This coriander chicken curry is an easy recipe that is full of flavor from fresh cilantro leaves and aromatic Indian spices. It is a healthier version of a classic from the Bengali region of India.
Dhaniya chicken translates literally into coriander (or cilantro) chicken. It is a delicious chicken curry with sweet and sour undertones. I remember having this chicken at a friend’s house and I have based my recipe of coriander chicken on what my taste buds recall.
The addition of panch phoren—a traditional Bengali mix of five whole spices—fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, and cumin adds a unique flavor. I have used caraway seeds or ajwain instead of cumin, as it adds more flavor to this recipe (in my opinion). Ajwain is also a great digestive agent. Lots of fresh coriander (cilantro) is, of course, the star of this dish made with masala of onions and tomatoes.
Some of my other Indian chicken dishes are butter chicken and masala chicken burgers. Along with these, I make this dhania chicken regularly. This easy coriander chicken curry or dhaniya chicken recipe is best enjoyed with some Indian cumin or jeera rice, fluffy basmati rice or rotis. You can also serve it as a stew.
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✨Why you'll love about this recipe?
- A unique taste - the combination of five different spices with lots of coriander gives this chicken curry a unique taste that is unlike any other curry that you will ever have.
- Easy recipe - once you pull together all the ingredients, it comes together rather easily and is fuss-free.
- Leftovers - the leftovers taste incredible as the flavors deepen as the curry sits.
📋Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken - I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Dark meat works great in Indian curries.
- Panch Phoran Spice Mix - the 5 spice Bengali blend. You can buy panch phoran online or mix your own.
- Ginger Garlic Paste - I use homemade ginger garlic paste but you can either buy ginger garlic paste online or at most grocery stores.
- Fresh Cilantro - or coriander (aka as dhania/dhaniya) is an absolute must for this recipe.
- Mustard Oil—I highly recommend using mustard oil in this recipe since it adds that characteristic, slightly pungent, but mostly aromatic note.
Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients along with the quantities.
👩🍳Steps to make this recipe
Step 1: Trim any fat from the boneless, skinless chicken thighs and marinate them (store in the refrigerator) in ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste, and lemon juice (Image 1) for at least 30 minutes and up to a day. While the chicken is marinating, chop the onions and blend the tomatoes and cilantro into a paste in a blender. Set aside.
Step 2: Set a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add mustard oil. Heat it to the smoke point and turn off the heat. Once the smoke has died down, marinated chicken pieces (Image 2).
Step 3: Turn the heat back on medium and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side (Image 3). Transfer the chicken to a bowl, cover, and set aside.
Step 4: Add the panch phoran spice mix (Image 4) to the same pan. As the seeds start to splutter, move them to one edge of the pan. Add sugar to the other side of the pan and let it caramelize for about a minute.
Step 5: Now add the chopped onions. Add turmeric and a pinch of salt (Image 5) and cook till onions turn light golden, about 5 minutes. Scrape any bits of chicken that are sticking to the bottom of the pan and mix them with the onions.
Step 6: To the browned onions, add the blended tomato and cilantro paste (Image 6).
Step 7: Mix everything together (Image 7) and let the paste cook on medium low heat for 7-8 minutes. This is called "bhoono," or cooking the masala until the moisture evaporates and everything is nicely toasted.
Step 8: While the masala is bhoonoing, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and return it to the bowl with all the juices. After the masala is cooked, tiny droplets of oil appear on the sides, and all the moisture has evaporated (Image 8).
Step 9: Add the chopped chicken to the masala, turn the heat up to medium high, add salt and give everything a big mix (Image 9).
Step 10: Add about half a cup of water, bring the curry to a boil (Image 10), and reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the chicken is done about 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, check the seasoning and serve the coriander chicken curry warm with jeera rice, plain basmati rice or rotis!
💡Vaishali's Tips!
- Marination: Don't skip marinating the chicken. It is highly recommended. If you have time, you can marinate the chicken the morning of or the night before when you are planning to make this coriander chicken curry.
- Sugar: That 1 teaspoon of sugar adds a slightly sweet touch which is a very important flavor component of this dish.
- Searing the chicken: Searing locks in the marinade flavor and seals the moisture in the chicken. Letting it rest before cutting always makes for a juicier chicken.
