Chicken Madras

Chicken Madras is a hot and vibrant chicken curry that tastes so good! Deeply flavoured with spices, this is one low carb Indian curry you can't miss!

Chicken Madras is one curry you have to have in your recipe box if you dig spicy Indian curries. It's hot but not vindaloo hot. Somewhere between butter chicken and vindaloo, I would say. And it's got these sweet and sour flavors happening in the background, thanks to all the tomatoes and a sprinkling of  lemon juice and sugar.

I usually make this chicken madras curry in my instant pot (mainly for the convenience of pressure cooking), but if the pot is otherwise engaged, I use a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on the stovetop. Both methods are discussed below.

Make a complete meal by pairing madras chicken with warm naan or rice. It tastes equally good with both. And here's a recipe for cumin rice if you'd prefer this in place of plain rice. It works like gangbusters with all kinds of curries including this one.

However, if you're on a low carb diet,

Ingredients

Note: Exact quantities are given in the recipe card below.

Chicken

I like to use a medium-sized skinless bone-in chicken cut into 14 pieces at the butcher's. The bones add lots of flavor to this curry. Of course, the sky is not going to fall if you use boneless chicken breast or thigh meat, but the best curries are usually the ones made with bone-in meat, chicken or lamb.

Aromatics

Onion, ginger and garlic make the base of chicken madras as they do in so many other Indian curries.

Spices 

Spices are the life and soul of any self-respecting curry and are responsible for the deep flavor profile of most Indian food. The right spices added in the right proportions (less is more) can really elevate a dish beyond 'good' to 'freaking awesome'! Here's what goes into this chicken madras recipe:

Whole spices 

• Dry red chillies
• Cardamom pods
• Cloves

Ground spices

• Madras curry powder - some say that this, along with regular curry powder is a British invention and has nothing to do with authentic Indian food. This is not completely true as the whole spices used to make curry powder are distinctly Indian. So, how is Madras curry powder (affiliate link) different from curry powder? Both have the same ingredients except that Madras curry powder is hotter with the addition of chilli peppers. Madras curry powder is a star spice in this recipe, so don't skip it.
• Coriander powder - store-bought works fine, but if you really want your curry to vibrate with fresh flavors, use fresh coriander powder. How to make fresh coriander powder? Toast a tablespoon of coriander seeds (affiliate link) in a small frypan over medium heat until the seeds start changing color and you can actually smell them. Turn off the heat, cool for a bit, then grind them in a dry spice grinder (affiliate link) to a semi-fine powder. Of course, it all depends on the time you have. If you don't have a lot, use pre-packaged coriander powder. (affiliate link)
• Cumin powder - just a little bit of cumin works wonders. Don't go overboard with it as it can make the curry dark and taste overwhelming. Again, fresh is best (same method as the coriander above) but store-bought cumin powder (affiliate link) works well too.
• Chilli powder - if you don't mind the heat, use cayenne (affiliate link) but if too much spice is not your thing, use Kashmiri chilli powder (affiliate link). It adds a mild heat but lots of natural red color.
• Turmeric - Indian food can't really do without turmeric (affiliate link). Again, add a little bit only for warmth and color since there is some in the curry powder too.

Herbs

• Kasuri methi (affiliate link) or dried fenugreek leaves - I can't tell you how much depth a pinch or two of this herb adds to Indian curries. Restaurants use this in almost all their dishes and it adds a wonderful kick to gravy-based dishes. The trick is to add a little only as too much kasuri methi can ruin a perfectly good curry and make it bitter. Another thing to remember is to add it towards the end of the cooking cycle. This again prevents the food from turning bitter.

Other ingredients 

Tomato puree or sauce - I use bottled tomato puree (affiliate link) not ketchup as it is smooth and not as thick as the canned paste.

Lemons or limes - juice of one small lemon or lime is enough.

Sugar - a teaspoon only (white or brown) to balance the tanginess of the tomatoes and lemon juice.

How to make chicken madras 

Instant Pot Method

Preparation

1. Peel and dice the onion
2. Mince the ginger and garlic

Cooking

Step 1 - Turn on the instant pot to sauté (normal) and add the oil to the steel insert. Wait for the display to show HOT, then add the dry red chillies, cardamom pods and cloves.

Step 2 - When the spices start sizzling (a few seconds), add the onions and fry until they the just begin to brown. There is no need to caramelize them completely. Do stir them now and then to prevent uneven browning. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 3 - Add the powdered spices and salt and stir rapidly for a few seconds. Add a couple tablespoons water immediately  if you find the spices sticking to the bottom.  You can even turn off the pot for a few seconds at this point and turn it on again when you are adding the rest of the ingredients. The heat that is built up already is enough to roast the spices.

Step 4 - Stir in the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. As before, if the masala is sticking to the pot, loosen it with a few splashes of water.

Step 5 - Add the tomato puree, lemon juice and sugar. Mix everything well. Cancel sauté.

Step 6 - Slide in the chicken pieces and 1.5 to 2 cups water. Deglaze the pot and close the lid. Pressure cook for 7 minutes on high. Once the timer beeps, do a pressure release after 10 minutes.

Step 7 - Open the pot and sprinkle the kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves). Serve hot with naan or rice.

Stovetop method

Step 1 - Put a deep, heavy bottomed pan on the hob and add the oil. When the oil turns hot, add the dry red chillies, cardamom pods and cloves. They will sizzle in the hot oil.

Step 2 -  Add the onions and fry until they the just begin to brown. There is no need to caramelize them completely. Do stir them now and then to prevent uneven browning. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 3 - Add the powdered spices and salt and stir rapidly for a few seconds. Add a couple tablespoons water immediately  if you find the spices sticking to the pan.  You can even turn off the heat for a few seconds at this point and turn it on again when you are adding the rest of the ingredients. The heat that is built up already is enough to roast the spices.

Step 4 - Stir in the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. As before, if the masala is sticking to the pan, loosen it with a few splashes of water.

Step 5 - Add the tomato puree, lemon juice and sugar. Mix everything well.

Step 6 - Slide in the chicken pieces and 2 cups water. Mix well and cover with a lid. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Give the contents a good stir once or twice in between.

Step 7 - Once the gravy has thickened and you can see the oil has left the sides of the pan, sprinkle the kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) and mix well. Serve hot with naan or rice.

More Indian chicken curries for you

Achari Chicken - Chicken in pickling spices. Another bold and spicy Indian chicken curry!

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