I saw this Hyderabadi lal chicken all over social media, and I’m not going to lie, hype is real. This chicken stew has unique flavors but is easy to make, and I didn’t believe my eyes when my 12-year-old ate it and came back for the second serving. If you have any picky eaters in your family make this Hyderabadi lal chicken. You can put it together in 30 minutes.
What is Hyderabadi Lal Chicken?
The dish has always intrigued me, and after extensive research, I finally settled on this recipe. Adapting it to suit our preferences, I was pleased to discover that it’s now my kids’ favorite Indian curry. Despite its unusual color, it’s delicious and guaranteed to leave you licking your fingers.
Ingredients for chicken stew
Chicken
I used one whole chicken, and after removing the skin and cleaning I was left with 2 lbs. I prefer using bone-in chicken as it gives the best flavors.
Spices
I used salt, red chili, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, and Kashmiri chili. Kashmiri chili is only for color.
Fried onions
1 large onion, thinly sliced and browned or you can use store-bought fried onions as well. I used 1 cup of onions.
Tomato sauce
I used the puree of two fresh tomatoes or 4 tbsp of tomato sauce.
Green sauce
To make the green sauce, I used mint leaves, cilantro, cashews, almonds, green cardamom, and yogurt. Put everything in a blender to make a green sauce.
Marinate the chicken
Add all of the spices, green sauce, fried onion, and red sauce to your chicken, and let it marinate for about 20 minutes. You can also do this step in advance and marinate overnight. If you are in a rush, then you can also cook it right away.
Tempering or Baghar
Tempering is a common technique used to enhance the flavor of a dish by adding whole or ground spices to hot oil or ghee. This technique is also known as “tadka” or “chaunk”. In this recipe, I used fresh curry leaves, cumin seeds, and red chilies for tempering. Also, in this recipe tempering is done when the cooking process starts not at the end we usually do.
How to serve chicken?
Hyderabadi chicken is a flavorful and aromatic dish that pairs perfectly with various accompaniments. Whether you prefer the simplicity of freshly made roti or the indulgence of naan, both options complement the dish wonderfully. Additionally, serving the dish with fragrant rice or Pulao can further enhance the dining experience, offering a delightful and satisfying meal.
How to store chicken?
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days or even freeze them for easy meal planning. This is a perfect dish to be marinated in advance for your busy schedule. Once ready to cook take it out of the fridge and it takes only 25 minutes if you already have everything marinated.
Hyderabadi lal chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken
Ingredients for marination
- 1 tsp salt add more at the end of needed
- 1 tsp red chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- 1/4 tsp red food color
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 cup fried onions
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce or 2 tomato puree
For green sauce
- 3 green chilies
- A few cilantro leaves
- A few mint leaves
- 6 cashews
- 6 almonds
- 3 green cardamom
- 1/2 cup yogurt
Ingredients for tempering or Baghar
- 1/2 oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 5-6 red chilies
- 10-12 curry leaves
Garnish
- 2-3 green chilies
Instructions
Prepare green sauce
- Add all the ingredients for green chutney in a blender to make a paste.
Marinate the chicken
- Now add all the ingredients for marination in the chicken along with green sauce and let it marinate for about 30 minutes.
Cook Chicken
- Add oil to a pan and curry leaves, cumin seeds, and red chilies. Curry leaves will splatter so be prepared. If they splatter too much then take the pot off the stove.
- Add marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes then lower the heat and cover the pot for about 20 minutes. Cook on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
- Once the chicken is cooked through it's ready. Garnish with more green chilies.