- Browned bits: If there are chicken bits sticking to the bottom of your pan after searing the chicken, don't worry and scrape them when you add the onions. These bits will add a lot of flavor to the masala. The moisture from the onions should be enough to loosen the bits or you can also splash in some drops of water.
📖Substitutions, Additions and Variations
- Chicken - you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe though I do recommend thighs. You can also use chicken legs or other bone-in cuts and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Oil - mustard oil is traditionally used in this recipe, but you can use any other neutral or mild-tasting oil of your choice. I do not recommend using coconut oil.
- Vegetarian - you can use paneer (my homemade paneer)instead of chicken in this recipe. There is no need to marinate and sear the paneer.
the best!
🍲My favorite dutch oven
My Le Creuset Dutch oven is my go-to pan for this coriander chicken curry recipe because it distributes the heat beautifully, and the chicken cooks evenly and stays moist and juicy.
🫙Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
- Store: This coriander chicken curry typically stays fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze it in a air tight freezer safe container or freezer ziptop bag. It will last up to 1 month in the freezer and still taste great even after a month.
- Reheat: Any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or a small saucepan.
👇Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it! Share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thekitchendocs or share on Facebook, too.
Love – Vaishali
Easy Corinader Chicken Recipe (Indian Dhaniya Chicken)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Green Chili Paste optional
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Grind to a paste
- 1 Cup Chopped Coriander/Cilantro Greens Stems and Leaves + more for garnish
- 2 Tomatoes about ½ lb
Panch Phoren:
- ½ Teaspoon each Mustard seeds, Nigella seeds (Kalaunji), Fenugreek seeds (Methe), Carraway seeds (Ajwain), Fennel seeds (saunf)
Other Ingredients
- 1 White Onion Chopped
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoon Mustard Oil preferably
- Salt To taste
- ½ Cup Water or as needed
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in marinade ingredients for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better. While the chicken is marinating, chop the onion and blend the cilantro and tomatoes to a paste.
- Set a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add mustard oil. Heat the oil to the smoke point and turn off the heat. Once the smoke has died down, add the marinated chicken.
- Turn the heat back on to medium and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, cover, and set aside.
- Turn the heat to low and add the panch phoran spice mix to the same pan. As the seeds start to splutter, move them to one edge of the pan. Add sugar to the other side of the pan and let it caramelize for about a minute.
- Now add the chopped onions. Add turmeric and a pinch of salt, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until the onions turn light golden, about 5 minutes. Scrape any bits of chicken that are sticking to the bottom of the pan and mix them with the onions.
- Add the coriander and tomato paste. Mix everything together and let the paste cook on medium low heat for 7-8 minutes. This is called"bhoono," or cooking the masala until the moisture evaporates and everything is nicely toasted. After the masala is cooked, tiny droplets of oil appear on the sides, and all the moisture has evaporated.
- While the masala is bhoonoing, cut the chicken into bite size pieces and return to the bowl with all the juices.
- Add the chopped chicken to the masala, turn the heat up to medium high, add salt and give everything a big mix. Add about half a cup of water, bring the curry to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and cook until the chicken is done, about 8 minutes.
- Check and adjust the consistency of the curry by adding more water if you like. If adding more water, bring the curry to a roaring boil again. Check and adjust salt.
Flo says
Haven’t tried this recipe yet, looks amazing! Thanks for this.
aisasami says
I always enjoy reading your recipes! I want to try all them, especially this! Could you add curry powder to make it spicier?
Vaishali says
Sure. Though I would recommend adding chopped green chili (jalapeno, serrano or thai) instead of curry powder to add heat. Thanks
Oscar says
Looks really tasty and delicious. I wish I can cook something like that
Yonnah M says
This looks good. If only I ate meat still, I would’ve loved to try it.
Jasmeet Singh says
This looks so yummy. Bookmarking this will definitely try
Nina Nichols says
I tasted something similar to this when I was invited at my former student's house. They are from India and just studying in Indonesia. It's so delicious!
Sneha Surana says
The recipe looks great. Since im a vegetarian, I will try the same with some replacement. May be paneer?
Vaishali says
Hi Sneha! Thanks. Yeah paneer should work or may be jackfruit (kathal).
Dan @ Style High Guy says
This looks so good, my other half would love this indian dish!
Keshia Richmond says
Looks like a very delicious meal with basmati rice too!
Elizabeth O says
im sure writing and making dishes are not so easy task. im vegetarian otherwise i would love to try your recipe. thanks for sharing this recipe here.