When I was a kid, I had my first encounter with Dhaba-style Chicken Curry. We were on a road trip from Shimla to Manali and stopped at a roadside dhaba for lunch. It was a small, non-fancy dhaba, and the young cook was running it single-handedly. There were limited food options, so we decided on rotis and chicken curry. And he served us freshly prepared chicken curry with the basic spices he had. It was incredibly delicious, especially with the julienned ginger and coriander leaves garnishing the spicy, succulent chicken pieces.
As I type these words, I can already feel my mouth watering. Later on, I tried Dhaba-style Chicken Curry in various places around Delhi-NCR. A few Murthal Dhabas are good at making it. I’m sharing my version of how I make this Chicken Curry, which is a favorite dish in our house. Hope you’ll enjoy cooking it. 🙂
Dhaba style Chicken Curry
This spicy, rustic Dhaba-style chicken curry is cooked with whole spices, ensuring a robust and flavourful experience. You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make this, but still, you can bring out the taste of Dhaba food in your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 500 grams- Chicken (curry cut)
- 2- Onion (chopped)
- 3- Tomato (chopped)
- 5- Green chillies (adjust as per tolerance)
- ½ tsp- Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp- Kashmiri mirch powder
- 1 tbsp- Coriander powder
- ¼ tsp- Garam masala powder
- ¼ cup- Mustard oil
- 2 tsp- Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
- Julienned ginger for garnishing
For marination
- ½ tsp- Salt
- 1 tsp- Garlic paste
- 1 tsp- Ginger paste
For tempering
- 1- Whole dry red chilli (halved)
- 2- Black cardamom (lightly crushed)
- 3- Cinnamon stick (1″ pieces)
- ½ tsp- Cumin seeds
- 4- Cloves
- 2- Bay leaf
Instructions
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Marinate the chicken using all the ingredients mentioned ‘For marination’, and keep aside for 2-3 hours.
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Heat oil in a deep frying pan/kadai, temper with the ingredients mentioned For tempering.
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Add onion, sauté on medium heat until light brown.
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Next to add green chillies, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, kashmiri mirch powder, and coriander powder. Mix and stir over medium heat until the tomatoes become soft.
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Now add the marinated chicken into this. Mix, cover and cook on low heat. Stir in between. Add salt and ½ cup of hot water when the chicken is half cooked.
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Mix well, cover and cook further. When the chicken is almost done, add garam masala powder and fresh coriander leaves. Mix gently and simmer until thoroughly cooked. Garnish with julienned ginger.
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Serve Dhaba style Chicken Curry with Naan, Tandoori roti or Phulka.
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