Chicken Handi: Delicious Restaurant-Style Recipe
This restaurant-style Chicken Handi is my go-to Pakistani curry that comes together in just 45 minutes with aromatic spices, tender boneless chicken, and a rich tomato-cream gravy. Made with simple pantry staples like ginger-garlic paste, cumin, and coriander seeds, it's the perfect crowd-pleaser that tastes like your favorite Pakistani restaurant.
Equipment
- 1 Handi, or clay pot You can use a large pan if you don't have a handi
- Chopping board and knife
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 300 grams Chicken, boneless cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 Tomatoes pureed
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Ginger and Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ½ tablespoon Methi, or fenugreek leaves crush them with your fingers
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 2-3 tablespoon Cream
- ¼ cup Oil or ghee
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds roasted and crushed
- ½ tablespoon Cumin seeds roasted and crushed
Instructions
- Place your handi or pan on the heat and add oil. Add the chopped onions to the oil and start frying them. Once the onions have turned golden brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Add the chicken cubes to the pan, and saute until it changes color to a slight golden brown. Remove the chicken and place aside.
- Add ginger garlic paste to the pan and saute. Next add the tomato puree, salt, chili powder, and turmeric powder to the same pan and let it cook for 2 minutes.
- Then, add the chicken pieces to the pan, cover it, and let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the black pepper powder, roasted and crushed coriander seeds, and zeera or cumin.
- With your hands, crush the browned onions that we set aside at the beginning of the recipe and add them to the pan.
- Rub the dried methi or fenugreek leaves in the palm of your hand and add them to the pan. Let the chicken curry cook for another 2-3minutes to let the flavors of the methi and the crushed brown onions combinewith the chicken.
- Drizzle the cream over the chicken handi masala and let it simmer for a few minutes. When the oil separates from the gravy, your delicious restaurant-style, easy Chicken Handi is ready to serve!
Notes
Always use fresh, red, and ripe tomatoes for this recipe. You can add a little tomato paste for extra color.
Crush the fried brown onions with your fingers before adding to the chicken handi.
Crush the dried methi leaves between your fingers to release their aroma.
Adding cream at the end adds a delicious and rich taste to the chicken.