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

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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 a delectable choice of Indian spices which takes this chicken recipe to a whole new gastronomic level altogether. This recipe is my take on the popular Bengali dish, Goto Moshla Mangsho, where gota moshla means whole spices and mangsho means meat.

The spices are slow-roasted on a heavy skillet so as to release maximum flavour out from each. Then they are allowed to cool before pounded and used for this exotic Indian style Chicken curry recipe. You will find the detailed recipe in this article and a step-by-step video for this Indian Chicken Curry below in the Recipe Card.

This post took me some 6 months to write and finally get it 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 have to share it here on my blog. After that I made it 6 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 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, for my daughter’s first birthday party, for homecoming parties and during special occasions, and IT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS, EVERY TIME!!

How to make your own Chicken Curry Masala Powder (Spice-Mix)at home?

Are you one of those people who love to make your own spice mix or powdered masalas at home? Well, I have a confession here. I wasn’t. UNTIL I made some and realized what I have been missing on. This Chicken Curry Indian Masala Powder has the best quality ingredients from YOUR pantry, so you are assured of its quality.

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 Chili here. But then, you can go as heavy as you like with the chillies here. No one’s stopping.

And this spice mix can be done while you are prepping for your Chicken Curry. Takes just a couple of minutes to roast the spices, another few to cool them down. Then all you have to do is pound it or give it a quick buzz in your grinder. That’s it!

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

That being said, I still buy powdered spices from certain brands I trust. BUT I NEVER BUY Chicken Curry Masala after this one. 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?

Spices are a sort of central element for Indian cuisine. A pinch of this and a dash of that makes all the difference.

Here, for this Chicken Curry Indian Spice Mix, I have used the following spices:

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)

I often use Cumin powder and Coriander powder instead of the respective whole spices (as seen above). In case you wish to do, use 1tsp Cumin powder & 1 tsp Coriander powder and add them to the roasted spices after you turn off the heat, otherwise, they would be the first ones to burn.

chicken curry recipe masala spice mix — Indian spices slow roasted over low flame give out the maximum aroma for your delicious Chicken Curry

So, here’s the super easy recipe for exotic Indian Chicken Curry , that goes perfectly well with Rice, Chapattis, Paranthas or Naans.

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 such exotic spices, you might as well buy yourself a few airtight containers to store them. In this way, the spices will retain their aroma for a longer period of time.

Usually, spices have no expiration date. However, high moisture areas often make the spices go mouldy and bad. So, it is advisable 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.

Some Chicken recipes which might interest you!

Have you tried this recipe? I would love to hear about it.
Tag me on Instagram @priyankabhattacharya.sa or Facebook @hashdiaries and I will share it further.

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

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

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

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 198 kcal

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.