Some evenings, my kitchen smells exactly like my mother’s did during winter afternoons in Kolkata. This is usually a sure sign that I have been making Dahi Chicken again. No tomatoes, shortcuts or fuss, just chicken slow-simmered in whisked yogurt till the gravy thickens into a shiny, spicy mass. I learned how to make this humble dish by simply watching my mother, who did not use any measuring spoons while cooking the dish. It is a simple dish that nobody can resist.
Before You Start
- Dahi Chicken is a popular Indian dish that combines tender chicken with a yogurt-based gravy.
- The yogurt in Dahi Chicken serves as the base for the creamy and tangy gravy.
- The dish is spiced with ingredients like ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chili powder.
- Dahi Chicken can be served with rice, naan bread, roti, or paratha.
- The dish is known for its rich, flavorful, and satisfying taste.
- It takes me forty five minutes in the kitchen, from preparation to plating the dish.
- Try butter chicken korma, chicken saag, tandoori or chicken tikka masala as an alternative. Chicken curry or butter chicken are also worth trying.
The Ingredients:
- Chicken: 1 kg (cut and cleaned)
- Yogurt: 100 gm
- Ginger-Garlic Paste Made with 1.5 inch Ginger and 2 Garlic Cloves
- Onion: 2 Big Sized (finely sliced)
- Red Chilis: 3 pieces
- Turmeric Powder: 1 tbl spoon
- Red Chili Powder:1 tbl spoon
- Kashmiri Chili Powder: 1 tbl spoon
- Coriander Powder: ½ tbl spoon
- Cumin Powder: ½ tbl spoon
- Garam Masala: 1 tbl spoon
- Coriander Leaves: 1 tbl spoon
- Refined Oil: 3 table spoon
- Ghee: 1 tablespoon
- Whole Spices: Cumin Seeds: 1 tbl spoon, Cardamom: 4 pieces, Black Pepper: 7 pieces
- Salt to Taste
How to Cook Dahi Chicken (Step by Step Images)?
1. Heat the kadai or wok on clay stove. (Traditional recipes taste better when cooked on a chullah. However, if you don’t have a chullah at home, you can prepare the dish on your gas stove.)
2. Pour refined oil into the wok and add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the smoking oil. (If desired, you can prepare the dish using only refined oil.)
3. Add the whole spices such as cumin seeds, cardamom, black pepper to the oil-ghee mixture.
4. Once the whole spices release their aroma, add finely sliced onions and fry them until they turn light brown.
5. Add the chicken pieces to the wok and mix them well.
6. Cook for a few minutes and then add 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well.
7. Continue cooking until the color of the chicken pieces change.
8. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir well.
9. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Adjust the salt if required.
(Pro Tip: Splash a spoon of water with the masalas so they do not burn.)
10. Mix well and cover the wok with a lid. Since the chicken releases water, you don’t need to add much water to boil the chicken pieces.
11. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and give the chicken and masala mix a good stir.
12. Beat yogurt in a bowl to achieve a creamy texture. Add the yogurt to the chicken and continue stirring.
(Pro Tip: Add yogurt off the flame first, then return to heat. It never splits this way.)
13. Cover the wok for another 5 minutes.
14. Add some water. It is better to use warm water at this point.
15. Add green chilies and place the lid on.
16. Add garam masala and sprinkle coriander leaves.
17. Once the gravy thickens, the Dahi Chicken is done.
18. Serve it with steamed rice, soft and fluffy naan, layered paratha, and pulao.
Make It Your Way
- I swap chicken for mutton when guests visit.
- Sometimes, I add a handful of cashew paste for a richer gravy.
- I sometimes toss in boiled potatoes since my kids love it that way.
- I once replaced Kashmiri chili powder with paprika when I ran out, and everyone loved it.
- I skip ghee entirely for a lighter everyday version.
- I have used coconut milk instead of yogurt once and it turned surprisingly mild.
- I add extra green chilies sometimes for additional heat for my father-in-law when he visits our place.
Dahi Chicken Recipe Handy Hacks
Q: My onions does not turn light brown fast enough. What do I do?
A: This happened to me once. I raised the flame slightly and stirred continuously instead of leaving them alone.
Q: Why does my chicken turn rubbery after cooking?
A: Do not overcook at Step 7. Once the color changes, move to the next step immediately.
Q: The whole spices turned bitter and burnt. How do I fix this?
A: At Step 3, lower the flame right after adding cumin seeds and cardamom, since they burn within seconds.
Q: My gravy stayed too thin even after 15-20 minutes. Any fix?
A: When I run into this same problem, I remove the lid and let it simmer uncovered a few extra minutes.
Q: I added too much salt while cooking the chicken. What now?
A: Add a spoon of beaten yogurt later at Step 12 to balance it out.
Recipe Card:
Dahi Chicken (Yogurt Chicken Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken (cut and cleaned)
- 100 grams Yogurt
- 2 pieces Onion (finely sliced)
- 3 pieces Red Chili
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Coriander Powder
- ½ tablespoon Cumin Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves
- 3 tablespoon Refined Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seed
- 4 pieces Cardamom
- 7 pies Black Pepper
- Salt to Taste
Paste
- 1½ inch Ginger (pasted)
- 2 pieces Garlic (pasted)
Instructions
- Heat the kadai or wok on clay stove. (Traditional recipes taste better when cooked on a chullah. However, if you don’t have a chullah at home, you can prepare the dish on your gas stove.)
- Pour refined oil into the wok and add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the smoking oil. (If desired, you can prepare the dish using only refined oil.)
- Add the whole spices such as cumin seeds, cardamom, black pepper to the oil-ghee mixture.
- Once the whole spices release their aroma, add finely sliced onions and fry them until they turn light brown.
- Add the chicken pieces to the wok and mix them well.
- Cook for a few minutes and then add 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well.
- Continue cooking until the color of the chicken pieces change.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and stir well.
- Add turmeric powder, chili powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Adjust the salt if required. (Pro Tip: Splash a spoon of water with the masalas so they do not burn.)
- Mix well and cover the wok with a lid. Since the chicken releases water, you don’t need to add much water to boil the chicken pieces.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid and give the chicken and masala mix a good stir.
- Beat yogurt in a bowl to achieve a creamy texture. Add the yogurt to the chicken and continue stirring. (Pro Tip: Add yogurt off the flame first, then return to heat. It never splits this way.)
- Cover the wok for another 5 minutes.
- Add some water. It is better to use warm water at this point.
- Add green chilies and place the lid on.
- Add garam masala and sprinkle coriander leaves.
- Once the gravy thickens, the Dahi Chicken is done.
- Serve it with steamed rice, soft and fluffy naan, layered paratha, and pulao.
