Chukandar Chicken (Tangy Chicken Curry With Beets)
Published Jan. 14, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
- 1large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
- 1teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder (or other mild red chile powder)
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1teaspoon salt
- 2tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt (optional)
- 2(15-ounce) cans sliced or whole beets, drained and chopped into bite-size pieces (about 3 cups)
- 2fresh green Thai or serrano chiles, chopped
- 2tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
- 1large lime, cut into wedges
- Rice or roti, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
461 calories; 15 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1077 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat ghee in a medium (about 10-inch) pot over medium heat for 30 seconds, or until ghee has melted. Stir in onion and adjust the heat to high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to become translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the chicken, ginger and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken turns golden and most of the liquid in the pot has evaporated, 15 to 17 minutes. Stir in the chile powder, cumin seeds and turmeric. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and salt.
- Step 3
Cook until the tomatoes start to break down, 4 to 7 minutes, then adjust heat to medium, stir in the yogurt (if using) and the beets. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the color of the beets permeates the rest of the curry, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Serve topped with green chiles and cilantro (if using), with lime wedges and rice or roti alongside.
Private Notes
Comments
I’ve made this with bone in goat and added the beet greens in place of spinach. Be generous with the garlic ginger and dried spices. The robust flavor of the beets call for that.
Easy, tasty. We added cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes to taste as we cooked and were extra generous with the garlic and ginger. Garnished with dill which added a nice dimensions.
Process was fairly simple and followed the recipe closely, but overall found it to be really bland. Will try again and add some additional spices to taste.
This recipe was great inspiration, but I agree with others that more spices are needed here - I ended up at least doubling everything that was called for but also added some coriander, cinnamon, and garam masala. I added the juice of a lime into the pot toward the end, as well as a couple tablespoons more yogurt and a bit of chicken broth to make it more saucy. I love the beets - gives the curry a great color and earthy notes! I will definitely make a spiced-up version of this again!
Absolutely delicious. I had a tons of beets from the CSA so I cooked instead of using the canned kinds. It can definitely take extra salt and I did extra lime. I really loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
The recipe definitely needs more spices. I added coriander, cinnamon, and more ginger , garlic and cumin. I also used a red curry paste instead of chili powder. I really happy with the result.