The Easiest Chicken Curry Ever

The simplicity of Chicken Curry will never be forgotten.  It’s one of my favorite weeknight meals especially in the spring because it’s comfort food that isn’t heavy but still so warming. It’s something about the curry sauce that assembles at the bottom of your dish that’s so perfectly paired with rice and flatbread. This curry is undoubtedly the easiest curry dish you’ll ever make and it’s adaptable with other vegetables and liquid bases. It’s forgiving and the perfect throw-something-together type of dish that we all need in our repertoires.

What Exactly is Ghee?

Keep ghee in your pantry.  Yes, ghee is beautiful kitchen staple, and it is shelf stable.  I start by sautéing the carrots and onions (and eventually the garlic and ginger) in ghee, or Indian clarified butter, which has been rendered to separate the milk solids and strained to remove the water. To me, the taste and smell are quite distinct, so I don’t use it as a replacement for butter, but I love using ghee when I need to sauté vegetables for a bit before deglazing a pan. It also adds a perfect flavor for Indian-inspired dishes.  

Ghee has a higher smoke point and take more heat before browning or burning.  Regular butter typically has a smoke point between 300 and 350 degrees. But Ghee, my friends, has an increased smoke point of about 475 degrees. 

For the Veggies

You already know, I’m team throw any vegetables you have in the mix — broccoli, peas, spinach and other leafy greens, squash, scallions, peppers.  (If you use spinach, don’t add it until the very end).  As always, I encourage prepping your vegetables beforehand to make the cooking process seamless.  The stress of trying to cut chicken while the vegetables are sautéing is not the type of stress that you need in your life.  Trust me. 

Dairy-Free Chicken Curry

Instead of ghee, substitute with vegetable or olive oil. Indian curries typically use dairy, like yogurt or heavy cream, as opposed to coconut milk, but I love using coconut milk in my curry dishes to remove dairy in my diet where it doesn’t really make a huge difference.  I’ve tried this recipe with both coconut milk and with heavy cream, and honestly, they yield pretty similar results.

Loose Recipe Notes

The non-recipe recipe is super simple and easy enough to memorize.  I cook my curry in an enameled cast iron everyday/sauté pan. A nonstick skillet pan or an enameled cast iron Dutch oven will work.  I wouldn’t recommend using a non-enameled cast iron skillet for this dish.

• Start by prepping the vegetables and herbs — carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro — and the chicken pieces.
• Sauté the vegetables in ghee and toss in the curry powder.  Heating the curry powder in the pan for a few seconds before adding the tomato ingredients helps release the flavors.  I do the same with tomato paste and any canned tomato products to remove any metallic taste.
• Deglaze the plan with chicken broth and coconut milk (or heavy cream if you’re not avoiding dairy). Add several pinches of salt and simmer for a few minutes.
• Now is the time to taste the flavor of the liquid before adding the chicken.  If it’s too tomato-ey, add a little bit more chicken broth and coconut milk.  If you want a bit more heat, add a pinch cayenne pepper.  Remember that the flavors will become more intense as the chicken cooks and the liquid reduces.
• Add the chicken pieces to the liquid so that they’re nearly covered by the liquid.  Simmer and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes with the lid on then uncover and cook until done.
• Top with black pepper and fresh cilantro.  Serve with rice or potatoes and/or naan flatbread.