Chicken Handi is a popular, creamy, flavorful chicken curry made with bone-in chicken cooked in rich onion-tomato gravy. This dish can be served with naan, roti, chapati, steamed basmati rice, or jeera rice.
If you love chicken recipes, check out our readers' favorite chicken tikka masala, chicken biryani, and one-pot chicken pulao.
What is chicken handi?
Handi chicken or murgh handi is a traditional and classic North Indian and Pakistani curry prepared by slow-cooking chicken (bone-in or boneless) in a copper vessel or earthen clay pot, known as a handi. So basically, Chicken Handi translates to chicken in a clay pot. Chicken handi is made with aromatic spices, yogurt, cashews, and onion tomato gravy, giving it a distinct flavor and aroma.
While making it at home, use a regular pot or pan instead of a traditional clay pot.
Why you'll love this recipe?
- Rich and creamy texture.
- Chicken curry is flavorful and satisfying. The dish can be served with rice, naan bread, or flatbread, making it a hearty and filling meal.
- Simple and easy to make.
- Chicken is an excellent source of protein, and spices used in chicken or murgh handi provide a good balance of nutrition.
Ingredients
I have used simple ingredients from my pantry to make this handi chicken.
For the marination: Use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs and drumsticks and marinate them with yogurt, lemon juice, and ginger-garlic paste. This makes your meat tender and enhances its flavor.
Spices and nuts: Aromatic spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cumin seeds are used. I love adding cashews to my recipe as it enhances the dish's creaminess and sweetness.
Onion: Makes the gravy creamy and thick and also sweetens the curry.
Tomato: Gives a subtle tangy flavor and adds color to the dish.
Ginger, garlic, and green chilies: Use fresh ginger, garlic, and green chilies for best results.
Spice powders: Simple spice powders like turmeric, red chile, and coriander is sufficient.
Herbs: I love to add freshly chopped coriander leaves at the end. You can also add some crushed kasuri methi if desired.
Oil: I use coconut oil or other neutral flavor oil for cooking. You can also combine the oil with ghee or butter to make it rich.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, add chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, fresh/store-bought ginger-garlic paste, and salt and mix. Cover and keep this in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will help tenderize the meat.
Step 2: Add 2 tablespoon of oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, almond, and cashews, and saute until aromatic.
Step 3: Add onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and saute until the onion becomes golden in color.
Step 4: Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chile powder, and coriander powder and saute.
Step 5: Continue to cook until tomatoes become soft for 3 to 4 minutes, and switch off the flame. Let this cool down completely. Transfer this to a mixie jar or blender and blend it to a smooth onion-tomato paste, adding very little water if needed.
Step 6: Add 1.5 tablespoon of oil and marinated chicken to the same pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 7: Add the onion-tomato paste, and mix. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes for the flavors to combine well. Check for salt and adjust if needed.
Step 8: Garnish your curry with finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
Pro Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. This will make your chicken tender and add a ton of flavor.
- Make sure to saute the onions until golden in color.
- Instead of canned or store-bought paste, use fresh ginger, garlic, and tomatoes.
- You can skip the almonds and add only cashews or vice versa.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken handi can be made in a regular pot or pan at home if you do not have a handi - an earthen pot. The traditional flavor will be missing, but it still tastes delicious.
Chicken Handi is a very flexible dish where you can make the gravy mild or spicy by adjusting the number of green chilies and red chile powder to your preference.
Handi chicken tastes the best when served hot with any naan, roti, chapati, steamed basmati rice, or jeera rice. List of some of the best Indian flatbreads that you can serve with chicken curry.
Yes. You can substitute chicken with paneer, babycorn, cauliflower, mushroom, aubergine (eggplant), potato, or combine everything to make a vegetarian handi just like this mix veg kadai.
Chicken handi is a slow-cooked creamy chicken dish traditionally made in a clay pot. Chicken kadai is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish with a thick tomato-based gravy cooked in a wide and thick circular pot (Indian wok).
More Chicken Recipes
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Recipe card
Best Chicken Handi | Easy Chicken Curry
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
For the marination
- 500 grams Chicken thigh and drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon Yogurt (dahi)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
For the onion tomato curry
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns
- 2 Cardamom seeds
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon Cashews
- 2 to 3 Almonds
- 3 Onions, medium-sized, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 inch Ginger, chopped
- 2 Green chilies
- 3 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
Other ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, add chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, fresh/store-bought ginger-garlic paste, and salt and mix. Cover and keep this in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will help tenderize the meat.500 grams Chicken thigh and drumsticks, 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste, 2 tablespoon Yogurt (dahi), 1 teaspoon Salt, Juice of 1 lemon
- Add 2 tablespoon of oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, almond, and cashews, and saute until aromatic.2 tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 Bay leaf, ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns, 2 Cardamom seeds, ½ inch Cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon Cashews, 2 to 3 Almonds
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and saute until the onion becomes golden in color.3 Onions, medium-sized, finely chopped, 3 Garlic cloves, chopped, 1 inch Ginger, chopped, 2 Green chilies
- Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chile powder, and coriander powder and saute.3 Tomatoes, roughly chopped, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon Red chile powder, 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- Continue to cook until tomatoes become soft for 3 to 4 minutes, and switch off the flame. Let this cool down completely. Transfer this to a mixie jar or blender and blend it to a smooth onion-tomato paste, adding very little water if needed.
- Add 1.5 tablespoon of oil and marinated chicken to the same pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.1 ½ tablespoon Oil
- Add the onion-tomato paste, and mix. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes for the flavors to combine well. Check for salt and adjust if needed.Salt, to taste
- Garnish your curry with finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.2 tablespoon Coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. This will make your chicken tender and add a ton of flavor.
- Make sure to saute the onions until golden in color.
- Instead of canned or store-bought paste, use fresh ginger, garlic, and tomatoes.
- You can skip the almonds and add only cashews or vice versa.
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