Pahadi Chicken Curry Recipe

The first time I ate Pahadi chicken curry was at a small homestay near Ranikhet. The lady of the house chopped onions, ginger, and garlic on a stone slab while we sat on the floor and waited. The gravy was thin. Almost soupy. Mohit looked at it and whispered that it seemed “too plain.”

Then he asked for a third helping.

That curry had no heavy base. No onion-tomato masala cooked for an hour. What it had was smoky mustard oil, a coarse onion paste, a good garam masala, and chicken cooked slowly until it slid off the bone. I came home and spent two weekends getting it right.

This is that recipe. It is one of the easiest chicken curries on my blog, and it tastes nothing like my desi chicken curry or chicken masala. Both of those are richer and take longer. This one is lighter, smokier, and made for a bowl of plain rice.

What Is Pahadi Chicken Curry?

Pahadi chicken curry is a rustic, thin-gravy chicken curry from the hill regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in North India. It is cooked in mustard oil with a coarse paste of onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, then simmered with tomato, garam masala, and asafoetida (hing) in water.

“Pahad” means mountain in Hindi. Pahadi food (Kumaoni and Garhwali cooking in particular) uses what grows and keeps well in the hills. Mustard oil, a few dried spices, and very little dairy.

A few things set this curry apart from most North Indian chicken curries:

• Mustard oil does the heavy lifting. It gives a sharp, smoky base that no other oil can copy.
• Hing water. Asafoetida is dissolved in water and added to the gravy instead of being fried. This is a very hill-kitchen habit, and it is why the curry tastes deep without a long list of spices.
• A coarse paste, not a smooth one. Onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilies are pulsed in a chopper, not ground fine.
• The gravy is thin. It is meant to be poured over rice, not scooped with naan.
• No cream, no nuts, no yogurt. Garam masala carries the flavor.

How To Make Pahadi Chicken Curry

Step 1: Add ½ cup chopped onions, 2-3 green chilies, 2-inch piece of ginger, and 6-8 garlic cloves to a chopper. Pulse to make a coarse paste. Stop before it turns smooth. The tiny bits of onion and ginger give this curry its rustic hill texture. A smooth paste turns it into an ordinary onion gravy.

Step 2: Mix ½ teaspoon hing into ¼ cup hot water and set it aside.

Step 3: Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of mustard oil and heat it until it just starts to smoke.

Step 4: Add 2 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Let them crackle for 3 to 4 seconds.

Step 5: Add 500 grams of skinless, bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½ pieces). Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the pieces turn opaque and take on a little color.

Step 6: Add the onion paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons of garam masala powder. Cook, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes.

Step 7: Add ½ cup of pureed tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add and hing water. Mix well so every piece of chicken is coated with the masala.

Step 8: Pour in 2 cups of water and stir.

Step 9: Cover the pan and cook on medium-low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thin but flavorful.

Step 10: Garnish with 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Pressure Cooker Method

Follow steps 3 to 8 in a 3-liter or larger pressure cooker, using 1½ cups water instead of 2. Close the lid and cook for 3 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure release naturally. Garnish and serve.

Instant Pot Method

Use SAUTE mode for steps 3 to 8, with 1 cups water. Scrape the bottom so nothing is stuck. Cancel SAUTE, close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and PRESSURE COOK on high for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Garnish and serve. This is the same base method I use for my Instant Pot chicken curry, just with fewer spices and the hing water.

Variations

Boneless Pahadi chicken: Use 400 g (14 oz) boneless thighs cut into 1½-inch pieces. Avoid breast meat; it turns stringy in a long simmer.

Spicier version: Add 1-2 more green chilies to the paste, or add ½ teaspoon of red chili powder along with the turmeric.

Milder version for kids: Use 1 deseeded green chili. The garam masala still gives it warmth.

With potatoes (Pahadi aloo chicken): Add 2 medium potatoes cut into wedges along with the water in step 8. They soak up the thin gravy beautifully. This is how many Kumaoni homes stretch a small amount of chicken.

Mutton version: Use 500 g bone-in goat meat. Simmer for 60 to 70 minutes, or cook for 6 to 7 whistles in a pressure cooker.

Serving Suggestions

Pahadi chicken curry is a rice curry first. Serve it with plain steamed rice or jeera rice and let the gravy soak in.

It also goes well with phulka, mandua (finger millet) roti, or plain paratha. Keep the sides simple: sliced onions, a wedge of lime, and a green chili.

On weekends, I like to serve it as part of a Pahadi-style thali with dal, aloo ke gutke, bhang ki chutney, and rice.

Storage Suggestions

Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The gravy thickens a little as it sits.

Reheat it in a pan over medium heat with a splash of hot water. Stir gently so the chicken stays on the bone.

You can freeze it in portions for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat and serve.