Punjabi Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

Out of the many Indian Chicken Recipes, this Punjabi 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. Here is how to make Dhaba Style Chicken Curry (Step by Step + Video)

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.

Just like any other Dhaba specialities like Dal Makhani, Palak Paneer, Naan etc, this Dhaba Chicken Curry is also a killer dish and should be definitely made at the comfort of home and with good ingredients.

How to make Dhaba Style Chicken Curry?

For the Punjabi Chicken 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 separating.

Now the masalas like 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.

To make it even more flavourful, you can give it a second tempering of cumin seeds, dry red chilli and garlic in ghee.

What can you serve with Dhaba Style Chicken Curry?

You can serve any kind of Indian bread like Naan, lachha paratha, missi roti or tandoori roti with this chicken curry. I like to serve some rice along too. It goes very well with the spicy curry.

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.  Here is how to make Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe.

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How to make Punjabi Chicken Curry Step by Step

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.

Now 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.

Now 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.

Dhaba Style Chicken Curry Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 499 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For marination

• 1 kg Chicken Curry Cut
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

For the curry

• 4 tbsp Mustard Oil
• 2-3 Cloves Crushed
• 5-6 Black peppercorns Crushed
• 1 inch Cinnamon Crushed
• 3-4 Dry Red Chillies
• 2 cups Onion Grated
• 1 tsp Ginger Chopped
• 1 tsp Garlic Chopped
• 1 cup Tomato Grated
• 1 cup Curd Whisked with 2 tsp Maida
• 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Kasuri Methi
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala Powder

Instructions

1. Mix chicken with the ingredients for marination and let it marinate for 2-3 hours.

2. For the curry, heat oil in a pan.

3. 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.

4. Add onion and fry until slightly browned.

5. Add ginger and garlic and fry until onion is nicely browned.

6. Now add chicken along with the marinade and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes.

7. Add tomato and cook for 4-5 minutes.

8. Add curd and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

9. Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and salt to taste and cover and cook until chicken is done.

10. Add garam masala powder and kasuti methi and cook for another minute.

11. Serve hot with tandoori roti.

12. For the smoky flavour that is a characteristic of Dhaba food, heat a piece of coal over direct flame until red hot.

13. Keep a metal bowl over the curry.

14. Keep the hot piece of coal in this bowl and pour some oil on top.

15. Immediately close the lid of the pan and let the smoke get infused in the curry for 10 minutes.

16. Remove the lid and remove the bowl with the coal.

17. Your smoky Dhaba style chicken curry is ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

You can also give this curry a second tempering of cumin seeds, dry red chilli and garlic.

Do it once you are ready to serve the curry.

It's best to make this curry few hours in advance for all the flavours to come along. 

Nutrition Facts

Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 499 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34g 52%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 90mg 30%

Sodium 1316mg 55%

Potassium 774mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 7g

Protein 29g 58%

Vitamin A 28.8%

Vitamin C 83.2%

Calcium 9.4%

Iron 20.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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