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Hariyali chicken curry in serving bowl and a spoon
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Hariyali Chicken Curry

This Hariyali Chicken Curry is herby, creamy and saucy plus so super easy to make, it will be your new go to weeknight recipe!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Pakistani, South Asian, Indian
Keyword: 30 minute dinners, chicken curry recipes, easy weeknight meals, green masala recipes, hara masala recipes, quick curry recipes
Servings: 4
Author: Zeeshan Shah

Equipment

  • 1 medium pan

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 1 Serrano pepper roughly chopped * see note 1
  • 1 cup loosely packed cilantro stems and leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter * see note 2
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

For the chicken

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 pounds chicken legs and thighs skinless, cut up into 12 pieces

For the tempering (optional but highly recommended)

  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin
  • 5 dried red chilies
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves

For the garnish

  • 1/2 lemon for drizzling
  • cilantro leaves or chopped fine
  • roasted cumin powder or garam masala

Instructions

  • Blend the onion, green chili, garlic, cilantro, whole cumin, yogurt, almond butter and salt together till a thick sauce is formed and everything is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  • In a pan, pour oil and saute the minced garlic on high heat for 30 seconds.
  • Add the chicken and saute the chicken till it gets nicely coated and changes color, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the hara masala and toss to evenly coat the chicken. Cover and leave to cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.
  • Uncover and on high heat dry out any excess water. Once the oil rises to the top and you get the consistency of the curry to your liking, turn off the heat.
  • Lastly, In a pan, on high heat, saute the curry leaves, whole cumin and dried red chilies for about a minute. Pour the tempered oil onto the chicken and cover the pan.
  • Let the chicken get infused by the tempered oil for about 2 minutes and then garnish enjoy!

Notes

  1. You can use a milder pepper like Jalapeno or a hotter one like Thai but I find Serrano to be a good in between. If you only have Serrano and want it spicier, add a 1/2 or whole additional pepper. 
  2. The original recipe calls for peanut butter but since my son is allergic to peanuts, I use almond butter here (making for a darker curry) and even some times whole raw cashews. If you do decide to use cashews, presoak 1/4 cup in some water for about 30 minutes before blending them with the rest of the ingredients. This will help get rid of the enzyme inhibitors present and soften them for easy blending and creamier result.