Chicken and mushroom curry, a delicious and spicy, "homestyle" Indian recipe, in a tomato gravy finished with fenugreek and garam masala.
This dish is pretty simple to make and will go from your fridge to your table in a little under an hour.
"Home Style" Chicken Curry
Most of my curry recipes, and there are more than a few, fall into one of two categories.
The first being dishes inspired by British curry house dishes, like my take on chicken tikka masala or lamb jalfrezi. The second is my interpretation of dishes that are much more "traditionally" Indian, like my macher jhol or achar gosht recipes.
This chicken and mushroom curry is a little different; it is born of ingredients that I usually have knocking around in the fridge, fused with my stuff from my spice stash.
It's a recipe that I threw together after our recent house move, and it kinda stuck, mainly because my wife loved it. As is the rule, if my wife loves it, it eventually ends up here.
It is gloriously spicy, both in a fragrant sense, featuring favourites like curry leaves, coriander, mustard and cumin seeds, and a heat sense with both fresh green chillies and Kashmiri chilli powder.
And whilst it uses two pans and takes about an hour to cook, it is pretty simple and compared to many "curry house" style dishes, a little lighter on calories too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cut of chicken?
Yes, you can use everything from chicken drumstick meat to bone-in legs, thighs and drumsticks and even chicken breast.
Boneless drumstick meat cooks identically to this recipe. Bone-in legs, thighs or drumsticks will all need around 17-25 minutes longer at stage 12. Chicken breast will need 10 fewer minutes at the same stage.
Why do you cook the chicken and mushrooms separately at the beginning?
You want to drive off the moisture from the mushrooms, which allows them to really drink in the curry flavours when you add them later.
Can I use normal mushrooms?
Yes, the process is the same, but you will likely need to cook them for a few minutes less.
What is asafoetida?
Asfoetida is also known as hing, and it is made from the dried resin or a root... hmmm, delicious, hey?
It's common in Indian recipes that omit onion (as we do when we cook the mushrooms initially), and it adds a beautiful pungent backnote to recipes.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this will sit fine in the fridge for a couple of days if stored correctly. Reheat it gently in a deeper saucepan rather than a frying pan, as it helps retain moisture.
Serving Suggestions
Like pretty much all of my curries, I like serving this chicken and mushroom number with some Indian flatbread.
I've gone for some tandoori-style naan bread in the pictures on this page, but some chapatis would work equally well.
Rice is always a good option with a curry; I usually opt for plain basmati rice, but a good pilau rice would also work very well.
Alternatively, you could just go for a big pile of poppadoms, kachumber salad and raita.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that 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.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan (with a lid).
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Indian Chicken and Mushroom Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Portobello Mushrooms 11oz
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½-¾ teaspoon Salt
- 350 g Chicken Thigh Meat 12oz
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 2 Green Chilli Peppers
- 12 Curry Leaves
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Small Tomatoes 225-250 g
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 50 ml Water 3 tablespoon + 1 Tsp
- ½ tablespoon Dried Fenugreek
Instructions
- Cut the mushrooms into 5mm (¼") thick strips.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, melt half the ghee in the pan and add the asafoetida, cumin, mustard and coriander seeds. Cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Throw in the mushrooms and half of the salt, cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to drive almost all of the moisture from the mushrooms.
- Whilst the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the ingredients for the rest of the curry.Begin by cutting the chicken into large 35-50mm (1½-2") chunks.
- Top and tail the onion, peel it, and cut it into 8 wedges.
- Discard the stems from the chilli peppers and cut the chillies in half lengthways
- Heat the remaining ghee in a 25cm (10") frying pan over a medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the curry leaves, chilli peppers, onions and chicken, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.You will be around 5 minutes into the cooking of the mushrooms when you start this process.
- Peel the garlic and mash it into a paste.
- Cut each tomato into 8 wedges.
- Add the garlic to the pan with the chicken and cook for 60 seconds, stirring all of the time.
- Add the tomatoes, the Kashmiri chilli pepper, turmeric, garam masala and the rest of the salt.Stir, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the mushrooms have had their 20 minutes (which should only be a couple of minutes).
- Transfer the mushrooms to the chicken pan, add the water and stir to combine, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
- Crush the dried fenugreek leaves into the pan, stir to combine, and cook for a final minute before serving. I like to garnish with fresh coriander.
