Afghani Chicken Curry

Afghani chicken curry is a mild, green, creamy gravy made without cream or cashews! The chicken is charred in a pan, then finished in the sauce. It takes about 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, and it goes with rice or any Indian flatbread.

I first ate Afghani chicken, both the kebabs and the curries, in Pakistani restaurants while living in Saudi. When I tried to recreate it at home, my early versions tasted almost exactly like my hariyali chicken, which was not the point.

Then I tried Chef Ranveer Brar's technique, and the version I keep making. The ingredients are largely similar, but did I mention that this curry does not contain any cashews or cream? And yet, it has a beautifully creamy sauce with mild flavours of fresh herbs and a lightly spiced sauce.

What is Afghani chicken curry made of?

This curry flavour sits close to hariyali kebabs and malai tikka. The marinade ingredients overlap, but here the chicken is simmered in the green yoghurt sauce, so you get a proper gravy rather than a dry kebab. If you want the dry, tikka-style version, my chicken tikka skewers are the closer match. For another green yoghurt gravy, try this chicken in mint coriander yoghurt sauce.

If you like a creamy gravy that doesn't rely on cream, try my Hyderabadi chicken curry, which gets its body from fried onions, yoghurt and a cashew-almond-coconut paste.

Why this recipe works

• Oil in the green paste. Blending oil into the paste keeps the yoghurt from splitting as the sauce cooks, which gives a thick, creamy gravy without cream or cashews. Thanks to Chef!
• Chicken only half-cooked at the pan stage. Char it until it's white and lightly blackened, but not cooked through. It finishes in the sauce and stays juicy.

Ingredients

Here is the list of items you need to make this curry:

• Produce: You will need some fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves (optional), green chillies, fresh ginger, garlic and onions.
• Ground spices: The good old turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala and kasuri methi.
• Whole spices: A good cinnamon stick, green cardamom and bay leaves.
• Chicken: I prefer using chicken leg quarters or boneless chicken thighs. Use any piece and adjust the cooking time.
• Cooking oil and ghee
• Full-fat yoghurt for the best results.

Scroll down to see the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make It

How to make Afghani chicken? Prepare the paste, marinate, grill, cook the sauce with the semi-grilled chicken and serve!

First, blend coriander, mint, green chillies, ginger, garlic, onions, salt and cooking oil until smooth in a food processor. No water is needed. Scrape down sides for even blending.

Whisk room-temp yoghurt until smooth. Mix in paste and ground spices-turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, kasuri methi-whisk until no white streaks remain. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Trim excess fat from chicken, and pat dry. Make slits on both sides. Place in a bowl, add ½ cup yoghurt mix to marinate. Cover and marinate for at least 30 mins.

Heat saucepan over medium. Add ghee or oil. When hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves.

Pour in the yoghurt mix.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened and oil surfaces.

Meanwhile, using a Grilling pan, pan-fry the marinated chicken in ghee until white and charred.

The Chicken pieces should only be partially cooked, as they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Add partially grilled chicken to a saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken slightly. Stir to combine.

Once the curry bubbles, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins until the chicken is fully cooked. Cooking time varies based on chicken size.

Switch off and serve warm with a choice of flatbread or rice.

Variations

• A reader, Phoebe, finished hers with a squeeze of lemon and a simple tadka, and served it with rice.

• Vegetarian: Substitute the chicken with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or tofu for a vegetarian version of the dish. Marinate the paneer or tofu similarly to the chicken and follow the same cooking process.

• Vegetable Addition: You can add vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas, or bell peppers to the curry for added texture and flavour. Simply sauté them along with the chicken or cook them separately and add them to the curry later.

Storage and reheating

Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring, so the yoghurt doesn't split. I haven't tried freezing it.

What to serve with this?

As the gravy is mild, it goes with almost anything. For rice, my methi pulao is a good match: the earthy fenugreek and coconut milk sit well against the green yoghurt gravy. If you'd rather scoop it up, aloo paratha makes it a filling meal, and oven-baked keema naan makes it an even better option. Plain rice or any naan or roti works too.

FAQ

Is Afghani chicken curry green or white?

It varies by restaurant. Mine is green from the fresh coriander, mint and chillies. I haven't made a white version.

Is this authentic Afghan food?

