Caramelized Onion Chicken Curry

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Take your chicken curry to a new level with this Caramelized Onion Chicken Curry. It's aromatic with a homemade spice mix with a mild smoky taste from caramelized onion. It is family friendly and pairs well with rice or naan.

I learned to make this dish from my Mom several years back. This is not one of those standard regular chicken curry, which makes it unique. The list of ingredient is not a lot, and you don't even need a lot of spices to make this Indian chicken curry.

Ingredients for Caramelized Onion Chicken Curry

Red onions - I like to use red onion in this dish, but you can use yellow or white onions too. It is important to thinly slice the onion, as we will cook down the onion to caramelize it.

Chicken - I used a mix of bone and boneless chicken cubes. You can definitely go for just boneless chicken cubes too, and if you use boneless, it will cook much faster.

Garlic and ginger - You need finely chopped or grated fresh garlic and ginger.

Tomato - Using tomato is optional here, but I do like the color it adds along with the caramelized onion.

Spices - I make a quick spice mix with cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Just dry roast and then ground the spices, and then use this simple spice mix called Bengali Bhaja Moshla to marinate the chicken pieces. When you are preparing the curry, you add few other whole spices which are bay leaves, green cardamoms, clove and cinnamon stick. Apart from these spices, there is turmeric powder and chili powder too.

Oil and Ghee - I make the caramelized onion by sautéing in little oil instead of deep frying in a lot of oil. When I prepare the chicken curry, I like to add a small amount of ghee as it enhances the flavor too.

If you notice, there is no garam masala in this chicken curry. This is how my Ma makes it, and I follow this exact same list of ingredients. There is no harm in adding garam masala, and it will only help to add another layer of flavor.

Steps to prepare

Marinate the chicken with few warm spices. Keep it overnight for best flavor.

1- In a pan dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Then grind it using a coffee grinder or spice grinder

2- Add the spice powder to chicken cubes along with salt, lemon juice, turmeric and chili powder. Mix it around to incorporate everything.

3- Let the chicken marinate for a while, although it is not mandate or overnight in the fridge.

4- Finely chop the ginger and garlic.

5- Peel and slice the onion into thin strips.

6- In a heavy bottom pan, add oil and sauté the onion with a little salt and sugar. Once it is softened down a little, add the chopped garlic ginger and sauté until the onion is caramelized.

7- Blend the caramelized onion and mix it with the marinated chicken cubes.

8- To the same skillet that you used to caramelize the onion, add the ghee along with the whole spices and let it sizzle for a few seconds to release the aroma.

9- Add the chopped tomato and stir it around it for a while to soften it down.

10- Add the chicken pieces and stir it around. Let it sear for a while, all around.

11- Pour water and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. I also add a couple whole green chili for flavor. If you want more heat, add chopped green chili.

12- Depending on how much gravy you want, you can add more water or leave it a little dry. If you want to add garam masala, add it at this stage. Taste for salt once done.

Enjoy this caramelized chicken curry with rice and paratha!

Vegetarian Version

If you are a vegetarian, try the same recipe with vegetables like cauliflower or potatoes, with tofu or paneer. It will work great!

FAQs

What kind of chicken pieces will work best for this dish?

I like to use curry cut, which is a mix a bone and boneless bite size chicken pieces. But you can use just boneless too, or try just drumsticks.

Can you use store bought crispy fried onion

If you are using those store bought crispy fried onion, then blend it with yogurt to get the creamy consistency of the gravy.

How long does it take to prepare the dish?

I like to marinate the chicken overnight, which calls for a separate resting time. But other than that, preparing the chicken takes about 30 minutes.

For me, cooking chicken is always comforting, and I often look for different ways to prepare it. Because the kiddo can’t candle heat yet, I look for mellow flavored dishes that doesn’t involve too much spice yet gives a flavor bang.

The idea of caramelizing onion can sound like too much work but trust me, apart from that, it’s all easy one pot stirring activity. What I also loved about this curry is how creamy the gravy turns out without adding any cream. The caramelized onion paste does all the work.

Listed below are Chicken Curries you must try:

Boneless Chicken Curry

Chicken Ghee Roast

Chicken Tikka Masala

Garlic Chicken Curry