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    You are here: Home » Chicken

    Published: Nov 3, 2021 · Modified: Oct 15, 2022 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

    Boneless Chicken Handi Recipe

    98 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Boneless chicken handi in a bowl.

    Chicken handi is a simple and easy but incredibly delicious chicken curry made with boneless chicken and a few common ingredients. It has a thick and flavorful sauce that you can mop up with some warm pita or naan bread. You can also go the gluten-free route by pairing it with plain Basmati rice. The perfect chicken dinner for busy weeknights!

    Another scrumptious chicken curry recipe is this white chicken karahi. It's got a slightly spicy but very smooth and creamy sauce that's perfect with naan.

    Boneless chicken handi in a bowl.

    There's nothing more satisfying than a well-made chicken curry with warm bread to soak up the sauce. And if it's as effortless as this boneless chicken handi, bingo! It has the same rich taste as butter chicken but with a quarter of the effort that goes into making that famous but involved dish.

    Traditionally, chicken handi is cooked in a clay pot over a slow fire. It's awesome if you can get hold of a clay pot, seal it with dough, and let the meat simmer away till tender and juicy. Cooked this way, the dish absorbs all the earthy aroma of the clay pot itself (mitti ki handi) and tastes like... heaven! However, I do know that this is not a practical way to cook and as busy as we all are, there's simply no time for such elaborate shenanigans.

    So, I've adapted this recipe for the busy home cook who still looks forward to putting a delicious but fuss-free dinner on the table. In other words, people like you and me. I cook it in a stainless steel karahi or wok and trust me, it turns out great!

    🥘 Ingredients

    Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.

    chicken handi ingredients

    Ingredients Notes

    • Instead of boneless chicken breast, you can also use boneless chicken thigh, cut down into bite-sized pieces.
    • Store-bought tomato paste works best because it is made with very red tomatoes and quite smooth. However, if you don't have it, you can make a puree of two tomatoes and use that instead. It will not give the same rich color to the curry though.
    • The powdered spices are readily available in any supermarket - coriander, red chilli, turmeric, cumin, and white pepper.
    • Soak the cashews in water for 30 minutes so that they become soft and easy to grind into a paste along with the yogurt.

    🔪 Instructions

    Time needed: 40 minutes

    How to make boneless chicken handi

    Preparation

    • Puree the onions in a blender and set aside in a bowl.
    • Put the yogurt in the blender and add the cashews. Whiz until you get a smooth white paste.

    Cooking

    1. Cook the pureed onions, ginger and garlic

    • Heat the oil in a wok or karahi and add the pureed onions and the ginger-garlic paste.
    • Cover the wok and cook down this masala on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring in between to make sure it doesn't stick to the wok.
    • As the water evaporates, the masala will soon reduce and become thick.
    ground onions in a wok

    2. Add the chicken and all the powdered spices and salt

    • Stir well to mix the chicken and spices with the onion masala and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
    • Add a splash of water if the masala becomes too thick, but not too much.
    • Keep stirring in between so that the masala doesn't stick to the bottom. After 10 minutes, the oil will separate and the masala will become shiny.
    chicken handi in karahi

    3. Add the tomato paste, yogurt-cashew paste and slit green chillies

    • Fry for 5 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat and add ½ cup water. Mix well and and cover the wok. Allow the chicken to cook for 10 minutes more.
    • Remove the lid and garnish the curry with some cilantro if you want to. It is now ready to be served with warm bread or rice.
    chicken handi in a wok
    Three plates of chicken handi with rice and bread.

    💭 Top tips

    • The secret to a great tasting curry lies in how patiently you are able to cook down the masala. If it smells and looks 'raw', the curry is not going to taste very good. A sure sign that the curry is done is when the masala turns shiny and the oil separates and floats on the top. It will also lose its sharp and pungent smell once it's cooked properly. This is, in fact, the most important tip to keep in mind while cooking Indian curries and if you remember this one thing, you will never go wrong.
    • The chicken in Indian curries is supposed to be quite tender. If you're wondering why you need to cook boneless chicken for so long, it's because the chicken pieces should be very soft and yield immediately when you bite into them.

    🥗 Side dishes

    There are so many side dishes possible with chicken handi! You will of course need some kind of bread or rice, but you can also pair it with any simple vegetarian side like Bombay potatoes.

    My favorite bread with chicken is this whole wheat naan. It tastes really good with chicken curries, so do make it if you have the time. Another staple is rice, and again, plain steamed Basmati rice works quite well. If you want to get a little fancy, however, try this cumin rice. And if brown rice is what you prefer, here's a recipe for brown rice.

    For a complete list of side dishes to go with chicken curries like this one, here's a post that you might want to browse through. It has over 20 suggestions for what to serve with chicken curry. Check it out for a few new ideas that you may not have thought of before!

    More chicken curries

    • Indian pepper chicken - also called kali mirch chicken, this is a simple weeknight chicken recipe with only 7 ingredients.
    • Chicken shashlik - an Indo-Chinese recipe for those times when you are craving something hot, sweet and spicy.
    • Chicken and mushroom curry - bone-in chicken simmered in a smooth cashew sauce and topped with fried button mushrooms. 
    • Achari chicken - a bold and spicy chicken curry made in Indian pickling spices.
    Chicken curry over rice in a plate.
    Chicken handi in bowl.

    Boneless Chicken Handi

    Saima Zaidi
    Chicken handi is a simple and easy but incredibly delicious chicken curry made with boneless chicken and a few common ingredients. The perfect chicken dinner for busy weeknights!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 398 kcal

    Equipment

    • Wok or karahi
    • Large spoon
    • Blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 red onions medium-sized
    • 3 tablespoon yogurt
    • 12 cashews soaked in water
    • 5 tbsp cooking oil
    • 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1.2 lbs chicken breast boneless, bite-sized pieces
    • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • ½ tsp turmeric powder
    • ½ tsp cumin powder
    • ½ tsp white pepper powder
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 4 tbsp tomato paste
    • 3 Thai green chillies slit
    • 1 tbsp cilantro optional

    Instructions
     

    Preparation

    • Puree the onions in a blender and set aside in a bowl.
    • Put the yogurt in the blender and add the cashews. Whiz until you get a smooth white paste. Keep this yogurt-cashew paste aside.

    Cooking

    • Heat the oil in a wok or karahi and add the pureed onions and the ginger-garlic paste. Cover the wok and cook down this masala on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring in between to make sure it doesn't stick to the wok. As the water evaporates, the masala will soon reduce and become thick. 
    • Add the chicken and all the powdered spices and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add a splash of water if the masala becomes too thick, but not too much. Keep stirring in between so that the masala doesn't stick to the bottom. After 10 minutes, the oil will separate and the masala will become shiny.
    • Add the tomato paste, yogurt-cashew paste prepared earlier, and slit green chillies. Fry for 5 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat and add ½ cup water. Mix well and and cover the wok. Allow the chicken to cook for 10 minutes more.
    • Remove the lid and garnish the curry with some cilantro if you want to. It is now ready to be served with warm bread or rice. 

    Notes

    1. You can substitute chicken breast meat with thigh meat if that's what you like.
    2. Cook the chicken until the oil separates and floats to the top and the raw smell goes. 
    3. The chicken in Indian curries is supposed to be quite tender. It should yield when you bite into it. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 32gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 998mgPotassium: 836mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 459IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword boneless chicken handi, chicken curry
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    98 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy says

      June 10, 2022 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      Loved the recipe. Super easy and very tasty.
      Thank you.

      Reply
    2. Aparna says

      January 08, 2023 at 7:54 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. My family loved it. God bless.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

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