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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Dal & Curries » Chicken Curries » Indian Tomato Chicken Curry (Tamatar Murgh)

    Published: Sep 14, 2021 | Last Updated On: Jun 20, 2023 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Indian Tomato Chicken Curry (Tamatar Murgh)

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    Tomato Chicken Curry (Tamatar Murgh) is an Indian chicken curry cooked with lots of fresh tomatoes and mild spices. This easy curry recipe comes together in under 40 minutes (one-pot) and goes very well with Indian bread or steamed rice (gluten-free).

    Tomato chicken curry served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About Tomato Chicken Curry
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • How To Make Indian Tomato Chicken Curry
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Tomato Chicken Curry

    Indian Tomato Chicken Curry as the name suggests is an Indian-style chicken curry cooked with a lot of fresh tomatoes.

    This Indian chicken curry is tangy and spicy and is very different from other Indian chicken curries in taste and texture.

    It doesn’t have coconut milk or cream added to it and had a bold tomato flavor.

    Chicken curry with tomatoes is super easy to make and comes together in under 40 minutes.

    It also uses very few ingredients that are easily available in the pantry and my recipe is a one-pot recipe too.

    Serve it with Indian bread or steamed rice for a hearty meal.

    My recipe is gluten-free and serves 4 but you can easily scale it up or down.

    Here are some more Indian chicken curries that you must try

    • Chicken Salna
    • Bihari Chicken Curry
    • Coconut Curry Chicken
    • Chicken Chettinad
    • Chicken Masala
    • Chicken Angara
    • Chicken Keema Masala
    • Kadai Chicken

    Ingredients

    Tomato Chicken Curry Ingredients 1.
    Tomato chicken curry ingredients 2

    Chicken – I like to use bone-in skinless chicken pieces to make this curry but you can use cubed boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs too.

    Tomatoes – Use fresh and ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. Canned crushed tomatoes also work great in this recipe.

    Crispy Fried Onions – This dish gets its flavor from crispy fried onions. Make them at home using my fried onions recipe or buy a packet.

    Spice Powders – You will need Kashmiri red chili powder and garam masala powder.

    Ghee & Oil – I use a mixture of ghee and vegetable oil but you can use any oil that you prefer. Olive oil also works fine in this recipe.

    Other Ingredients – Apart from the above-mentioned ingredients, you will also need some other basic ingredients like cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).

    Variations

    Add some coconut milk or heavy cream at the end of the cooking for a taste change.

    You can also add cashew nut paste or melon seeds paste to make this curry richer.

    Add other ingredients like lentils, chickpeas, tofu, or veggies like mushrooms, potatoes, spinach, zucchini, peppers, etc. to make the curry wholesome.

    To give the curry a nice crunch, add some nuts like cashew nuts or almonds.

    To make this curry in Kerala style, blend 1 cup chopped fresh coconut with 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, and ½ cup fried onions. Add this paste after adding the chicken to the pan along with the other ingredients mentioned in the recipe card below. You can also add a few curry leaves to this version.

    How To Make Indian Tomato Chicken Curry

    Preparation

    Slit the green chilies in half, slice the tomatoes thinly, and chop the cilantro.

    Gather the remaining ingredients.

    Make The Curry

    Heat 2 tablespoon ghee and 3 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.

    Oil and ghee heating in a pan.

    Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.

    Cumin seeds added to the pan.

    Add 3 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and fry for 3-4 seconds. Stir continuously.

    Ginger garlic paste added to the pan.

    Add 2 pounds (1 kg) bone-in skinless chicken ( cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces) and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring frequently.

    Note – You can also use 1 pound (500 g) boneless chicken in place of bone-in chicken.

    Chicke pieces added to the pan.

    Now add

    • 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
    • 2 cups sliced tomatoes (or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
    • ½ cup crispy fried onions
    • 3 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    and mix well.

    Green chilies, tomatoes, fried onions, salt and red chili powder added to the pan.

    Reduce the heat to low.

    Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender (25-30 minutes).

    Stir 2-3 times while the chicken is cooking.

    Note – There is no need to add any extra water as the chicken will cook in its own juices.

    Having said that, if the masala is getting dry and burning at the bottom of the pan, feel free to add some water.

    Pan covered with a lid.

    Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and mix well.

    Check for salt and add more if required. Serve hot with roti or rice.

    Ready tomato chicken curry.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to make chicken curry with tomatoes in a pressure cooker?

    Follow the same recipe as mentioned in the recipe card in a pressure cooker instead of a pan. Once you add red chili powder and salt, cover the cooker with the lid and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the cooker, add garam masala and cilantro, give it a mix, and serve hot.

    How to make tomato chicken curry in an instant pot?

    Press SAUTE button and follow the recipe until the salt is added to the pot. Add ½ cup water and close the lid of the instant pot. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid. Add garam masala and cilantro, give it a mix, and serve hot.

