Chicken Madras Recipe

Restaurant style Chicken Madras Recipe that'll become your new favorite. It's even better than takeout, I say this because it's made with a special homemade spice mix known as Madras Curry Powder. The secret taste lies in the masala powder & how you cook the whole recipe. Don't miss the Video! 3 methods of cooking shared - Instant Pot or pressure cooker, slow cooker & stove top.

Recipe Video

Chicken Madras Restaurant Recipe

Chicken Madras - the very popular & one of the most ordered curry dishes in the curry houses of UK & also several other countries.

It's chicken (on the bones or boneless) cooked in an onion tomato base gravy with a special spice mix that consists of a plethora of Indian spices & a special herb.

Don't worry because you can find each & every ingredient in Indian stores.

It's the cooking technique & the Madras curry powder that combine together to give this dish an outrageous flavor.

If you love curries you won't resist this one. No wonder that Madras dishes are one of the hottest take out food in the UK.

And now you can easily make it at home with my easy recipe steps + Video.

So what are you waiting for, ditch your favorite curry house & make some today.

We love Madras recipes & since eons I have been lovingly making them in my kitchen.

The more I make the more I fall for it.

A riot of soothing fragrant spices play a major role in making this dish so delectable.

The Madras Curry powder recipe is so well balanced, not a single spice in it tastes piquant.

It's an extraordinary combination of flavors with a subtle kick from peppercorns & chilies.

I am sure you are going to love today's recipe of Chicken Madras curry.

What is Chicken Madras?

Chicken Madras is a fairly spicy curry that's made with chicken cooked in an extraordinarily fragrant spice mix along with onions & tomatoes. It may or may not contain yogurt or tamarind.

Madras Chicken curry is a famous take out favorite back in the UK & almost every curry house carry it in their menu.

The specialty of Chicken Madras lies in the Madras curry powder & the way the whole recipe is cooked.

Where does Chicken Madras come from?

Chicken Madras is believed to have originated back in Madras (now Chennai) in India back in 1640s' with the arrival of the British merchants.

It's however not known by the same name back in India.

Back in India Madras curries are typically more fiery & hot & also varies from region to region.

The name of this recipe has it's origin back in the United Kingdom.

Chicken Madras Ingredients

Today's recipe is very simple.

You just need to stock on the recipe of Madras Curry Powder which I have already shared a few days back on the blog.

Don't miss it if you are after that restaurant taste.

Here's what you'll need to cook a fantastic bowl of Chicken Madras:

1. Chicken marinated & on the bones: You can use boneless chicken too but chicken on the bones is highly recommended because it tastes the best. Skinless meat is a must. Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic, turmeric, chili powder & a bit of salt.
2. Onions: Roughly chopped. You may use red or white but avoid the sweeter varieties.
3. Tomatoes: Roughly chopped.
4. Tomato paste: This adds tons of color & a slightly sweeter note to the recipe. It's better to say that it balances the flavors of the spices beautifully. We used store bought from the tube.
5. Ground spices: Turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chili - all of them in the powder form.
6. Special Spice: Homemade Madras Curry Powder. Don't miss this one, this is the heart & soul of todays' Chicken Madras recipe. The recipe is up on the blog & I have also shared the link here in this post below.
7. Whole Spices: Whole cumin seeds + dry red chili.
8. Marinated yogurt: Throw in some tandoori masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, salt to the yogurt & whisk well. A fantastic spiced up yogurt that boosts the flavors of today's chicken Madras & also mellows down the heat from the chilies.
9. Fresh Curry Leaves: Available in every Indian grocery store. You may omit this if you want to.

Pro Tip: Want to cook the Chicken Madras with boneless chicken? Buy some good skinless chicken thigh meat. Avoid breast pieces. Chicken thighs will yield a tender juicy meat in the gravy whereas you'll end up with a stiff cooked chicken meat if you choose chicken breasts.

7 Tips to make the best Chicken Madras Recipe take out style

1. Do not Skip the homemade Madras Curry Powder recipe. That'll add tons of flavor, texture & taste to your Chicken Madras recipe.
2. Do not sub the homemade Madras Curry powder with it's store-bought counterpart. You won't manage the best flavors. No store bought masala can beat the flavors of the homemade spice mix.
3. Sear the Chicken before starting the curry recipe: This is very important because searing helps to lock the juices of the chicken. It will remain ultra juicy & tender in the gravy & will taste the best.
4. Fry the Onions well: This will make the curry more tasty, the onion will not stand out & the Chicken Madras will have a lovely color too.
5. Fry the spices well: The taste lies in the frying method known as Bhuna. Do not miss out this technique even if you are in a hurry. Fry the spices until the raw smell disappears & oil begins to ooze out.
6. Spice up the yogurt: Spice it up before adding it to the curry base. It adds depth & helps develop the flavors.
7. Add the homemade Madras curry powder liberally. It contains the magic flavors. The complexity, depth & intensity of the Madras chicken recipe comes from this homemade masala powder.

How long can you store Madras Chicken Curry?

You can store Madras Chicken Curry in air tight containers for 10 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze Madras Chicken restaurant recipe?

Yes you can freeze Madras Chicken restaurant recipe. It keeps good for 1 month in the freezer.

Store it in air tight freezer safe bags or containers.

Reheating tips

1. Stored it in fridge? Do this to reheat: Scoop out the curry on a skillet, sprinkle some water. Reheat over medium heat. Stir in between. It might take 2-3 mins approx. to warm up.
2. Freezed it? You can do this to reheat: You may or may not thaw the curry. Dump it in a saucepan, skillet or pot. Add about ½ cup water. Allow to warm up over medium heat. It should take you about 10-15 mins approx. If you choose to thaw the curry overnight in the fridge first than follow the reheating technique of No 1 shared above.

What to serve with Chicken Madras?

We love to mop our restaurant style Chicken Madras with hot Naan breads, butter Naan, Garlic Naan or plain Naan.

I specially love it with homemade parathas. You can even enjoy it with plain basmati rice & chapathi.

Does Chicken Madras have dairy?

Chicken Madras Recipe may or may not contain dairy. Recipes vary & people love to cook it in various ways.

But, today's just-like-takeout Chicken Madras contains dairy in the form of yogurt.

Yogurt makes things better, it takes away the spicy-ness from the recipe & balances off the taste with a certain subtlety.

Pro Tip: Yogurt does not make it spice free or bland. It just balances off the heat, adds a mild tang & boosts the flavor quotient. Try cooking Madras Chicken with & without yogurt & see what you love 🙂

Don't miss these Chicken Recipes from Foodies Terminal.

How to make Chicken Madras? Step by Step in Instant Pot

Steps in words below pictures

How to make Chicken Madras in slow cooker?

It's very easy to cook chicken Madras in a slow cooker.

I alternately do cook it in slow cooker as well as in a pressure cooker.

The recipe remains exactly the same. Follow the steps until step 9 mentioned above (the instant pot method) and than add enough water to just cover the chicken pieces.

Put the lid of the slow cooker & cook it for 3-4 hrs until the meat falls off from the bones.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Chicken Madras Recipe - FAQs

Don't miss the MADRAS CURRY POWDER RECIPE to cook today's recipe.

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