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Hyderabadi Chicken Curry Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Hyderabadi Chicken Curry Recipe

This spicy and aromatic Hyderabadi Chicken Curry Recipe is made with boneless chicken, coconut, tamarind, peanuts, and curry leaves.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 357 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb chicken tenderloin see notes
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut (see notes)
  • ¼ cup peanut see notes, raw
  • ⅓ cup neutral cooking oil see notes, generic cooking oil
  • 1 onion see notes, medium
  • 1 ½ tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder see notes
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder (see notes)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 serrano chili see notes
  • 20 curry leaves
  • ½ cup tamarind water
  • ¼ cup cilantro

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Dry roast the coconut and peanuts until you can smell the roasted aroma and set them aside to cool (see notes)
  2. Once cool, grind the peanuts and set them aside.
  3. Dice the onion and saute it till it's medium brown.
  4. Next, add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 30-45 seconds.
  5. Add the Chicken and stir for 30 seconds.
  6. Add all the dry spices, stir to mix, add ½ cup water, and cover to cook the chicken.
  7. After 10 minutes, uncover and add the coconut, peanuts, serrano chilies, and curry leaves.
  8. Add a little more water if necessary to maintain a gravy of 2 cups, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  9. Uncover and check to see if the oil has separated and risen to the top.
  10. If it has, turn the stove off, add the tamarind water, cover, and wait 5 minutes before serving. (see notes)
  11. After 5 minutes, uncover, garnish with cilantro and serve

Notes

  • Chicken - Chicken tenderloins are my go-to for all my boneless chicken recipes. Much juicier than the breast and less fatty than the thighs, they work perfectly in this recipe. Authentic Hyderabadi chicken curry is made with bone-in chicken. While that adds to the flavor, it takes longer to cook. I use this quick version for a weeknight option and the more complex version for special occasions. You pick which one you want to cook.
  • Peanuts - Traditionally, most South Asian curries are made with raw peanuts that have the skin removed. However, if all I can source are the ones with the skin on, I roast and grind them as is. 
  • Coconut - Desiccated coconut is not the same as shredded coconut. It is unsweetened and has had all the moisture stripped from it. You can identify it by its consistency, which is that of a powder. 
  • Oil - I use a high heat index oil such as avocado, canola, sunflower, or peanut. The amount of oil I use in this curry is slightly more than in my other recipes. This is because boneless chicken is lean and releases little natural oil. In addition, the ground peanuts and coconut are very dry and absorb oil easily. Any less than ⅓ of a cup will result in a very dry curry.
  • Onions - Two medium onions are equal to 2 cups of diced onions. If you're using pre-fried store-bought onions, use ¼ cup for each cup of fresh chopped onions.
  • The chilies - Serrano chilies work best with Pakistani food. If you find them too spicy, half them and remove the seeds.
  • The tamarind - I use so much tamarind in my cooking that I make my own tamarind water. If you want an easier route, buy tamarind concentrate or puree and mix 2.5 tablespoons with ½ cup of water to make the water.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1person Calories 357kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 10g (3%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 73mg (24%) Sodium 589mg (25%) Potassium 577mg (12%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 407IU (8%) Vitamin C 74mg (82%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 357

% Daily Value*

Serving 1person
Calories 357kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 589mg 25%
Potassium 577mg 12%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 407IU 8%
Vitamin C 74mg 82%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.