South Indian Spicy Chicken Roast with Curry Leaves

This South Indian spicy chicken roast is a bold, fiery, semi-dry chicken recipe made with dried red chillies, curry leaves, caramelised onions and warming spices. Inspired by traditional South Indian flavours and street-style chicken roasts, this dish is perfect if you are looking for an authentic Indian chicken recipe that pairs beautifully with parotta, lemon rice or plain rice. Packed with heat, aroma and depth, this spicy chicken roast is ideal for chilli lovers, yet easily adjustable to suit milder tastes. If you enjoy South Indian chicken recipes that are rich, rustic and full of character, this one deserves a permanent place in your kitchen.

South Indian chicken curry in a thick spicy sauce

Pre-preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients

For the chicken marination

500–550 g chicken breast, cut into medium-sized cubes

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or 2 inch ginger and 8–10 garlic cloves, coarsely pounded

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chilli flakes, preferably freshly ground Kashmiri red chillies

¼ tsp black pepper powder

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

For the sauce

2 tbsp neutral cooking oil

1 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted

4 medium white onions, finely sliced

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp fennel seed powder

¼ tsp black pepper powder

A pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, optional

2 fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 200 ml tinned chopped tomatoes

½ cup warm water

1 tsp garam masala

7–8 fresh curry leaves

A small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method

Add the chicken to a bowl and begin the marination by mixing in the salt, chilli flakes and lemon juice first. Give it a thorough mix, then add the remaining marinade ingredients. Cover and rest for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight for best flavour.

Heat the oil and butter together in a non-stick pan or wok. Once hot, add the sliced onions and fry on a medium heat until deep brown and almost caramelised. This stage takes around 15 minutes, so stir frequently and be patient. Good onion colour is the backbone of this dish.

Lower the heat, add the ginger garlic paste and cook for about 1 minute until the raw aroma disappears.

Add the fennel powder, pepper, nutmeg and Kashmiri chilli powder if using. Fry gently on a low heat for 2 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to prevent the spices from catching.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and mushy.

Add the marinated chicken and turn the heat up. Stir well and cook uncovered for 5 minutes so the chicken seals and absorbs the spices.

Reduce the heat to low, adjust salt if needed, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water, stir, and continue cooking uncovered until the moisture evaporates and the oil begins to surface. This should take around 10 minutes. The chicken should be glossy, spicy and semi-dry.

Switch off the heat. Sprinkle over the garam masala and finish with fresh curry leaves and chopped coriander.

Serve with

South Indian parotta, lemon rice, or plain rice with a crisp lachcha onion salad on the side.

Note

For the marinade, freshly ground chilli flakes made from Kashmiri dried red chillies add depth and colour rather than aggressive heat. If you prefer a milder version, a pinch of paprika works well. Always add salt, chilli and lemon juice first during marination, then the remaining ingredients. This order makes a noticeable difference to flavour absorption.

More South Indian chicken recipes in Suki’s new cookbook - No Worries, Just Chicken Curries, released in Nov 2025 by Nourish Books and available on Amazon for £14.25! Don’t miss this opportunity to buy a chicken curry guide book with 100 recipes in one place, 70 out of which are pure chicken recipes!

Suki’s new cookbook - No Worries, Just Chicken Curries