Chicken Salan (Chicken Curry) | Beginner’s Attempt

Chicken salan (chicken curry) is an iconic dish. Thanks to its rich, bright, and rounded flavour, as well as its ease of preparation, this curry is a popular main course in South Asian households. 

As a meat dish, chicken salan is packed with protein and makes for an incredibly satisfying meal when coupled with rice or flatbread.

What is Chicken Salan?

Chicken salan is simply chicken curry, made by bhoon-ing (sautéing) chicken in a masala (spice mix).

While cooking, the chicken releases water, forming the shorba (soup) which gives the curry a thinner consistency. The separation of the oil from the curry towards the end of the cooking process gives it a dark red tinge.

For this recipe, I’ll be using bone-in chicken to ensure that the meat is tender and flavourful when cooked.

The masala for this curry includes all your usual vegetables and spices: onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, red chilli, turmeric, coriander, and cumin.

However, there is an additional key ingredient that gives the curry its recognisable aroma- garam masala!

Garam is an Urdu and Hindi term for ‘warm’- so garam masala means ‘warm spice mix’. It is a special medley of spices which typically includes cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, cardamom, bay leaves, and cloves, as well as foundational spices like cumin and coriander. 

If you follow a Halal diet, note that certain brands of garam masala may also contain nutmeg.

Garam masala is what gives chicken salan its characteristic spicy, sweet, and subtly floral scent.

How I Learned to Cook Chicken Salan

Preparation

First, I washed and drained the chicken. Then I peeled and sliced the onions.

Making the Masala

I then fried the onions in two cups of oil on medium heat until they turned golden brown.

For this curry, I use more oil because I will be bhoon-ing (sautéing) the chicken in this oil. The oil also enhances the flavour of the spices I will be using later.

After this, I added the garlic and ginger cubes and waited for them to fully melt. Then I added tinned tomatoes and mixed.

I then added salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and garam masala.

After cooking, I learned that I should have added the garam masala later to preserve its fragrance and flavour. In the recipe card below I recommend adding garam masala while the chicken is cooking and not with the other spices in the masala!

Using an immersion blender, I blended the masala to give it a smoother texture.

Cooking the Chicken

Once the masala was done, I dumped the chicken I washed and drained earlier into the pot.

I didn’t add water because the chicken releases water over time. This is what forms the shorba for the curry.

I then allowed the chicken to cook for about 35 minutes on medium heat. 10 minutes in is when I should have added the garam masala.

Using a flat wooden spoon, I pushed the chicken around the pot, lifting it from the bottom every minute to prevent it from burning.

Once the chicken was cooked through and most of the water had evaporated, I added fresh coriander leaves, fenugreek, and small green chilli peppers, along with a cup of water. I then allowed it to cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.

When the oil had separated, forming a glossy dark red layer at the top, the chicken curry was ready.

Serving

This chicken salan is best served with either white rice or flatbread.