Delhi Restaurant Style Chicken Curry Recipe - An Authentic North Indian Favourite

Delhi restaurant-style chicken curry

If you are looking for an authentic Delhi restaurant style chicken curry, this recipe brings together everything that makes the capital's famous restaurant cooking so memorable. Unlike many everyday home curries, Delhi restaurant style cooking is all about patiently browning onions, slowly cooking the masala until the oil separates, and using fragrant whole spices to create deep, layered flavours.

Many restaurants also blend the gravy to give it a silky, luxurious texture. This is the curry I make whenever I need a little comfort. It reminds me of evenings spent enjoying takeaway from Khamboj in Sector 37, Noida, and family meals at the iconic restaurants on Pandara Road in Delhi. Rich, aromatic and beautifully balanced, it is one of those recipes that never disappoints.

There is something incredibly comforting about this curry. It wraps you up like a warm blanket, with a rich onion and tomato gravy infused with whole spices and finished with kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and garam masala. It is restaurant-worthy, yet simple enough to make at home, and you can choose between a smooth restaurant-style gravy or a rustic home-style version.

Serves: 3–4

Preparation time:1 hour, plus marinating

Cooking time:45–50 minutes

Spice level:Medium

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

• 500 g chicken breast, cut into medium cubes

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• ½ tsp salt

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, or overnight for the best flavour.

For the sauce

• 2-3 medium onions, finely chopped

• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

• 4–5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 inch fresh ginger, crushed

• 1 tsp butter

• 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Whole spices

• 1 bay leaf

• 2–3 green cardamom pods

• 1 black cardamom

• 3-4 black peppercorns

• 2 cloves

• 1 inch cinnamon stick

• 2 dried red chillies (optional)

Ground spices

• 1 tbsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (optional, for a deeper colour)

• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed

• 1 tsp garam masala

• A pinch of ground nutmeg

To finish

• 1-2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped (optional)

• Salt, to taste

• 250 ml warm water

• Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp double cream (optional)

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the butter in a large non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until the outside is lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same pan. Stir in the cumin seeds and the whole spices and fry for about 1 minute until fragrant. If you prefer a stronger spice flavour, you can lightly crush the whole spices before adding them.

Add the chopped onions with a small pinch of salt and cook over a medium heat for 10-12 minutes until they become a rich golden brown. Do not rush this stage, as the colour of the onions gives the curry its characteristic restaurant-style richness.

Add the garlic, crushed ginger and chopped green chillies, if using. Cook for 1 minute, adding a tablespoon of water if the mixture begins to stick.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously and adding a splash of water if needed to prevent the spices from burning.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes until they soften completely and the masala becomes thick, glossy and begins to release oil.

Two ways to make the gravy

Delhi restaurant style

Allow the masala to cool slightly, then blend it into a smooth paste. Return it to the pan and bring it to a gentle simmer before adding the chicken, warm water and salt.

Traditional home style

Leave the masala as it is for a more rustic texture. Add the chicken, warm water and salt directly to the pan without blending.

Whichever method you choose, cover the pan and cook gently for 8– 10 minutes in total if using chicken breast keeping in mind the chicken is semi-cooked already. Breast pieces tend to dry out if over-cooked. If using chicken thighs, allow around 15-16 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Once cooked, you should see the oil separating around the edges of the curry. Turn off the heat and stir through the crushed dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala and fresh coriander.

If desired, drizzle over the double cream just before serving.

Delhi’s restaurant -style chicken curry

Serving Suggestions

This Delhi restaurant style chicken curry is delicious served with garlic naan, tandoori roti, butter naan or fragrant cumin rice.

Cook's Tip

The secret to authentic Delhi restaurant style cooking lies in patience. Slowly browning the onions and allowing the masala to cook until the oil separates creates the deep, rich flavour that defines so many of Delhi's best-loved restaurant curries. Blending the gravy is optional, but it gives the curry the smooth, velvety finish often found in restaurant kitchens.

If you enjoy recipes like this, you will find 73 authentic chicken recipes from across India in my cookbook, No Worries, Just Chicken Curries, including everyday family favourites, regional classics and restaurant-style dishes. It is available on Amazon for £14.25

Suki’s cookbook