Chicken Pasanda (Better Than Takeaway!)

Yes, I am one of those people with a go-to curry house order (black dal makhani, lamb biriyani and a peshwari naan in case you were wondering), but sometimes I like to mix it up again. Sometimes nothing but a good chicken tikka masala will do, but one curry I adore – but I also find can be a bit hit and miss – is a chicken pasanda. 

Chicken pasanda is a mild, creamy curry flavoured and thickened with ground almonds, and while some British takeaway versions can veer on the too sweet side, when it is done properly it is rich, balanced and gloriously creamy. I’ve adapted my chicken pasanda after tweaking the version in Rick Stein’s wonderful book Rick Stein’s India (ad) – his is a bit more traditional, and I wanted mine to be more like a (good!) British takeaway version. 

Serve chicken pasanda – garnished of course with lots of fresh coriander and toasted almonds – alongside pilau rice and with warm naan (I always use Tieghan’s recipe when I’m making it from scratch) for dipping and scooping – some Indian spiced potatoes or pineapple pickle salad would not go amiss on the side, either. 

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Chicken Pasanda

• Author: Rachel Phipps
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Curry
• Cuisine: Indian
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

A rich, creamy curry thickened with ground almonds – a real British curry house favourite – which is quick and easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight. 

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Ingredients

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• 1 1/2 tbsp ghee or light oil
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamom pods 
• 1 small white onion
• 3 large garlic cloves 
• 20g (3/4 oz) fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 150g (5 oz) full fat natural yogurt
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• small handful freshly chopped coriander, for garnish
• small handful toasted almond flakes, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Heat a large, non-stick shallow casserole or frying pan over a medium high heat. If you’re serving the passanda with toasted almond flakes, toast these in the dry pan first, and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee or cooking oil until shimmering before toasting the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods – bashed lightly with a rolling pin to reveal their seeds – for a minute or two until sizzling and fragrant. 
3. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and ginger, and blitz to a fine paste in a mini chopper or food processor. Add the mixture to the pan and gently fry for 5 minutes until translucent and starting to brown.
4. Add the ground coriander, tumeric and chilli powder, and fry for a further minute until aromatic.
5. Cube the chicken thighs and stir into the pan until the pieces are well coated in the onion mixture. Stir in the yogurt, salt, water and ground almonds. 
6. Raise the heat until the mixture is bubbling before dropping it down to low. Allow the curry to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened. 

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Notes

This is the mini chopper I swear by making curries (ad) – both for blitzing the base of onions, garlic and ginger, and for grinding my own curry powders.

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