Not all Indian chicken dishes have the same consistency and taste as butter chicken. It’s the feedback I’ve been dealing with over the last few months as I share this recipe. People keep saying, I feel like mine came out too watery! And I have to explain that it’s what we want from this dish. We want a really good curry — or gravy — that’s thin, brothy, and absolutely addictive when it’s poured over rice and/or as it soaks through your dipping bread of roti, naan, or even toast. ...oooh just imagine crusty fresh-from-the-farmer's-market bread dipped into this fragrant broth - turning soft in some spots - still crunchy in others! Yipes, that sounds really good!
Every time I make this dish, I’m transported back in time to the Indian bachelors’ version of curry. It’s what I call those stories of young Indian students studying and living for the first time outside of India, trying to replicate the flavors of home thousands of miles away without a recipe or much guidance. It’s what my dad and his friends would come up with crammed into their tiny apartments as students at the University of Michigan back in the 1970s, cooking together one weekend out of the month. They’d be sure to make enough to feed an army of fellow Indian students homesick for their moms’ cooking with enough leftovers for the busy week ahead. No one knew how to cook, but anything was better than the bland, unfamiliar food that surrounded them.
Those stories always ended with a description of the thinness of the broth, the pool of glistening oil that separated on top as the ingredients married perfectly, and the welcome sweat on the brow of the eater from the heat. THIS is THAT. Every time I make it, I think of that time of uncertainty, hope, and fear for everything unknown that was to come their way — and how sometimes all you need is a little bowl of the perfect curry to get you through it all. Oh, and a little bowl of tangy onions on the side.
xoxo Anupy
Marinate: 6 hours
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 10-45 minutes
Total: Up to 7 hours 10 minutes
Makes: 8-10 servings
*Dahi, or Indian yogurt, is slightly tart and thinner than mainstream options — it can be found in Indian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, no worries, regular yogurt is fine.
**If using bone-in, cut chicken into 10 pieces (split the breast). If using boneless, cut into large chunks. Scoring each piece with a fork or knife allows for maximum flavor absorption. I made this recipe using 3 pounds of chicken because that is the weight of an average whole chicken for bone-in. Feel free to reduce the amount of chicken and scale back the other ingredients as well. Or, make it as is and freeze a portion.
***We don’t remove/discard the seeds or membrane — you can if you prefer less heat. Because a serrano is longer than a Thai chile, I first cut it in half and then slice it into thin strips. Thins strips of chiles look pretty in this dish.
Swap the chicken for pan-fried, oven-baked, or air-fried tofu for a plant-based version of this dish.
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[[ recipeID=recipe-2memwatme, title=Stovetop: Punjabi Chicken Curry from Scratch ]]
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by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie
Servings: 10
Keywords: Indian Recipes, Curry, Chicken, Vegetable Curry, Vegetarian, Punjabi
*Dahi, or Indian yogurt, is slightly tart and thinner than mainstream options — it can be found in Indian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, no worries, regular yogurt is fine.
**If using bone-in, cut chicken into 10 pieces (split the breast). If using boneless, cut into large chunks. Scoring each piece with a fork or knife allows for maximum flavor absorption. I made this recipe using 3 pounds of chicken because that is the weight of an average whole chicken for bone-in. Feel free to reduce the amount of chicken and scale back the other ingredients as well. Or, make it as is and freeze a portion.
***We don’t remove/discard the seeds or membrane — you can if you prefer less heat. Because a serrano is longer than a Thai chile, I first cut it in half and then slice it into thin strips. Thins strips of chiles look pretty in this dish.
Make it vegetarian
Swap the chicken for pan-fried, oven-baked, or air-fried tofu for a plant-based version of this dish.
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Sonia
May 19, 2026
Made it today! Not sure if I can send you a pic or video here but it’s a super easy recipe and method. And it’s delicious! Thanks!
Question – I used boneless thighs and cut them into 1" pieces (requested for ease of eating by an elderly person). About how much cooking time and water would you guess might be needed? I did about 15 mins total, including the initial 5 mins, and 3/4 cup water was a bit too much, but not terrible. It just made for a lot of the gravy to soak up with naan or rice. :)
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Indian As Apple Pie replied:
Amazing! Nice job. I like the gravy, but if it felt like it watered the dish down, cut back by a 1/4 cup. The cook time sounds good. Boneless pieces cook in about 10 minutes. I give it a little extra to be sure!