Chicken pasanda is an easy to make mild and creamy one-pot curry. Tender pieces of chicken in a yoghurt and cream sauce that has been thickened with ground almonds. No base sauce and ready in less than half an hour!
Chicken pasanda recipe
I love this chicken pasanda curry. It has a rich, creamy lightly spiced yoghurt based sauce which can be enjoyed by all – the spice and heat wary included.
Even better it all cooks in one pot, and is ready in about half an hour, with no need for a pre-prepared base sauce, making it perfect for a weeknight after work dinner!
See also
- Chicken jalfrezi has a rich tomato sauce, packed with peppers and onions
- For a hotter curry that is easy to make at home try a chicken madras
- Chicken pakora – tender pieces of spiced chicken fried in a crispy batter
- Love British Indian restaurant curries? Here are all our best curry recipes
I think that this is one of my favourite curries to make, full of flavour, but not too hot, it is supremely comforting as well as being so quick and easy to make.
Unlike most of my other curry recipes this chicken pasanda has a creamy sauce made with natural yoghurt, cream and ground almonds. The yoghurt makes the bulk of the sauce, the cream adds more smooth creaminess and tames the tang of the yoghurt, and the almonds thicken the sauce.
Also, it doesn’t use tomatoes, making a change from, and a contrast to most other curries; ideal if you are serving several together.
As always I cook for two – but will usually make 4 – 6 portions of a curry. It is one of dishes that is best cooked in bulk, and is often better left to rest and then reheated the next day.
Why make chicken pasanda
- It’s a richly flavoured but mildly spiced curry without tomato, so can be enjoyed by all, especially children and the spicy heat averse.
- It’s tasty and easy to make; a one-pan dish that is ready in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for an afterwork dinner.
- Save time and money with my delicious fakeaway recipe; also, you know what’s gone into the dish.
- There’s no need to make a base sauce in advance,
- It’s great for batch cooking and for feeding a crowd
Chicken pasanda ingredients
- Chicken – Thighs are nearly always my first choice for chicken pieces. They have more flavour and more fat, so they will not dry out when cooking. They are also cheaper than chicken breast.
This recipe uses skinned and de-boned thighs. You can either buy them ready-prepared, or remove the skin and bone yourself, if you do this yourself then you can freeze both skin and bone for your next batch of chicken stock.
I try to buy chicken reared with better welfare standards. It’s not only kinder, but the meat will also taste better. - Onions – A single brown onion or a handful of shallots.
- Spices – this is a mild curry, so these spices add flavour, colour and warmth without lots of heat. Cardamon, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and a touch of chilli.
- Garlic and ginger pastes – or a combined one. If you don’t have them you can finely chop fresh garlic and grate a ginger root.
Prepared garlic and ginger paste
These are central to easy Indian cooking at home, and a massive time saver.I buy a medium jar of each (also available as a mixed paste) from the “World Foods” section of the supermarket (or often more cheaply from your local convenience store).
They keep for a few weeks in the fridge, or you can portion into silicon ice cube trays (I’ve got a dedicated one for food) then once froze pop out and store in a tub or plastic bag.
- Yoghurt – a full fat thick Greek style natural yoghurt. It is important that you use a full fat yoghurt here.
- Cream – double, or heavy cream
- Almonds – ground for the sauce, and optional flaked almonds to garnish the curry and add some crunch.
- Ghee (or oil) – for frying. I far prefer ghee for the flavour. If you don’t have it some flavourless oil is perfect.
A note on spices and curry powders
Not all spices are the same, the flavour and potency varies wildly by brand and freshness. I generally buy medium pouches of a brand I trust and transfer to smaller jars for everyday use, with the pouches sealed up with the air squeezed out to keep them fresh.
When measuring use a measuring spoon, and level it off. A level measuring teaspoon of a spice is generally going to be much less than using a “teaspoon” that you use to stir your tea with.
Garam masala is not the same as ‘curry powder’. It contains some of the sweeter spices and in some recipes it is used at a later stage of cooking. Think of it as a seasoning, like a pinch of salt.
Curry Powder – base flavour – like a stock cube
Garam Masala – seasoning – like a pinch of salt
How to make chicken pasanda – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this chicken pasanda recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Firstly – check you have all the spices – as it’s really frustrating to start and find you are missing one.