No, and I wouldn't claim it is. I first ate Afghani chicken in Pakistani restaurants in Saudi, so this is the restaurant style found across Pakistan and India, not traditional home cooking from Afghanistan.

Should I use skin-on or skinless chicken?

This dish is traditionally made without skin. You can leave it on, but because the chicken is charred and then simmered, the skin won't stay crisp.

Can I adjust the spice level of the curry?

Yes, you can adjust the number of green chillies or omit them altogether if you prefer a milder curry. You can also add more spices like red chilli powder or paprika for extra heat.

How do I prevent the yoghurt from curdling when cooking?

To prevent the yoghurt from curdling, ensure that the yoghurt is at room temperature before adding it to the hot pan. Also, stir the curry continuously while cooking over low to medium heat to prevent curdling.

Related

If you enjoy this curry, my chicken Changezi, the iconic Old Delhi street curry, is worth a try too.

Looking for recipes using chicken? Try these:

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📖 Recipe Card

Afghani Chicken Curry

This delicious dish features marinated chicken cooked in a rich yoghurt-based sauce infused with spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. It's flavorful yet mild, striking the perfect balance. A not-so-traditional creamy curry recipe without cream or cashews.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 3 people

Calories: 680.35kcal

By: Famidha Ashraf

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Ingredients

 

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For the paste:

• ▢ ½ cup chopped coriander leaves, a fistful
• ▢ 2 sprig fresh mint leaves, optional
• ▢ 3 green chillies, adjust according to preference
• ▢ 1 inch ginger, approximately 20g
• ▢ 6 to 8 garlic cloves, approximately 20g
• ▢ 2 large red onions, approximately 250g, preferably red or white
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil

For the yoghurt mix:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups yoghurt, whisked (at room temperature)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kasuri methi

For pan-frying:

• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ 500 to 800 grams chicken whole legs, or boneless thighs

For the curry:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 2 green cardamom
• ▢ 2 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ salt to taste

Instructions

• Begin by preparing the paste. Combine the paste ingredients in a food processor or mixer grinder. Grind until smooth. No water needs to be added. Ensure to scrape down the sides of the processor to process all ingredients evenly.
  ½ cup chopped coriander leaves a fistful

  2 sprig fresh mint leaves optional

  3 green chillies adjust according to preference

  1 inch ginger approximately 20g

  6 to 8 garlic cloves approximately 20g

  2 large red onions approximately 250g, preferably red or white

  salt to taste

  2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• In a separate bowl, whisk the room-temperature yoghurt until smooth. Add the prepared paste and the ground spices. Whisk thoroughly until there are no white streaks of yoghurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
  1 ½ cups yoghurt whisked (at room temperature)

  ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

  1 teaspoon coriander powder

  ½ teaspoon cumin powder

  ¼ teaspoon garam masala

  1 teaspoon kasuri methi
• Trim off any excess fat from the chicken and pat dry. Then make slits on both sides of chicken drumsticks and thighs using a sharp knife.
  500 to 800 grams chicken whole legs or boneless thighs
• Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and add about ½ cup of the prepared yoghurt mixture to marinate the chicken. Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add ghee or cooking oil, and once hot, add the whole spices.
  2 tablespoons ghee

  1 cinnamon stick

  2 green cardamom

  2 bay leaf
• Pour in the prepared yogurt mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens and the oil surfaces.
• Meanwhile, grill or pan-fry the marinated chicken with some ghee until the pieces turn white and charred. The chicken should not be fully cooked at this stage as it will be further cooked in the sauce.
  1 to 2 tablespoons ghee
• Add the semi-grilled chicken pieces along with just enough water to barely cover them. Stir to combine.
  1 cup water

  salt to taste
• Once the curry starts to bubble, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the curry simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are fully cooked. The cooking time may vary depending on the size and cut of the chicken pieces.
• Turn off the heat and serve the curry warm with Arabic or Indian flatbread, or rice.

Video

Notes

Use my garam masala recipe.

Oil in the paste prevents the yoghurt from splitting; use room-temperature yoghurt; char the chicken lightly and don't cook it through; skin-on works but won't stay crisp.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 680.35kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.42g | Protein: 32.68g | Fat: 51.9g

Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Afghani, Indian, North Indian

Tried this recipe?Tap a star and tell me how it turned out!

Thanks to Chef Ranveer's recipe, I am in love with this curry.