Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and Aromatics
- 200 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless, diced into 2cm cubes
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 50 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic, minced
- 5 g fresh ginger, grated
Spices and Sauce
- 6 g curry powder, mild or medium
- 3 g kosher salt
- 100 g canned diced tomatoes, with juices
- 60 g plain yogurt, full-fat, room temperature
- 5 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 603 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1341 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 132 mg
- Potassium
- 791 mg
- Calcium
- 189 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 85 mg
- Phosphorus
- 483 mg
- Zinc
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 96 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.36 mg
- Niacin
- 20.3 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 247 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a sharp chef's knife and a dedicated cutting board to prevent cross-contamination, dice the raw chicken breast into even pieces. Thoroughly wash hands and surfaces after handling.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and curry powder to the skillet. Stir constantly for 1 minute to toast the spices and release their fat-soluble flavors.
Increase the heat slightly and add the diced chicken breast and kosher salt. Toss to coat the chicken in the spice mixture and sear for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned on the outside.
Pour the diced tomatoes and their juices into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Allow the residual bubbling to stop for about 1 minute, then gently stir in the room-temperature plain yogurt until a cohesive, creamy sauce forms.
Transfer the finished chicken curry to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Full-fat yogurt is crucial here. Low-fat or non-fat yogurts lack the necessary stabilizers and lipids to withstand being introduced to a hot, acidic tomato sauce without splitting.
- Blooming or toasting the curry powder in the oil before adding liquids is a non-negotiable step. Spices contain volatile flavor compounds that are fat-soluble; skipping this results in a raw, powdery taste.
- If your canned tomatoes are particularly acidic, a tiny pinch of sugar added during the simmer step will balance the flavor profile beautifully.
- For enhanced depth, swap the vegetable oil for ghee (clarified butter) to introduce a rich, nutty backbone to the entire dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently to prevent the yogurt from separating.
Freezer: 1 month — Freezing may cause the yogurt-based sauce to split upon thawing. Stir vigorously when reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
Troubleshooting
The yogurt sauce separated or curdled
Cause: Yogurt was too cold, lacked sufficient fat, or was added while the pan was still actively boiling
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed texturally, but the dish is still entirely safe and delicious to eat
Prevention: Always use full-fat yogurt, let it come to room temperature, and only stir it in off the heat
Chicken is tough and dry
Cause: The chicken breast was cut into uneven pieces or boiled vigorously for too long
Fix: Shred the overcooked chicken into the sauce to help it absorb more moisture
Prevention: Dice chicken uniformly and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil
Cultural Context
While traditional Indian curries rely on long, slow braises to develop complex layers of flavor, this rapid preparation adapts the classic North Indian flavor affinity for tomatoes, yogurt, and aromatic spices. It bridges authentic technique, such as blooming spices in hot fat, with the modern necessity of a quick, single-portion weeknight meal.