Then prepare the ingredients.
Chicken – If needed remove the skin and bone and then cut into bite sized pieces. I find a sharp pair of kitchen scissors is the easiest way to do this.
Onion – peel, top, tail and dice
Garlic / Ginger – if not using pastes then peel and finely chop the garlic, and grate the ginger (no need to peel) using a microplane type grater. The rest of the ginger root can be stored in a tub in the freezer and then grated from frozen the next time you need some.
Step One – Melt the ghee over a medium heat, or add the oil to a heavy frying pan that has a lid (one that is 22-25cm / 9″-10″ is ideal).
Add the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion is starting to turn translucent, golden and is fragrant.
Add the chicken, stir in and cook for another few minutes until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink, and it is starting to get some colour.
Step Two – Add the spices, garlic and ginger to the chicken and onion, stir and sauté for another few minutes. The chicken will be golden and fragrant.
Don’t worry about the whole cardamon pods – they will float to the surface and are easy to remove at the end of cooking.
Step Three – Add the yoghurt, cream, and ground almonds, stir them in. Bring to a very gentle simmer and then turn the heat right down. Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes stirring, and scraping the sides down from time to time.
Do not let the mixture boil as the yoghurt might split and curdle.
After 10 minutes check the sauce; it should have started to thicken. At this point cook for another 5-10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar to allow some of the steam to escape to thicken the sauce more. When finished the sauce would have reduced by about a third.
Step Four – Remove the visible cardamon pods, check the seasoning and add a little salt if needed.
If you can rest the curry after cooking and reheat to serve it will taste so much better as this gives the flavours time to meld and soften. It is even better overnight.
Serving suggestion
I like to finish a chicken pasanda with some toasted almond flakes to give some crunch. Toast them in a small frying pan on a low heat on the stove top. Shake the pan every 5 seconds and do not take your eyes off them as they can burn in a second. This is a full attention, no phones task.
Once they are cooked turn them out onto a piece of kitchen paper on a plate to cool.
Finally garnish with the almonds and with a scattering of fresh coriander leaves.
I like to serve my curries with with a traditional flatbread, such as roti, parathas or naan, or with pilau rice or turmeric rice. and a bowl of home made raita.
Variations
- You can marinate the chicken before cooking. Cook the spices and then add to the yoghurt and chicken. Mix everything well together, cover, and leave in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.
- For a vegetarian option, substitute paneer cheese for the chicken.
- Adjust the spicing and heat to taste.
Storage
I think that all curries are far better made in advance. It gives time for the flavours to infuse into the meat, and for everything to meld and soften. For food safety purposes, cook the curry then allow it to cool completely. Store in the fridge if necessary. Then reheat to serve.
Fridge – Allow to cool, and as soon as it is room temperature pack into an airtight container and transfer to the fridge. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer – Cool and pack into an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or worktop before reheating.
Reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving. Reheat on a very low heat, or setting on the microwave, or the sauce will split.
Hints and tips
- It is worth taking the time to fry the chicken and onion properly at the start of cooking so they have more flavour.
- You MUST use full fat yoghurt or the sauce will split. Cook the sauce gently so it does not split.
- You can use pieces of leftover chicken in this recipe – you may need to add a splash of liquid to the sauce.
- Curries lend themselves very well to batch cooking and it is easy to double this recipe up – I find that when doubling a recipe less liquid is needed. Aim for about one and three quarters, rather than doubling.
- I don’t recommend halving this recipe – the spice quantities become fiddly and a smaller batch is more likely to dry out. It freezes and reheats so well it is the perfect dish to cook once and eat twice.
FAQs
One word: mild! Of course, the heat is entirely in your hands but the recipe makes for a very mild, but well flavoured curry. The use of yoghurt definitely caps the heat.
Yes, absolutely. You may find you need a little more liquid. The chicken obviously won’t need frying before adding the other ingredients.
Yes. Fry the ingredients in a frying pan before adding to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Yes. I love lamb pasanda. Just make a straight substitution of chunks of lamb for the chicken.
I’m increasingly using ghee in lots of my cooking. It’s easy to make at home if you can’t find it locally. I love the rich, slightly nutty flavour. But if you don’t have any, then oil is absolutely fine.
