Ever since I can remember I have always enjoyed eating chicken on the bone, the breast pieces have never been my first choice when it comes to eating a curry and my kids are exactly the same. I mean don’t you find chicken breasts dry once cooked? They’re perfect for marinating and grilling or shredding into pies but it doesn’t make for an excellent curry, at least not in my opinion…..that is until I discovered boneless chicken thighs!

Yep, my butchers recently started selling meat off of the bone which means I can cook an easy to eat, Boneless Chicken Curry without it becoming dry or chewy. Of course now and again I do cook boneless chicken breasts and have a little trick I’ve discovered that helps keep my chicken breasts soft and tender. This is one of the reasons I separate the breast meat from the thighs, drumsticks and wings when I buy whole chickens, that way I can cook the boned meat in a curry and use the boneless breasts for something else ie. chicken pie, coronation chicken, skewered chicken kebabs etc. The reason why boneless thigh is tenderer than boneless breast is simple – FAT! Thighs contains slightly more fat than breasts and is the reason why they are more flavoursome and tender when cooked. If you find buying boneless chicken breasts expensive you’ll be pleased to know that boneless chicken thighs are cheaper in comparison, a bit of a win win situation if you ask me!

This Boneless Chicken Curry is fairly straightforward and uses simple ingredients, I’m not one to drown my curry in overpowering spices. Should you wish to use chicken breasts you may do so; I find slicing the chicken breasts into strips and marinating in 1 – 2 tbsp of lemon juice 10 – 15 minutes before adding to the curry works wonders on making the chicken breasts tender. I mean think about it we marinate chicken tikka and other recipes overnight using lemon juice which helps break down the structure of the chicken flesh and makes it tender, so why not use the same concept for a curry? I’ve tried this several times with different results so it’s not completely a fool proof method just yet! I find that marinating the chicken breasts for 10 – 15 minutes in the lemon juice works best, any longer than that and it usually begins to toughen up, not entirely sure why but I need a lab and several samples of chicken marinated for different intervals to really understand why this is…..any science experts who may be able to offer an explanation please feel welcome to comment! Of course you can avoid all of that hassle by using boneless thighs in the first place. Feel free to add any vegetables to the curry should you wish to; peas, peppers, potatoes or mange tout are great choices. After tasting this curry you will be left wanting more, that’s certainly the case when I cook it for my family!

Serves 6 – 8 (depending on portion size)

You will need:

800g of boneless chicken thighs (washed and drained)
150ml of oil (you need a generous amount for a tasty curry)
3 – 4 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
4 cardamoms
a pinch of fenugreek seeds
3 medium onions (peeled)
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 – 1.5 tsp of salt (adjust to suit your taste, I used about 1.5 tsp)
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp of mixed curry powder (I use 1 tsp of Rajah Mixed Curry Powder brand and 1 tsp of Bolsts Mild Curry Powder)
1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder (I use the mild version)
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1/4 pint of water
fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

Start by washing the boneless thigh pieces whilst whole and uncut, this makes them easier to wash.

Heat 150ml of oil in a medium pan (don’t be alarmed a good curry needs a fair amount of oil)….

….while the oil warms up slice your 3 onions.

Once the oil is hot add the whole spices (3 – 4 bay leaves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 4 cardamom pods and a pinch of fenugreek seeds), followed by the sliced onions and 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic….

….and 1 – 1.5 tsp of salt (adjust to your taste). Mix the onions and leave to cook covered over a low – medium flame for about 5 minutes while you prep your chicken thighs.

Your thighs should already be washed and drained, you want to remove any visible fat (white parts) from the chicken pieces then slice into thinner pieces as shown in the bottom right photo. Do this for all the chicken pieces while the onions cook, don’t forget to stir them every now and again if it takes you a while!

Once you have finished prepping the chicken the onions should be browned and translucent (top left photo) and you may now add the spices. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp curry powder (I have used 1 tsp of Bolsts Mixed Curry powder and 1 tsp of Rajah Curry powder)….

….1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix all the spices and allow to fry uncovered for a further 5 – 8 minutes over a low – medium flame….

