
- For the smoky flavour that is a characteristic of Dhaba food, heat a piece of coal over direct flame until red hot.
- Keep a metal bowl over the curry.
- Keep the hot piece of coal in this bowl and pour some oil on top.
- Immediately close the lid of the pan and let the smoke get infused in the curry for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and remove the bowl with the coal.
- Your smoky Dhaba style chicken curry is ready to serve.
Step By Step Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe
Mix chicken with the ingredients for marination and let it marinate for 2-3 hours.
For the curry, heat oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add crushed cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamom and dry red chillies and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Add onion and fry until slightly browned.
Add ginger and garlic and fry until onion is nicely browned.
Add chicken along with the marinade and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes.
Add tomato and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add curd and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and salt to taste and cover and cook until chicken is done.
Add garam masala powder and kasuti methi and cook for another minute. Serve hot with tandoori roti.
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Neha's love for recipes is evident from this site. She is a food stylist, consultant and photographer. Connect with Neha to learn more. 
This looks so delicious and so full of flavour! Love recipes like this that are so full of spices.
Thnx. Yes, Spices makes a whole lot of changes in a dish.