Dhaba Chicken Curry

Dhaba Chicken Curry is a rustic North Indian dish inspired by the roadside eateries that line the highways of India. Cooked with onions, tomatoes, and bold spices, it’s hearty, spicy, and full of depth — the kind of curry that brings back memories of road trips and steaming bowls of food served with rotis straight from the tandoor. Quick to prepare yet big on flavour, it captures the soul of dhaba cooking in every bite.

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Ingredients

onion 2 (sliced)
green finger chillies 4 (sliced)
fresh coriander 1 handful (chopped)
ginger 10 g (sliced)
bay leaf 3
cinnamon stick 1
cardamom pods 4
cloves 4
black peppercorns 5 g
cumin seeds 1 tsp
ginger & garlic paste 4 tsp
chopped tomatoes 400 g
ground turmeric 1 tsp
ground coriander 1 ½ tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
ground cumin 1 tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
bone in chicken thighs 500 g
basmati rice 240 g
ghee 1 tbsp

Method

Prep the ingredients

Peel and finely slice the onions. Make a small slit in the green finger chillies. Chop the fresh coriander. Peel and cut the ginger into thin slivers.

Cook the curry

Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove, black peppercorns and cardamom pods. Fry for 2-3 minutes until they start crackling. Add the onion and sauté until deep golden brown, 8-10 minutes.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and ½ of the green finger chillies. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
Add the ground turmeric, ground coriander,chilli powder, ground cumin and season with salt. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until it turns deep red in colour.
Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat in the spices.Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add about 90ml water per serving (if you’re cooking for 4, you’ll need 360 ml) to create a medium-thick sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to add more water as it cooks. After this time, add the garam masala and chopped coriander.

Cook the rice

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Temper the curry

When the chicken is nearly cooked, temper the curry: Heat the ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan, add the fresh ginger and the remaining green finger chillies, cook for a minute and then pour the ghee over the chicken curry. If you don't have ghee, you can use butter instead.

Plate up

Serve the Dhaba Chicken Curry with the rice. Enjoy!

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