….till the onions start to look mushy like the top left photo, this is called the ‘masala’ – mashing the onions with a wooden spoon helps to break them down at this stage. Next add the sliced boneless chicken, and mix well with the masala ensuring every piece is coated. Cover and leave to cook over a low – medium flame for 3 – 4 minutes.

After 3 – 4 minutes stir the chicken pieces, you will notice the chicken pieces release fluid as they cook through (top right photo). Once the chicken pieces are all cooked (about 10 minutes later, the chicken will look opaque in colour and not pink) add 1/4 of a pint of cold water, this will create some gravy, add more/less depending on how you like your curries. After adding the water you will notice the oil float to the top of the curry (bottom right photo).

Bring the curry to a boil and allow to boil for a further 8 minutes.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander just before turning off the heat. Remember to place the lid back on your saucepan and allow the chicken curry to rest for 10 minutes, this is IMPORTANT as it allows all the juices to flow back into the chicken pieces and help them remain tender!

Serve your deliciously colourful and tender Boneless Chicken Curry with some Jeera pilau/rice, naan or Chapatis! Don’t be surprised if everyone wants a second helping, it is that good.

Bon Appetit!

Boneless Chicken Curry

Author: Afelia’s Kitchen

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients

• 800g of boneless chicken thighs
• 150ml of oil (you need a generous amount for a tasty curry)
• 3 – 4 bay leaves
• 3 – 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamoms
• a pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 3 medium onions
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1.5 tsp of salt (more if necessary)
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 2 tsp of mixed curry powder (I use 1 tsp of Rajah Mixed Curry Powder brand and 1 tsp of Bolsts Mild Curry Powder)
• 1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of cumin powder
• 1/4 pint of water
• fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Instructions

1. Start by washing the boneless thigh pieces whilst whole and uncut, this makes them easier to wash.
2. Heat 150ml of oil in a medium pan (don’t be alarmed a good curry needs a fair amount of oil)….
3. while the oil warms up slice your 3 onions.
4. Once the oil is hot add the whole spices (3 – 4 bay leaves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 4 cardamom pods and a pinch of fenugreek seeds), followed by the sliced onions and 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic….
5. and 1 – 1.5 tsp of salt (adjust to your taste). Mix the onions and leave to cook covered over a low – medium flame for about 5 minutes while you prep your chicken thighs.
6. Your thighs should already be washed and drained, you want to remove any visible fat (white parts) from the chicken pieces then slice into thinner pieces as shown in the bottom right photo. Do this for all the chicken pieces while the onions cook, don’t forget to stir them every now and again if it takes you a while!
7. Once you have finished prepping the chicken the onions should be browned and translucent (top left photo) and you may now add the spices. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp curry powder (I have used 1 tsp of Bolsts Mixed Curry powder and 1 tsp of Rajah Curry powder)….
8. tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix all the spices and allow to fry uncovered for a further 5 – 8 minutes over a low – medium flame….
9. till the onions start to look mushy like the top left photo, this is called the ‘masala’ – mashing the onions with a wooden spoon helps to break them down at this stage. Next add the sliced boneless chicken, and mix well with the masala ensuring every piece is coated. Cover and leave to cook over a low – medium flame for 3 – 4 minutes.
10. After 3 – 4 minutes stir the chicken pieces, you will notice the chicken pieces release fluid as they cook through (top right photo). Once the chicken pieces are all cooked (about 10 minutes later, the chicken will look opaque in colour and not pink) add 1/4 of a pint of cold water, this will create some gravy, add more/less depending on how you like your curries. After adding the water you will notice the oil float to the top of the curry (bottom right photo).
11. Bring the curry to a boil and allow to boil for a further 8 minutes.
12. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander just before turning off the heat. Remember to place the lid back on your saucepan and allow the chicken curry to rest for 10 minutes, this is IMPORTANT as it allows all the juices to flow back into the chicken pieces and help them remain tender!
13. Serve your deliciously colourful and tender Boneless Chicken Curry with some Jeera pilau/rice, naan or Chappatis! Don’t be surprised if everyone wants a second helping, it is that good.

3.5.3208

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