Sunday, April 6, 2025
HomeCookingHen Madras - Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary

Hen Madras – Nicky’s Kitchen Sanctuary


A wealthy, aromatic and comparatively sizzling curry, hen madras is straightforward to make at house in a single pan. Mixing the onion offers the sauce a thick and luxurious texture. An excellent Friday night time curry!

chicken madras in a dark serving bowl on a wooden board

A Madras curry is a reasonably sizzling curry with a thick, darkish crimson sauce (the color comes from the chillies and paprika). It’s bought barely tangy notes to it from the addition of tamarind and fenugreek. The hen is not marinated on this dish, and the spices are sometimes dry-fried or roasted.

The sauce is normally a clean sauce. We’re utilizing a Madras spice combine on this recipe, however may also add in a number of additional spices. To get the beautiful clean sauce, we’ll be mixing the onion and in addition utilizing passata (quite than tinned tomatoes – that are fairly lumpy).

My model has a little bit little bit of warming warmth, nevertheless it’s not too sizzling (my youngsters fortunately eat it and so they don’t like issues which might be too sizzling).

I additionally add coconut milk into my recipe. This isn’t at all times typical in a madras, however numerous British Indian Restaurant model curries do embody some. It provides a little bit little bit of richness to the curry and a touch of sweetness to steadiness out the tomatoes and spices.

📋 Substances

Ingredients for Chicken Madras on a wooden tableIngredients for Chicken Madras on a wooden table

📺 Watch methods to make it

***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this submit***

  1. Mix onion, garlic and ginger to a paste in a mini meals processor. Fry the combination in ghee or oil over a excessive warmth.
6 image collage showing how to prep the onion paste for chicken madras6 image collage showing how to prep the onion paste for chicken madras
  1. Add in chopped hen and cook dinner for 2-3 minutes, till sealed.
  2. Decrease the warmth to medium and add within the seasonings. Prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring consistently till these spices launch their perfume.
  3. Add in passata and tomato puree and produce to the boil, then stir in coconut milk. Carry to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
8 image collage of step to make chicken madras8 image collage of step to make chicken madras

Professional Tip

This curry might be made as sizzling as you want. We’re utilizing madras sizzling curry powder for the warmth, however you possibly can add in additional warmth with recent chillies, or much less warmth by swapping out the madras powder for normal medium or gentle curry powder.

I like a sizzling curry every so often, however not so sizzling you possibly can’t style the flavours and also you’re sweating on the desk!

Close up of chicken madras in a dark bowl. The madras is topped with sliced coriander, red onion and red chillies.Close up of chicken madras in a dark bowl. The madras is topped with sliced coriander, red onion and red chillies.

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🍽️ What to serve it with


I prefer to high the curry with recent coriander (cilantro), a number of sliced crimson chillies, finely sliced crimson onion and a few crimson chilli slices too.

chicken madras in a dark serving bowl with a spoon in the bowl.
The madras is topped with coriander and sliced red onion and red chillieschicken madras in a dark serving bowl with a spoon in the bowl.
The madras is topped with coriander and sliced red onion and red chillies

🍲 Extra incredible curries

? Continuously Requested Questions

Can I make it forward?

Sure, this hen madras might be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and refrigerated for two days.
Reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring sometimes, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). You might want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.

Can I freeze it?

Sure, this hen madras might be cooked, shortly cooled, positioned in an hermetic container and frozen.

Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring sometimes, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). You might want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.

Can I make it within the gradual cooker?

Sure, make the curry in a pan as much as the top of step 5, then switch to the gradual cooker together with the coconut milk and stir collectively. Prepare dinner on low for 3-4 hours or excessive for 1-2 hours.

Need to make a hen tikka madras?

Add much more flavour to your madras by marinating the hen in tikka paste after which grilling the hen to frivolously charred perfection!
Right here’s how:
To a bowl add 1/2 cup (120ml) thick pure yogurt, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, the juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp every of floor coriander and paprika, 1/2 tsp every of turmeric, cumin, gentle chilli powder (or sizzling when you prefer it spicy), salt and pepper, plus a pinch of cinnamon.

Combine all of it collectively, then stir within the chopped hen breasts. Cowl and place within the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.

As soon as marinated, place the hen on skewers, or simply unfold the items out on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Then grill (broil) the hen, turning as soon as, till cooked although.

Add the cooked hen to the sauce proper on the finish (after it has simmered for 10 minutes).

Can I take advantage of beef or lamb as an alternative?

Sure. For a fast beef or lamb curry, use strips of lean beef steak (reminiscent of rump or flat iron) or lean lamb steak (shoulder or leg). Fry the strips in a little bit oil in a very popular pan for a 3-4 minutes till cooked however nonetheless tender, then add them into the sauce a the top of cooking (after the ten minutes of simmering the sauce).

For a gradual cooked model, use diced braising or chuck beef, or diced lamb leg or shoulder. Add in as you’ll the hen (at step 3). Add a further 200ml (70z) of passata, plus 200ml (70z) of beef inventory (in addition to the 200ml (70z) of coconut milk), then carry to the boil and place within the oven at 160C/320F for 3 hours (stir sometimes). Or place within the gradual cooker and cook dinner on excessive for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Is madras curry powder spicy?

Sure, madras curry powder is usually pretty sizzling and spicy. If you’d like the style and texture of a madras, however with out the warmth, you possibly can substitute it like-for-like with gentle curry powder. You’ll be including in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, tamarind, paprika and fenugreek too – so that you’ll nonetheless get the complicated, barely tangy flavour of a madras.

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  • Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a mini meals processor and mix to a paste. Add a splash of oil to loosen if wanted.

    1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp minced ginger

  • Warmth the ghee (or oil) in a big frying pan over a excessive warmth. Add the onion combination and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring sometimes, till beginning to brown on the edges.

    3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

  • Add the hen and cook dinner for 2-3 minutes, stirring usually, till sealed.

    3 hen breasts

  • Flip the warmth right down to medium and add the cinnamon, madras curry powder, paprika, floor fenugreek, tamarind paste, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring consistently.

    ½ tsp floor cinnamon, 3 tbsp madras sizzling curry powder, 1 1/2 tsp paprika, ¼ tsp floor fenugreek, ½ tsp tamarind paste, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • Add within the passata and tomato puree and produce to the boil.

    400 ml (14 oz) passata, 2 tbsp tomato puree

  • Add the coconut milk. Stir and produce to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

    200 ml (7 oz) coconut milk (full-fat)

  • Serve with recent coriander, sliced chillies, crimson onion, and boiled rice.

    small bunch of recent coriander, 1 finely sliced crimson chilli, 1/4 crimson onion, boiled rice

Be aware 1 – Madras curry powder

In the event you can’t discover madras curry powder use common curry powder however add a teaspoon (or two when you prefer it actually sizzling) of cayenne pepper or sizzling chilli powder.

Be aware 2 – Fenugreek:

Don’t purchase a full jar when you’re solely going to make use of it for this recipe, you possibly can go away it out when you don’t have any – the madras powder will possible have some in anyway.

Can I make it forward?

Sure, this hen madras might be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and refrigerated for two days.
Reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring sometimes, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). You might want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.

Can I freeze it?

Sure, this hen madras might be cooked, shortly cooled, coated and frozen.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day, then reheat over a medium warmth in a pan, stirring sometimes, till the hen is piping sizzling all through (about 10 minutes). You might want so as to add a splash of water to cease it drying out.

Can I make it within the gradual cooker?

Sure, make the curry in a pan as much as the top of step 5, then switch to the gradual cooker together with the coconut milk and stir collectively. Prepare dinner on low for 3-4 hours or excessive for 1-2 hours.
Dietary Info is per serving with out the serving options of rice and coriander (cilantro).

Energy: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 40g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 17g | Ldl cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 1334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1011IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 6mg

Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

This submit was first printed in March 2020. Up to date in March 2025 for housekeeping.

A few of the hyperlinks on this submit could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which implies when you purchase the product I get a small fee (at no additional price to you). In the event you do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary working. The dietary info offered is approximate and might range relying on a number of components. For extra info please see our Phrases & Situations.



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