Name: Khada Masala Chicken Curry Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 Dried Red Chilli; 1 Star Anise; 1 Black Cardamom; 4 Green Cardamom; 4 Cloves; 1½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 inch Cinnamon Stick; ½ tsp Black Peppercorns; 2 tsp Coriander Seeds; 1 tsp Fennel Seeds; 500 gms Chicken pieces; 1 Bay Leaf; 2 Onion (Medium); 3-4 Tomatoes (Medium - Organic); 1 tbsp Ginger Paste; 4-5 Cloves of Garlic; 1 tbsp Vinegar; 3 tbsp Mustard Oil; Salt to Taste; ½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Chicken curry cooked with khada masala or whole Indian spices. The spices are slow-roasted in a heavy skillet to release maximum flavour. Then, they are allowed to cool before being pounded and used for this easy Indian-style chicken curry recipe.

This homestyle chicken curry recipe is cooked with whole spices, which takes this chicken recipe to a whole new gastronomic level altogether. This recipe is my take on the popular Bengali dish, gotta moshla diye murgir mangsho, where gota moshla means whole spices and mangsho means meat. Indian spices can be your most trusted friend in the kitchen, only if you learn their temperament. Every spice is different and, when used in perfect combination, can give you a flavour bomb to your dish.

Table of Contents

Easy Indian chicken curry with whole spices to try

This post took me some 6 months to write and finally got online. At first, I made the recipe TWICE at home, and each time it turned out to be a super success, I was sure that I had to share it here on my blog. After that, I made it six times, and every time I thought of preparing it for a photoshoot, it would be half gone.

This Chicken Curry was a part of the party dinner menu for my daughter’s first birthday party, a total of 3 kilos (6.5 lbs) of chicken, out of which I expected some leftovers for the next day’s shoot, but boy, I was so wrong. I didn’t even get to taste it; that fast it vanished off the dinner table.

I have made this chicken curry for my family, weekend dinner gatherings with friends, my daughter’s first birthday party, homecoming parties, and special occasions, and IT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS, EVERY TIME!

How to make chicken curry masala powder at home?

Are you one of those people who love to make your spice mix or powdered masalas at home? Well, I have a confession here. I wasn’t. Until I made some and realised what I had been missing. This Indian chicken curry masala has the best quality ingredients from YOUR pantry, so you are assured of its quality.

You can either make a big batch of this chicken curry spice mix or roast the spices and pound it while you are preparing for this one-pot chicken curry.

And the best thing about this Indian spice mix is that it can also be used for Mutton/Lamb Curry dishes. Also, you can adjust the flavour profile as per your taste. For instance, folks here aren’t much fond of cinnamon, so I go slow with that. Also, we prefer mildly spicy food, so I have used very little dried red chilli here. But then, you can go as heavy as you like with the chillies here. No one’s stopping.

So, why spend so much money on buying don’t-know-what-in-it powdered masalas from the supermarket when you can easily make some in your kitchen?

By the way, I also make my own Bengali Garam Masala powder, here’s the link if you are looking for one.

Ingredients for Chicken Curry Khada Masala or Spice Mix

Dried Red Chili (Sukhi Laal Mirch सूखे लाल मिर्च)
Cinnamon stick (Dalchini दालचीनी)
Black Cardamom pods (Badi Elaichi काली इलाइची)
Green Cardamom pods (Choti Elaichi हरी इलायची)
Star Anise (Chakra Phool चक्र फूल)
Cumin Seeds (Jeera जीरा)
Fennel Seeds (Saunf सौंफ)
Coriander Seeds (Dhania धनिया के बीज)
Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch काली मिर्च/अरिच)
Cloves (Laung लौंग)

Instructions to make chicken curry masala powder

Heat a skillet. Keep the flame medium-low.
Now, place all the spices on the skillet and stir it. When you see the spices browning up a bit, turn off the heat. Remove the skillet from the stovetop or hob and keep stirring the spices as the skillet still retains enough heat to burn the spices.
When you feel that the skillet has cooled down a bit, remove the spices and blend them into a fine powder.

How to store Indian spices to keep them fresh longer?

Indian spices can be expensive, but if you do extensive Indian cooking at home, then it can be a sound investment. All you have to do is buy from Indian stores; even better if you can get from bulk bins. In that way, you can get these spices in your desired quantity.