More British Indian restaurant recipes
- Chicken dhansak – made with lentils and a fruity sweet and sour taste.
- Chicken dopizia – classic that is easy to make at home – tender chicken in a spicy caramelised onion sauce
- Slow cooked beef curry – let the slow cooker do all the work making a rich fully flavoured curry with fall apart chunks of meat
Chicken Pasanda
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thighs (1)
- 1 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 onion
- 240 g yoghurt (2)
- 60 ml double / heavy cream
- 3 tbsp ground almonds
Spices
- 1 tsp ginger paste (3)
- 1 tsp garlic paste (3)
- 1 tsp turmeric (4)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 3 cardamon pods
To Serve
- 1 tbsp flaked almonds
- fresh coriander / cilantro
Instructions
- Chicken – If needed remove the skin and bone and then cut into bite sized pieces. I find a sharp pair of kitchen scissors is the easiest way to do this.500 g chicken thighs
- Onion – peel, top, tail and diceGarlic/Ginger – if not using pastes then peel and finely chop the garlic, and grate the ginger (no need to peel) using a microplane type grater. The rest of the ginger root can be stored in a tub in the freezer and then grated from frozen the next time you need some.1 onion, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste
- Melt the ghee over a medium heat, or add the oil, to a heavy frying pan that has a lid (one that is 9–10 inches / 22-25cm is ideal).1 tbsp ghee or oil
- Add the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion is starting to turn translucent, golden and is fragrant.
- Add the chicken, stir in and cook for another few minutes until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink, and it is starting to get some colour.
- Add the spices, garlic and ginger to the chicken and onion, stir and sauté for another few minutes. The chicken will be golden and fragrant.1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp garam masala, ¼ tsp chilli powder, 3 cardamon pods
- Add the yoghurt, cream, and ground almonds, stir them in. Bring to a very gentle simmer and then turn the heat right down.240 g yoghurt, 60 ml double / heavy cream, 3 tbsp ground almonds
- Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes stirring, and scraping the sides down from time to time.Do not let the mixture boil as the yoghurt might split and curdle.
- After 10 minutes check the sauce, it should have started to thicken. Cook for another 5-10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar to allow some of the steam to escape and to thicken the sauce more. When finished the sauce should have reduced by about a third.
- Remove the cardamon pods which would have floated to the surface of the curry. Check the seasoning and add a little salt if needed.
- Finish the chicken pasanda with some toasted almond flakes to give some crunch. Toast them in a small frying pan on a low heat on the stove top. Shake the pan every 5 seconds and do not take your eyes off them as they can burn in a second. This is a full attention, no phones task.As soon as they have toasted, turn them out onto a piece of kitchen paper on a plate to cool.1 tbsp flaked almonds
- Finally garnish the curry with the toasted almonds and a scattering of fresh coriander leaves. Serve with with a traditional flatbread, such as roti, parathas or naan, or with pilau rice or turmeric rice. and a bowl of home made raita.fresh coriander / cilantro
Notes
- Chicken – Thighs are nearly always my first choice for chicken pieces. They have more flavour and more fat, so they will not dry out when cooking. They are also cheaper than chicken breast.
- Yoghurt – a full fat thick Greek style natural yoghurt is ideal, the most important thing is that it is full fat.
- Garlic & Ginger Paste – These are a staple for cooking BIR recipes at home. You can buy individual or a combined one. Once opened the jar will keep for several weeks in the fridge, or portion into ice cube trays and freeze. If you don’t have them you can finely chop fresh garlic and grate a ginger root.
- Spices – Use a proper measuring spoon, a teaspoon that you use for your tea etc is not the same size and you won’t get the same result.
- Take the time to fry the chicken and spices properly, so that it is golden but still moist.
- Curries lend themselves very well to batch cooking and it is easy to double this recipe up – I find that when doubling a recipe less liquid is needed. Here, I would use 180% of the recipe quantities rather than 200%.
- I don’t recommend halving this recipe – the spice quantities become fiddly and a smaller batch is more likely to dry out. It freezes and reheats so well it is the perfect dish to cook once and eat twice.
- If you can rest the curry after cooking and reheat to serve it will taste so much better. This gives the flavours time to meld and soften. It is even better if left in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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