A wealthy, aromatic and comparatively sizzling curry, hen madras is simple to make at dwelling in a single pan. Mixing the onion offers the sauce a thick and opulent texture. An amazing Friday evening curry!

A Madras curry is a reasonably sizzling curry with a thick, darkish pink sauce (the color comes from the chillies and paprika). It’s received barely tangy notes to it from the addition of tamarind and fenugreek. The hen is not marinated on this dish, and the spices are sometimes dry-fried or roasted.
The sauce is normally a clean sauce. We’re utilizing a Madras spice combine on this recipe, however can even add in just a few additional spices. To get the beautiful clean sauce, we’ll be mixing the onion and likewise utilizing passata (somewhat than tinned tomatoes – that are fairly lumpy).
My model has a bit little bit of warming warmth, but it surely’s not too sizzling (my youngsters fortunately eat it they usually don’t like issues which might be too sizzling).
I additionally add coconut milk into my recipe. This isn’t all the time typical in a madras, however a whole lot of British Indian Restaurant model curries do embody some. It provides a bit little bit of richness to the curry and a touch of sweetness to steadiness out the tomatoes and spices.
📋 Substances


📺 Watch easy methods to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this submit***
- Mix onion, garlic and ginger to a paste in a mini meals processor. Fry the combination in ghee or oil over a excessive warmth.


- Add in chopped hen and prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes, till sealed.
- Decrease the warmth to medium and add within the seasonings. Prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring continually till these spices launch their perfume.
- Add in passata and tomato puree and convey to the boil, then stir in coconut milk. Carry to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.


Professional Tip
This curry could be made as sizzling as you want. We’re utilizing madras sizzling curry powder for the warmth, however you possibly can add in additional warmth with contemporary chillies, or much less warmth by swapping out the madras powder for normal medium or delicate curry powder.
I like a sizzling curry once in a while, however not so sizzling you possibly can’t style the flavours and also you’re sweating on the desk!


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🍽️ What to serve it with
I prefer to prime the curry with contemporary coriander (cilantro), just a few sliced pink chillies, finely sliced pink onion and a few pink chilli slices too.


🍲 Extra improbable curries
? Steadily Requested Questions
Sure, this hen madras could be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and refrigerated for two days.
Reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring often, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.
Sure, this hen madras could be cooked, shortly cooled, positioned in an hermetic container and frozen.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring often, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.
Sure, make the curry in a pan as much as the top of step 5, then switch to the gradual cooker together with the coconut milk and stir collectively. Prepare dinner on low for 3-4 hours or excessive for 1-2 hours.
Add much more flavour to your madras by marinating the hen in tikka paste after which grilling the hen to calmly charred perfection!
Right here’s how:
To a bowl add 1/2 cup (120ml) thick pure yogurt, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, the juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp every of floor coriander and paprika, 1/2 tsp every of turmeric, cumin, delicate chilli powder (or sizzling should you prefer it spicy), salt and pepper, plus a pinch of cinnamon.
Combine all of it collectively, then stir within the chopped hen breasts. Cowl and place within the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.
As soon as marinated, place the hen on skewers, or simply unfold the items out on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Then grill (broil) the hen, turning as soon as, till cooked although.
Add the cooked hen to the sauce proper on the finish (after it has simmered for 10 minutes).
Sure. For a fast beef or lamb curry, use strips of lean beef steak (comparable to rump or flat iron) or lean lamb steak (shoulder or leg). Fry the strips in a bit oil in a extremely popular pan for a 3-4 minutes till cooked however nonetheless tender, then add them into the sauce a the top of cooking (after the ten minutes of simmering the sauce).
For a gradual cooked model, use diced braising or chuck beef, or diced lamb leg or shoulder. Add in as you’d the hen (at step 3). Add a further 200ml (70z) of passata, plus 200ml (70z) of beef inventory (in addition to the 200ml (70z) of coconut milk), then carry to the boil and place within the oven at 160C/320F for 3 hours (stir often). Or place within the gradual cooker and prepare dinner on excessive for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Sure, madras curry powder is usually pretty sizzling and spicy. If you would like the style and texture of a madras, however with out the warmth, you possibly can change it like-for-like with delicate curry powder. You’ll be including in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, tamarind, paprika and fenugreek too – so that you’ll nonetheless get the advanced, barely tangy flavour of a madras.
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Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a mini meals processor and mix to a paste. Add a splash of oil to loosen if wanted.
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp minced ginger
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Warmth the ghee (or oil) in a big frying pan over a excessive warmth. Add the onion combination and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, till beginning to brown on the edges.
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
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Add the hen and prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes, stirring typically, till sealed.
3 hen breasts
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Flip the warmth all the way down to medium and add the cinnamon, madras curry powder, paprika, floor fenugreek, tamarind paste, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring continually.
½ tsp floor cinnamon, 3 tbsp madras sizzling curry powder, 1 1/2 tsp paprika, ¼ tsp floor fenugreek, ½ tsp tamarind paste, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Add within the passata and tomato puree and convey to the boil.
400 ml (14 oz) passata, 2 tbsp tomato puree
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Add the coconut milk. Stir and convey to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
200 ml (7 oz) coconut milk (full-fat)
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Serve with contemporary coriander, sliced chillies, pink onion, and boiled rice.
small bunch of contemporary coriander, 1 finely sliced pink chilli, 1/4 pink onion, boiled rice
Notice 1 – Madras curry powder
When you can’t discover madras curry powder use common curry powder however add a teaspoon (or two should you prefer it actually sizzling) of cayenne pepper or sizzling chilli powder.
Notice 2 – Fenugreek:
Don’t purchase a full jar should you’re solely going to make use of it for this recipe, you possibly can depart it out should you don’t have any – the madras powder will probably have some in anyway.
Can I make it forward?
Sure, this hen madras could be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and refrigerated for two days.
Reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring often, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.
Can I freeze it?
Sure, this hen madras could be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and frozen.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring often, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.
Can I make it within the gradual cooker?
Sure, make the curry in a pan as much as the top of step 5, then switch to the gradual cooker together with the coconut milk and stir collectively. Prepare dinner on low for 3-4 hours or excessive for 1-2 hours.
Dietary Info is per serving with out the serving options of rice and coriander (cilantro).
Energy: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 40g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 17g | Ldl cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 1334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1011IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 6mg
Vitamin info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
This submit was first printed in March 2020. Up to date in March 2025 for housekeeping.
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