    Serving Suggestions

    This chicken curry tastes great with Indian bread like roti, lachha paratha, naan, or missi roti. It also pairs well with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.

    Storage Suggestions

    This curry can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

    You can freeze this curry for about a month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and heat it properly when you want to serve it.

    Add some water while re-heating the curry if it has thickened.

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    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Tomato Chicken Curry (Tamatar Murgh) is an Indian chicken curry cooked with lots of fresh tomatoes and mild spices. This curry comes together in under 40 minutes and goes very well with Indian bread or steamed rice. Here is how to make it.

    Indian Tomato Chicken Curry Recipe

    Tomato Chicken Curry (Tamatar Murgh) is an Indian chicken curry cooked with lots of fresh tomatoes and mild spices. This curry comes together in under 40 minutes (one-pot) and goes very well with Indian bread or steamed rice.
    4.63 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 442kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoons ghee (you can replace ghee with vegetable oil to make the curry dairy-free)
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
    • 2 pound bone-in skinless chicken (1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces, or 1 pound (500 g) boneless chicken cubes)
    • 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
    • 2 cups sliced tomatoes (or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
    • ½ cup crispy fried onions (crushed)
    • 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
    • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
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    Instructions

    • Heat ghee and vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.
    • Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
    • Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3-4 seconds. Stir continuously.
    • Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Keeps stirring frequently.
    • Now add green chilies, tomatoes, crispy fried onions, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt and mix well.
    • Reduce the heat to low.
    • Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender (25-30 minutes). Stir 2-3 times while the chicken is cooking.
    • Note – There is no need to add any extra water as the chicken will cook in its own juices. Having said that, if the masala is getting dry and burning at the bottom of the pan, feel free to add some water.
    • Add garam masala powder and cilantro and mix well. 
    • Check for salt and add more if required. Serve hot with roti or rice.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D3Ed11ssvk

    Notes

    You can add crushed whole spices in hot ghee for added flavor.
    Pressure Cooker Recipe – Follow the same recipe as mentioned in the recipe card in a pressure cooker instead of a pan. Once you add red chili powder and salt, cover the cooker with the lid and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the cooker, add garam masala and cilantro, give it a mix and serve hot.
    Instant Pot Recipe – Press SAUTE button and follow the recipe until salt is added to the pot. Add ½ cup water and close the lid of the instant pot. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid. Add garam masala and cilantro, give it a mix and serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 16.2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.9mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
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    More Chicken Curry Recipes

    • Chicken Chettinad Curry is a fiery hot and delicious traditional curry from the Chettinad region of South India. Make it using my easy recipe at home.
      Chicken Chettinad Curry
    • Dahi Chicken is an Indian chicken curry with chicken pieces cooked in a yogurt-based sauce. Serve it with roti, naan, or rice for a hearty meal.
      Easy Dahi Chicken (Yogurt Chicken Curry)
    • Badami Chicken Curry is a rich North Indian style curry with chicken pieces cooked in a gravy prepared with almonds (badam). Serve it with naan or tandoori roti for a festive meal or get-together (gluten-free).
      Badami Chicken Curry
    • Kerala Style Chicken Stew is a traditional dish from the state of Kerala (India). It is a mild chicken curry prepared using bone-in chicken, veggies, spices, and coconut milk. Make it using my easy recipe and serve it with steamed rice, appam, or hoppers.
      Traditional Kerala Style Chicken Stew

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating





    1. JR

      May 17, 2017 at 12:33 am

      Where is the liquid coming from as shown in you picture? Also, an approximate time until chicken is cooked would be helpful.

      Reply
      • msnehamathur

        May 17, 2017 at 6:42 am

        Hey. The chicken and tomatoes will release the water. Will write approximate time from next time. Didn’t write as it differs quite a lot depending on the quality of the chicken.

        Reply
    2. Nisha

      October 21, 2018 at 8:36 am

      4 stars
      Came out good..thanks!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        October 23, 2018 at 12:36 pm

        Thnx for trying 🙂

        Reply
      • Urvi

        July 25, 2022 at 1:03 pm

        How do you make crispy fried onions required in this recipe?

        Reply
        • Neha Mathur

          July 25, 2022 at 2:00 pm

          Here you go https://www.whiskaffair.com/make-perfect-birista-golden-fried-onions/

          Reply
    3. Shaheen

      August 28, 2023 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      thanks for this delicious tomato chicken recipe

      Reply
    4. Ted

      September 05, 2023 at 11:38 pm

      5 stars
      I used the recipe as a guideline. I followed the spice mixture closely, however. The mostly unusal addition was the crispy onions, so I made some out of a big shallot I happened to have on hand. It’s tomato season, so it’s nice to have fresh tomatoes. I always add a pinch of sugar to most Indian-inspired recipes. If you happen to have fresh tomatoes, this recipe is a MUST. Also, be sure to use kashmiri chilli powder, available from Amazon and other internet sources.

      Reply

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