Storing Indian spices can be a bit tricky. While you are investing in spices, you might as well buy yourself a couple of airtight containers to store them. In this way, the spices will retain their aroma for a longer time.

Spices have no expiration date. You might see one on the package, but spices can be used for a far longer duration. Often high levels of moisture make the spices go mouldy and bad. So, it’s better to keep the spice jars in a dry place. You may also store the spices in your freezer. They stay very well for a very long time.

Ingredients for the chicken curry gravy

500 gms Chicken pieces
1 Bay Leaf
2 Onion Medium
3-4 Tomatoes Medium – Organic
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
4-5 Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Vinegar
3 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to Taste
½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Recipe to make homestyle chicken curry recipe

Heat mustard oil in a pan. Drop the Bay leaf in it.
Meanwhile, grind the onions, tomatoes, and garlic into a fine paste, and add this to the oil.
Fry this mix till it reduces in half.
Now, add the marinated chicken and the prepared spice mix. Give everything a stir so that the masala has covered the chicken nicely.
Add around 1/2 cup of water and check the seasoning. Add salt as required. Cover the pan with a lid to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the lid to see if the chicken has cooked properly.
Once you see that the chicken has cooked nicely, remove it from heat and serve. You may garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves, sliced onions, and ginger julienne.

Serving suggestions

Roti or Chapati: Soft and warm, simple roti or chapati can be the perfect everyday meal
Paratha: I know some people prefer parathas over chapatis (read my husband)—this rich paneer korma recipe also pairs perfectly with parathas.
Fried Rice: If you are a rice lover, then some jeera rice, vegetable fried rice, is always an answer to it.

More Indian chicken recipes

Bengali style chicken rezala recipe — Chicken Rezala

Creamy Afghani Chicken Curry Recipe served in traditional serveware — Chicken Rezala

Ready to cook? Pin this recipe, share it with friends, and explore more Bengali classics on our blog. Happy cooking!

Follow me or Subscribe to my Channel

Khada Masala Chicken Curry Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Spice Mix Preparation Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Chicken curry cooked with Khada Masala or Indian whole spices

Indian spices can be your most trusted friend in the kitchen, only if you learn its temperament. Every spice is different and when used in combination, can give you a flavour bomb to your dish. This chicken curry recipe is cooked with such delectable choice of Indian spices which takes this recipe to a whole new gastronomic level altogether.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Chicken Recipes, Condiments & Sauces, Gluten Free Recipes, Non vegetarian Recipe, Party Food

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 198 kcal

Author: Priyanka

Ingredients

Khada Masala Spice Mix

1 Dried Red Chilli
1 Star Anise
1 Black Cardamom
4 Green Cardamom
4 Cloves
1½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
½ tsp Black Peppercorns
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds

Chicken Curry Gravy

500 gms Chicken pieces
1 Bay Leaf
2 Onion Medium
3-4 Tomatoes Medium – Organic
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
4-5 Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Vinegar
3 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to Taste
½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken for the curry

Rub the chicken pieces with some Salt, Turmeric Powder, Vinegar and a drizzle of Mustard Oil. Keep it covered for 30 minutes.

Making of Spice Mix

Heat a skillet. Keep the flame medium-low.
Now, place all the spices on the skillet and stir it. When you see the spices browning up a bit, turn off the heat. Remove the skillet from the stove top or hob and keep stirring the spices as the skillet still retains enough heat to burn the spices.
When you feel that the skillet has cooled down a bit, remove the spices and blend them into a fine powder.

Making the Chicken Curry

Heat Mustard Oil in a pan. Drop the Bay leaf in it.
Meanwhile grind the Onions, Tomatoes, and Garlic into a fine paste, & add this to the Oil.
Fry this mix till it reduces in half.
Now, add the marinated Chicken and the prepared Spice Mix. Give everything a stir so that the masala has covered the chicken nicely.
Add around 1/2 cup of water and check the seasoning. Add salt as required. Cover the pan with a lid to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the lid to see if the chicken has cooked properly.
Once you see that the chicken has cooked nicely, remove from heat and serve. You may garnish it with finely chopped Coriander leaves, sliced Onion and Ginger julienne.