This type of chicken curry is not necessarily the sort you will find in an Indian restaurant. This is a traditional Ismaili Khoja wedding fare. A rich, chicken curry with saffron and potatoes.  Not that anyone needed to get married to have this at my MaaiL’s. 

It’s one of the first chicken curries I learnt from her, this and her Kukda nu shaak/Chicken curry,  since I was too obnoxious to learn how to cook it from my own Mum, being an outrageous teen vegan and all that. 

I wrote this recipe down while she sat rocking away on the brown leather chair; you know no, measurements just directions, eager to turn my new flat into a home. I was always an eager cook, and I wanted to make sure I learned to cook all the foods she made, it was a whole new world of recipes for me. I would make sure I spent every minute of her visit asking questions, eagerly writing down recipes as she narrated them to me.

My reluctance to hold raw chicken with anything but the longest pair of tongs or taste the seasoning led to many a failed attempts, but her son never complained, and this vegan ate meat again (the things you do for love!) and with time this rich curry, using simple spices and aromatics, is still the best chicken curry I can make.

The rest is history.  I hope that you will try it out this weekend. Do it for someone you love, or do it just for you. 

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs. Chicken breast pieces / bone-in/or 1 whole skinless chicken cut into pieces bite-size pieces (or beef)
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1.5 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon Thai green chili paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon saffron pistils
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2″ cubes
¼ cup oil cup neutral oil or about 3 tablespoons
I large onion finely sliced or 4-HEAPED tablespoons fried onion (store bought)
4 green cardamom pods
5 whole cloves
1 -2 inch cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon coriander/cumin powder/dhana – jeera
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup canned tomato sauce or 4 tomatoes, chopped and puréed.
2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt / to taste
1 cup water
Finely chopped cilantro

Instructions:

1. Cut, wash and drain the chicken pieces.
   
   
2. Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, ginger, garlic, hot green chili paste, lemon juice, saffron and salt for at least 1-hour minimum or up to 3 hours.
   
   
3. Deep fry the potato cubes, or spray lightly and air fry.
   
   
4. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan or in the Instant Pot on sauté Mode and add the cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom pods, and cumin and sauté for 30 seconds to allow the whole spices to bloom.
   
   
5. Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
   
   
6. Add the marinated chicken, crushed tomatoes/sauce, coriander & cumin powder, turmeric, and salt, and mix everything until well blended, and then add the tomato paste.
   
   
7. Add water, on stove top- cover with a lid and let it simmer until cooked until chicken is fully cooked  OR on THE Instant Pot cancel Sauté Mode to turn off the Instant Pot, secure the lid, and close the vent to Sealing.
   
   
8. Select the Meat/Stew setting/Pressure level High, and increase time to 15 mins. NPR for 5 minutes.
   
   
9. Add fried potatoes and garam masala and simmer for 6-8 minutes.
   
   
10. Remove the whole spices, if you want to.
    
    
11. Garnish with chopped cilantro and if you like halved hard boiled eggs.
    
    
12. Serve with paratha, naan, rice or some crusty French bread.
    
    

What Is The Difference Between Chicken Curry And Chicken Kalyo

The difference between this and the everyday chicken curry is that this has saffron and yoghurt. It is sometimes garnished with hard-boiled egg halves. The yoghurt makes the gravy creamy and the hint of saffron gives it a richer taste. 

I had a follower message me on Instagram and said she had followed a blogger who said the chicken kalyo did not have a tomato base.  I am sure the world over there are many variations of the same wedding chicken, my recipe is the one I learnt from my MaaIL, and I know my Mum made something similar to it with the hard boiled egg garnish, and this is the way many of the Ismaili Khoja community in East Africa make it.

Slow Cooker:

This is a great slow cooker dish.  Especially if you are hosting and have other dishes to prepare, working, use the slow cooker and let it cook for a few hours.

Can this be made with other meats?

Absolutely! Besides chicken kalyo we have meat kalyo as well, you can use veal, beef or lamb.