Indian Curry Chicken And Rice Recipe and Video

Name: Indian Curry Chicken and Rice Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp vegetable oil; 2 lb boneless skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), diced; 1 1/2 cup onion, diced; 1 Tbsp garlic, minced; 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 1 Tbsp curry powder; 1 tsp coriander; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp garam masala; pinch cayenne pepper; 1 tsp salt; 3/4 cup water; 1 15 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes; 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped & divided; 6 cups cooked rice

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This stewy flavorful Indian chicken curry recipe with rice is fairly easy to make and always a crowd pleaser, especially with a colorful garnish like cilantro or sliced green onions.

Diced Chicken In A Medium Brown Curry spiced Gravy over White Rice in A large shallow plate.

Spices For Chicken Curry with Rice

There are a lot of spices in Indian curry recipes but if all else fails, just make sure you at least have the curry, cumin, and hopefully coriander for this chicken curry with rice recipe.

Salt works wonder in bringing out flavors if your curry chicken tastes bland. Conversely, if you add too much salt to chicken curry sauce it's harder to correct. If it tastes salty then try it over rice and that might correct it because of the lack of salt in the rice.

If that doesn't work, add diced potatoes to the curry chicken sauce, remove some liquid and add more cream to the curry. Also try adding a little sugar or more acid like lemon or lime juice or vinegar.

Adjust Spice Levels in Indian Curry Chicken

The cayenne pepper takes the heat level up a notch in Indian Chicken Curry. Leave it out if you're sensitive to heat. Add more if you like spicy chicken curry.

Some ground powdered curries are hot and some are mild. Go easy on the amount of ground curry in this recipe if you don't know your curry and / or don't like spicy food.

Ingredients in small cups and colorful containers: minced ginger, cream, diced tomatoes, garlic, 1 lemon, diced onions, vegetable oil, water, 6 teaspoons of colorful spices on white table.

Chicken Thighs OR Breast in Curry Chicken and Rice

I recommend chicken thighs for this Indian Curry recipe but chicken breast works too.

Don't like chicken thighs? Cool, use chicken breast but the breast will cook very fast compared to thighs. Chicken breast can be overcooked easier and turn the chicken "rubbery".

Thighs are really where it's at if you want tender, moist, and juicy chicken in curry sauce. Chicken thighs are very forgiving in curry recipes and are also hard to overcook.

Use Any Kind of Rice For Indian Curry Chicken

Basmati rice is traditional in Indian cooking. It's a long grain fluffy rice and is commonly used in Indian cuisine and also grown in India and Pakistan.

Having said that, use the rice in your pantry and don't sweat it! Some options are jasmine, short grain, etc... I believe there are thousands of rice types if not more than that!

But, basmati is my go to rice. White rice soaks up the flavor more in my opinion. Brown rice is more substantial and has it's own nutty stronger flavor.

What is the difference between Indian Curry and Thai Curry?

There is a ton of differences but what distinguishes the two in my mind is the rich, spicy, thick stewy, and savory flavors of Indian Curry. Thai Curry reminds me of more soupy, herby, lighter, faster, and "fresher" tastes.

I also mostly associate heavy whipping cream and ground "powder" spices like curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, etc... with Indian cuisine and associate coconut milk and chili paste spices with Thai curries.

FAQS About Indian Chicken Curry and Rice Recipe

Can I substitute coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream?

Yup! Knock it out. If you don't have milk or are dairy free, you could also substitute your favorite non-dairy creamer, half and half, light cream, or add a little butter or ghee to this chicken curry recipe.

Can I add more vegetables to Curry Chicken?

Yup. Add fresh or frozen vegetables to the curry chicken mix. I always have frozen broccoli, green beans, or peas for a quick vegetable add on. Throw them in the sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking so they stay vibrant in color and crispier in taste.

What garnish goes with Indian Chicken Curry?

Any garnish! I've listed green onions and cilantro. And although it's not traditional, parsley, mint, or basil will bring out a beautiful pop visually and also taste wise to this dish.

I'm beat and don't want to dice the chicken breast or thigh. Can I just throw it in the curry sauce whole?

Yup! You'll take the chicken curry from "stew like" to more like a chicken thigh or breast with sauce and there ain't nothing wrong with that either!

Diced Chicken In A Medium Brown Curry spiced Gravy over White Rice in A large shallow plate. Side view.

Indian Curry Chicken and Rice Recipe

Print Recipe

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5 from 4 reviews

EatSimpleFood.com

This flavorful chicken curry and rice recipe is fairly easy to make and always a crowd pleaser, especially with a colorful garnish like cilantro or sliced green onions.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lb boneless skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), diced
1 ½ cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup water
1 15 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped & divided
6 cups cooked rice

Instructions

Bring a large pot to medium heat and add the oil. When hot add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
Add garlic and ginger and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add more oil if the mixture looks dry.
Stir in all spices, salt, and 2 tablespoon cilantro and cook ~1-2 minutes.
Add water, tomatoes, and cream. Bring curry to a boil covered, reduce heat and simmer low uncovered ~ 20 minutes.
Add chicken and cook and an additional 5-8 minutes or until chicken is done.
Squeeze in lemon and serve chicken curry over rice and garnish with remaining cilantro.
Add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

Tryin' to up your veggies? Add some frozen peas or broccoli to the mixture when you add the chicken.
Dairy Free? Use coconut milk instead of whipping cream.

What My Man Says

"This curry dish is really flavorful and pretty simple to make."

"Dicing the chicken thighs (9) took me longer than I expected, and as a result my prep time was around 45 minutes."

"We didn't have any Cilantro, so I omitted it but we did have some frozen peas that I added for a couple of minutes at the very end (turning the temperature up again). The end result was quite delicious and the sauce gets even thicker and richer the next day for the leftovers."

Serving Suggestions

Serve this flavorful Indian curry chicken and rice recipe with a lighter simpler side dish or salad like:

Things In My Kitchen:

Microplane grater for grating / mincing the ginger.

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