Mild Indian Chicken Pasanda Curry

Chicken pasanda is a relatively mild curry loaded with yoghurt, almonds and coriander, and it has become one of my favourite curry recipes.

Simple techniques and a relatively small number of spices make this quick 30-minute curry a wonderful introduction to cooking Indian-inspired food at home.

Mild Chicken Curry with Yoghurt, Almonds and Coriander

This recipe was born out of a rather disappointing visit to an Indian restaurant in Budapest. A trip of all things, to get a broken tooth fixed.

My reward for being a brave little soldier was a belly full of beer and a curry. This is a true British treat!

My wife ordered a chicken pasanda, sometimes called a passanda, and it was fantastic. I went for a Vindaloo, which, to be honest, was a little more disappointing. My beef vindaloo or pork vindaloo is hands down better.

However, the pasanda was so good that I pulled over on the way home to buy the ingredients to begin work on this recipe. 

It is a triumph of a dish, creamy with a tart edge from the yoghurt but fragrant with spices and just a little heat.

It is traditionally associated with lamb, and that is a glorious dish; you should definitely check out my lamb pasanda recipe.

The creamy yoghurt sauce is thickened with ground almonds and then finished with loads of fresh coriander and some toasted almonds.

In many ways, this dish is similar to other yoghurt-based curries like my chicken korma and chicken rezala.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes, and as a bonus, they do deliver more flavour. But you cannot cut them into large chunks, which I like in this curry.

Can I use low-fat or fat-free yoghurt?

I personally would not because it increases the chances of the sauce splitting. We do stabilise the sauce a little with ground almonds, but the richness is still there.

My sauce has split. Can I rescue it?

First of all, do not throw away your dinner, it will still taste great!

The first thing to do is remove the chicken, scraping off as much of the pasanda sauce as possible. Then remove 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce and whisk it with double the amount of yoghurt.

Return it to the pan and give it all a whisk, then re-add the chicken and gently warm it up. It will not be perfect, but it will be much more presentable and no less delicious!

How spicy is a pasanda curry?

It is very much at the milder end of the spectrum! However, we all have different levels of tolerance to chilli spice; one person's mild tickle is another's raging inferno.

If you are worried, feel free to skip the addition of the green chilli pepper at the start of the cooking process. You can always add more chilli pepper when you add the garam masala at the end.

Serving Suggestions.

Curry has an affinity with rice, and I have served this chicken pasanda with some plain white rice in these pictures. A good pilau rice would work equally well!

Of course, you then need some flatbread, something like a tandoori-style naan bread or a chapati or two would be perfect.

If you wanted something different, my roasted Bombay potatoes work wonderfully, as does my aloo methi recipe.

If you are after some "greens", how about this green bean poriyal or even cabbage poriyal?

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Grater.
• Quick-read meat thermometer. This is optional but recommended due to the low cooking temperature.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.