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Chicken thigh curry in a pan with sauce and topped with coriander and lime wedges.
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4.25 from 65 votes

Easy Chicken Thigh Curry

This chicken thigh curry is bursting with aromatic flavours, using staple ingredients, making it super easy.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 5
Calories: 658kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.32

Ingredients

  • 1 kg chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on (£2.07)
  • 40 g ginger, peeled (£0.50)
  • 50 g fresh chillies, seeds removed (if you like it mild) (£0.47)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (£0.69/3)=(£0.23)
  • 1 onion, finely diced (£0.09)
  • 500g passata (£0.45)
  • 1 bunch of fresh coriander, torn (£1.00/2)=(£0.50)
  • 180 g green beans, optional, steamed to serve (£0.89)
  • 250 g brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions (£1.45/4)=(£0.36)
  • 50 g (2 handfuls) of spinach (£0.85/2)=(£0.43)
  • 2 tbsp yogurt (£0.85/2)=(£0.43)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges to serve (£0.17)

Cupboard Essentials

  • ½ tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 6 tbsp tomato puree
  • 600 ml chicken stock
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • Fry the chicken thighs skin facing down in rapeseed oil on a medium heat. After around 10 minutes, the fats from the chicken will start to render and the skin will crisp up nicely. Rotate and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt.
  • Meanwhile, blend the peeled ginger, garlic and chillies to form a rough paste. To help the blender out, add a tbsp or two of water.
  • Set the crispy chicken thighs aside (they’re not fully cooked yet, don’t worry). Then to the pan, add the diced onions to sweat until translucent, frying for approx 5 minutes. Season with salt.
  • Next, add the paste to the pan along with the curry powder. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato puree and a splash of stock. Continue to fry for around 5 minutes, until the tomato puree darkens in colour.
  • Pour the stock and the passata into the pan and stir to combine. Place the chicken thighs, skin facing up this time, back into the pan and reduce to a low simmer, setting a timer for 20 minutes. The chicken thighs should be cooked after this time. Set aside and take the curry off the heat. To prevent the yogurt from splitting, add a tbsp of the curry into a bowl with the yogurt. Stir to combine then pour the yogurt into the curry along with the spinach.
  • Once the spinach has wilted, add the thighs back into the pan and top with fresh coriander and lime. Serve with brown rice and an optional portion of green beans.

Notes

  • Leave the chicken thighs undisturbed during frying to allow the skin to crisp up and render the chicken fats for delicious flavor.
  • Adjust the heat to prevent the skin from burning while ensuring it crisps up.
  • Season each element/ingredient at each stage of the recipe to enhance the flavors and achieve a better end result. Additionally, adjust the spice level according to your preference by adding or reducing chillies and seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 34g