Dahi Wala Chicken Curry — Yoghurt and Tomato Chicken Curry

This dahi wala chicken curry is a Punjabi-style yoghurt and tomato chicken curry best cooked in the outdoor kitchen on a hot Andalucían summer evening. Dahi means yoghurt in Hindi and Punjabi, and it's the yoghurt that gives this particular curry its characteristic richness and slight tang. The technique is simple — everything except the spices goes into a blender, producing a smooth, wet paste that forms the base of the sauce. One chicken breast, a tub of Greek yoghurt, and a handful of spices. Easily scaled up for a crowd.

Dahi wala chicken curry — yoghurt, tomato, and spices. Summer cooking in the outdoor kitchen.

How to Make Dahi Wala Chicken Curry

Ingredients — serves 1

1 chicken breast, cut into pieces

1 tub Greek yoghurt

1 red onion, roughly chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 small green chilli, chopped (deseeded if you prefer less heat)

1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted

1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted

1 tbsp homemade aromatic garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

Cut the chicken into pieces, drizzle with lemon juice, and leave in the fridge while you prepare everything else.

Blitz the onion, tomatoes, potato, ginger, chilli, yoghurt, and olive oil in a blender until you have a smooth wet paste.

Lightly toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns, then grind with the remaining dry spices.

Over a medium heat, warm a wok or karahi, then pour in the paste. Stir gently until the paste cooks down and thickens — this takes around 8–10 minutes.

Stir in the ground spices and cook for a further few minutes.

Add the chicken, coating everything well. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, checking the chicken is cooked through.

Finish with a spoonful of Nearly Patak's Mango Chutney – or a fig chutney if you have one – for a touch of sweetness. Serve with chapatis.

This recipe is part of my Curry Recipes hub and my Chicken Recipes hub — explore both for more ideas from Casa Adora and beyond.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef