Chicken curry with basmati rice is a full Indian meal you can make at home in one go. The chicken cooks in a rich garlic gravy, while the rice comes out soft and fluffy with separate grains. Make both together and you have a complete plate ready to serve.
About Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice
This is our everyday meal at home. The garlic chicken curry is simple and we cook it often, since the taste never gets old. The gravy is the best part, so rich with garlic that we usually eat more rice just to soak it up.
You will find the same style of curry at our local street market, where vendors cook it in clay pots and call it handi chicken.
The clay pot gives a slightly different taste, but the two are very close.
The rice here uses an easy drain method. You boil it in lots of water and strain it once it is almost done. This way is hard to get wrong, so it is great if you are still learning.
New to cooking chicken? These easy chicken recipes for beginners are a good place to start too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A full meal in one go – curry and rice both ready at the same time.
- Rich garlic gravy – deep, warm flavor that goes great over rice.
- Fluffy, separate rice – soft grains that do not clump or go sticky.
- Everyday ingredients – basic spices and pantry items, nothing fancy.
- Beginner friendly – simple steps for both the curry and the rice.
Ingredient Notes
For the chicken curry
- Chicken – 300 grams (about 10½ ounces). Bone-in gives more flavor, but boneless works fine.
- Onions – 2, thinly sliced. Fry them to a real golden brown for a deeper gravy.
- Tomato – 1, chopped. Adds a light tang.
- Garlic – 2 whole bulbs, made into a paste. Yes, that is a lot, and that is the point of this curry.
- Green chillies – 3. Use more or fewer for your heat level.
- Ground spices – ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Kashmiri chilli gives a nice red color with mild heat.
- Oil – 3 tablespoons.
- Whole spices – 2 bay leaves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch (2.5 cm) cinnamon stick, and 4 cloves. These give the curry its warm smell.
- Salt – to taste.
- Cilantro – finely chopped, for garnish.
For the basmati rice
- Basmati rice – 1 cup (about 200 grams). Old or aged basmati cooks up the fluffiest. New rice can go soft, so watch it closely.
- Water – 5 cups (about 1.2 liters). You boil the rice in lots of water and drain the extra, like with pasta.
How to Make Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice
1. Start with the rice soak first, so it is ready when you need it. Rinse the basmati rice 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in clean water for 20 minutes.
2. While the rice soaks, wash the chicken and drain the extra water.
3. Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Fry for a few seconds until they smell good. Add the sliced onions and green chillies. Fry until the onions turn golden brown.
4. Add the chicken. Fry on low to medium heat until the meat turns golden brown.
5. Add the tomato, turmeric , black pepper, cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder, and salt. Mix everything well.
6. Add the garlic paste. Fry on low heat until the masala is cooked and the raw garlic smell is gone.
7. Pour in ½ cup (120 ml) water. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring now and then so the masala does not catch on the bottom.
8. While the curry simmers, cook the rice. Drain the soaked rice. Bring the 5 cups water to a full, rolling boil in a pot, then add the rice.
9. Stir gently now and then with a light hand. Cook until the rice is about 90% done. Do not boil it longer, or the grains split in the middle and turn fat and soft. Drain the extra water through a strainer.
10. Put the rice pot back on very low heat, cover, and dry for 1 minute to push out the last bit of moisture. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Then fluff gently with a fork.
11. Back to the curry. Cook until the chicken is soft and the gravy turns a brownish color with the oil rising to the top. That is your sign it is done. For more gravy, add a little water and bring it to one boil.
12. Top the curry with chopped cilantro. Serve hot over the fluffy basmati rice.
Expert Tips
- Fry the garlic paste slowly on low heat. Raw garlic tastes sharp, so cook it until the smell turns soft and sweet.
- Watch for the oil rising to the top of the curry. That is the clearest sign the masala is cooked and ready.
- Use old or aged basmati if you can. It stays firm and fluffy, while new rice can go soggy.
- Drain the rice right at 90% done. This is the key to soft grains that stay separate.
- Let the rice rest before you fluff it. Fresh grains break easily if you touch them too soon.
Serving Ideas
This is a full plate on its own, curry over rice. If you want more on the table, add a hot roti, naan, or a paratha. A side of fresh salad, sliced onion, or a spoon of pickle rounds it out.
If you enjoy this style of curry, try our Peshawari Chicken Karahi or Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Masala next.
Storage and Reheating
Let the curry cool, then keep it in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavor often gets better the next day.
Warm it on the stove on low heat with a small splash of water.
Store the rice separately in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Got leftover rice? Turn it into Easy Veg Fried Rice With Leftover Rice or a quick Fried Rice With Egg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook the curry and rice at the same time?
Yes, and that is how this recipe is set up. Soak the rice first, start the curry, then boil the rice while the curry simmers. Both finish together.
Is the curry very garlicky?
Garlic is the main flavor here. Two bulbs sounds like a lot, but once cooked, it turns soft and mellow, not sharp.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes. Boneless cooks faster. Bone-in gives a richer gravy, so use what you like.
Why is my rice sticky?
Most of the time it is from skipping the rinse or cooking too long. Wash the rice until the water runs clear, and drain it right at 90% done.
More Recipes
- Chicken Dinner Recipes for Family
- Chicken Liver And Gizzard Curry
- Karahi Mutton Gosht Recipe
- Lentil Rice With Beef
- Potato Eggplant Tomato Curry
Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice
Ingredients
For the Chicken Curry
- 300 grams about 10½ ounces chicken
- 2 onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 2 whole garlic bulbs (made into a paste)
- 3 green chillies
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 inch 2.5 cm cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- Salt to taste
- Finely chopped cilantro (for garnish)
For the Basmati Rice
- 1 cup about 200 grams basmati rice
- 5 cups about 1.2 liters water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it for 20 minutes.
- While it soaks, wash the chicken and drain the extra water.
- Heat the oil. Add cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Fry a few seconds.
- Add sliced onions and green chillies. Fry until golden brown.
- Add the chicken and fry on low to medium heat until golden brown.
- Add the tomato, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the garlic paste. Fry on low heat until the masala is cooked and the raw smell is gone.
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) water. Cover and cook on low, stirring now and then.
- Drain the soaked rice. Boil the 5 cups water, then add the rice.
- Cook until the rice is about 90% done, then drain the extra water through a strainer.
- Dry the rice on very low heat, covered, for 1 minute. Rest 2 to 3 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Cook the curry until the chicken is soft and the gravy turns brown with oil on top. Add water for more gravy if you like.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over the rice.
Notes
- Soak the rice first so it is ready when the curry needs it.
- Oil rising to the top is the sign the curry is done.
- Drain the rice at 90% done for soft, separate grains.
- The curry tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
