Chicken Pasanda or Passanda

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A chicken pasanda is a relatively mild ‘Mughal’ curry loaded with yoghurt and almond and has become one of my absolute favourites.

Tall close up image of a chicken pasanda curry with a pile of basmati rice and flaked almonds on a black plate with a beer in the background

Chicken Pasanda or Passanda.

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! 

I went for a Vindaloo, which to be honest was a little disappointing. I’d much rather have either my beef vindaloo or pork vindaloo pot roast.

My wife ordered a chicken pasanda, sometimes called a passanda and it was fantastic.  Yes, we share, don’t you?

Creamy and with a tart edge from the yoghurt but fragrant with spice and just a hint of heat.

It must have been good because I pulled over on the way home to buy the ingredients to begin work on this recipe. 

Tall overhead image of a chicken pasanda curry with a pile of basmati rice and flaked almonds on a black plate

What is a Pasanda Curry

It is a triumph of a dish, loaded with fragrant spices and a lovely mellow hint of almond and punches of fresh coriander.

The coriander is by no means a garnish on this dish, it is integral to the recipe.

I don’t do garnish, it has no place on a plate of food for me.

Everything on a plate should add something to what I am eating and if it does not, it should not be there.

So if coriander isn’t your thing then maybe consider something like a chicken korma, another curry at the milder end of the heat spectrum.

If you want something a little more pokey then you should check out the rest of my chicken curry recipes!

Square extreme close up of a chicken pasanda curry with flaked almonds and coriander

Is Chicken Pasanda Hot?

In short no!

It is very much one of the mildest curries that I make and that I have eaten.

It is spicy, but the spices used are fragrant spices and not ‘hot’ spices.

We have cumin and coriander leading the way on the flavour stakes. This is supported by turmeric and cinnamon.

The techniques are simple and most importantly there is not an overwhelming amount of spices to confuse the beginner!

Give it a try, you’ll love it!

Tall image of a chicken pasanda curry with a pile of basmati rice and flaked almonds on a black plate
Chicken Pasanda

Chicken Pasanda

Yield: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This chicken pasanda curry is creamy and tart from yoghurt and fragrant with cumin and coriander. It is one of the milder and more simple Indian chicken curry recipes and a real treat for all the family!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp Cooking oil
  • 3 Green Cardamom Pods
  • 125 g Onion
  • 15 g Ginger
  • 3 Cloves Garlic,
  • 1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 3/4 Tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Kashmiri Chili Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Turmeric
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Ground Almonds
  • 100 g Natural Yoghurt
  • 400g Chicken Breast
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • 10 g Flaked Almonds
  • Fresh Coriander

Instructions

  1. Finely dice the onion, mash the garlic and grate the ginger.
  2. Bash the cardamom with the side of a knife to open them up.
  3. Begin by toasting your almond flakes in a dry pan and set aside for the end of the dish, keep an eye on them it is very easy to burn nuts.
  4. Now add the cooking oil to the pan over a medium high heat and fry off the cardamom pods for 30 seconds before adding in the onions and cooking until they just start to brown which should take around 5 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and ginger and cook on for a further 2 minutes.
  6. It is now spice time, throw in all of the spice powders, cumin, chili, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon and cook out for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
  7. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the spicy mix.
  8. Now finally add the yoghurt, ground almonds, salt and water then reduce the heat to medium and cook out for 15-20 minutes.
  9. The sauce should thicken nicely and cling to the chicken.
  10. Finish the dish with the flaked almonds and the coriander

Notes

I favour serving this dish with a plain boiled rice, the subtle fragrant flavours in this dish are easily masked, however a chapati or a naan bread would also work a treat.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 530 Total Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 173mg Sodium: 546mg Carbohydrates: 17g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 7g Protein: 68g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
© Brian Jones
Cuisine: Anglo Indian / Category: Curry Corner
A chicken pasanda is a relatively mild ‘Mughal’ curry loaded with yoghurt and almond and is one of my absolute favourites.

32 thoughts on “Chicken Pasanda or Passanda”

    • lol, ruin is a strong word… I don’t think it would make the recipe inedible but it will fundamentally change it. If I were to omit the coriander I would consider adding a citrus edge with either lemon or lime juice to taste, tamarind would also work well.

      Let me know how you get on 🙂

  2. I made this tonight. The flavors are excellent and I love th spice balanced with the yoghurt. Th almonds compliment it beautifully, both ground in the sauce and on top with the coriander. Two thumbs up!

  3. Oh, this chicken passanda looks amazing. I’m actually off to make a curry now. I have to say that for me nothing compares to a nice home cooked made from scratch dish and when it comes to curries homemade is by far the best! ??
    Talking about dentist, ? I’ve got an appointment tomorrow. Wish me luck as injection is inevitable.

  4. Congratulation on your bravery, my reward for early morning blood test is always a croissant. I am glad you were able to compensate your bad experience with your own chicken passanda, home cooking is always the best. Sooo, as tomorrow is the start of 6 Nation, I am going to the shop to buy the ingredients for this passanda…..Italy vs England I will remind you !!!!!

    • I’m not a fan of the oval ball I am afraid, sends me to sleep. That and cricket really, apart from that I’m pretty cool with most sports, so long as I can have a beer and a curry after 😉

  5. I like the sound of loads of coriander – and that it’s integral to the dish. Sounds delicious and I luckily have all those spices on hand.

    • So often corriander is used as a garnish and really serves no purpose but here the citrus flavour is there to sit along side and counteract the richness of the almonds.

  6. I have to confess, I don’t think I’ve ever tried chicken passanda! It sounds amazing though, and I actually have all the ingredients! It looks so warm and comforting!

    • I think of it a an interesting version of a korma, everyone knows a korma but it is pretty dull, this is much more interesting.

  7. For once I actually have all but one of the ingredients in your recipe 😛 I am looking for some new ways to enjoy chicken this summer and just added this one to the list!

    • Hehe, it is strange how common place ingredients change from one geographical location to another. Most of what I cook with I have been cooking with as a regular ingredient for nigh on 20 years yet I read some recipes on US based sites and I have to Google what many things are, it is even worst when it comes to Mexican recipes 😉

  9. First, this has made my “must try” list because I love Indian flavors, especially when I already have all ingredients except the yogurt at home. Second, I completely agree with you regarding garnish and don’t understand unnecessary garnishes on plates, neither in restaurant presentation or photography…

    • Totally with you on Indian flavours, so much vibrance and complexity of flavour for relatively little work and yay to a fellow ‘if I can’t eat it get rid of it’ supporter 😀

  11. That sounds fabulous and those warm curry seasonings are some of my favorites! I will have to try this soon! I’m pinning it so I don’t lose it! ?

  12. Love me some SPICE! And you definitely got it going on right here. This would be a great recipe to try out . Pinning

  14. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a passanda before, but the flavours sound absolutely delicious. Will definitely be trying your sauce recipe!

    • Thanks Becca, the sauce could be put to a lot of uses, I particularly love it as a dip for roasted broccoli, the almond flavours really work so well 🙂

  16. This chicken looks absolutely incredible. Sorry about your poor restaurant experience. This sounds like it would be a favorite of mine as well.

    • Thanks Tara, it wasn’t really that poor just average… Not what I was aiming for as a reward for doing ‘grown up things’ 😉 Definitely a great curry though 🙂

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