Looking for something that WOWS? Chicken Handi, a boneless chicken curry in a creamy spiced tomato based gravy is just that. The boosts of flavor at the end make this 30-minute dish utterly irresistible!
🔍 Quick Look: Chicken Makhni Handi
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 4
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Key to Success: Use kashmiri chili powder if possible!
Hi, I tried this recipe today. I can honestly say it was one of the best chicken dishes I've ever made or eaten!! To me it felt like the perfect mixture of traditional chicken karhai with the contemporary chicken malai handi. Will 10/10 be making this again. Thank you!! - Ayesha M
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Chicken Makhni Handi
- Recipe Background & Why You'll LOVE It
- Is this Butter Chicken?
- Is this an Authentic Handi Chicken?
- Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- A Quick Visual Guide to Cooking Handi Chicken
- Must know cooking tips!
- Chicken Handi FAQs
- Menu Ideas
- Some of our Other Hosting Favorites!
- Chicken Handi - Boneless, Creamy, Make Ahead!
- Comments
Recipe Background & Why You'll LOVE It
This Chicken Handi is inspired by a dish I have had several times in Karachi restaurants and at weddings where it was often prepared in large clay pots or 'handi', hence the name. It is a dish that I always loved for it's zingy personality and one I couldn't wait to recreate at home.
It took a few rounds of testing to get this one perfect, but this version, well balanced and somehow incredibly addictive is just that! The creamy curry is great for sopping up with naan or ladled over your favorite rice.
Is this Butter Chicken?
No. Butter Chicken is a dish developed in post partition India and distinctive from this handi chicken in key ways. First of all, the chicken in Butter Chicken is tandoori chicken. Second of all, the sauce of the Butter Chicken is entirely cream based and as said before sweeter and less spiced. Thirdly - there is that slight matter of butter. Most Butter Chicken recipes use more than the knob I prescribe here.
Butter Chicken is also never garnished with chilies and ginger, but a Makhni Handi Chicken often is for an extra layer of attitude. However, this food blogger has kids who are happy to eat this dish, but less happy to eat raw ginger and chilies so I will often skip this stuff.
Is this an Authentic Handi Chicken?
While the flavours are spot on, I will freely admit that I don't cook this dish in a clay pot or handi. It is not something I keep handy in my petite Canadian kitchen, but if you have access to one then have at it!
I will also mention here that many Chicken Handi recipes rely on pureed cashews for richness and depth. While the flavour is nice, I was pleasantly surprised when testing the recipe by how much better it was without them.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Kashmiri Red Chili powder's bright hue and mellower more rounded spice vis a vis cayenne gives this dish it's distinctive colour and flavour. In a pinch you can sub it with cayenne, but I do recommend getting it.
- The tomatoes need to be ripe, I use roma tomatoes that I store counter top, but if yours aren't quite ripe adjust the flavour at the end with tomato paste.
- Rub the kasuri methi or dried fenugreek between your fingers to activate the oils in the dried herbs and enhance the flavour
- For garam masala homemade is best, it does take ten minutes to make, but store bought can work too!
Explaining Yoghurt & Cream: I use both here because I found in my recipe testing that cream alone was less pleasant on the reheat and left me with a lingering heaviness. Adding yoghurt in balances the flavour, texture, and satisfaction.
A Quick Visual Guide to Cooking Handi Chicken
Step One: Saute your onions and green chili
Step Two: Give your ginger and garlic a quick saute and then add your tomatoes and spices
Step Three: Cover the pot for tomatoes to soften
Step Four: Remove the masala and saute the chicken
Step Five: Puree your tomato masala
Step Six: Add the masala to the chicken and simmer through
Wondering why I saute then puree? I find that pureeing raw onions and then trying to cook the "rawness" out gives them an unpleasantly assertive flavour and uses a lot more oil.
Step Seven: Add your finishing touches, taste, adjust.
Step Eight: serve garnished with a drizzle of cream and/or green chilies and ginger.
Must know cooking tips!
1.) Start by marinating your chicken for the handi chicken and whisking your yoghurt, leaving it by the stove to get it warm.
2.) SOFTEN your onions: remember ANY TIME you have lots of tomatoes caramelized onions will clash with them. Great cooking requires layering flavours not a boxing match.
3.) Cover your pot after you add your tomatoes to expedite the softening.
4.) Finish in Style: with any dish, especially a tomato heavy one, the balance is key so make sure you taste and tweak. Want more depth? Add garam masala. More zing? Add freshly julienned ginger and chilies. Want more creaminess? Add more cream or whipped room temp yoghurt. I've done ALL of the above when needed and they work.
Chicken Handi FAQs
It's moderately spicy which makes it pretty safe for entertaining
Because of the creamy sauce this is a great make ahead dish for entertaining and can be made 2-3 days in advance. Just add the garam masala, kasuri methi, and any garnishes you wish to add after reheating.
You can, but that definitely makes it a lot heavier. On it's own it will still be extremely enjoyable, but as part of a dawat menu it may seem too rich.
Please don't. Cooked boneless chicken tends to not freeze well, but just as importantly a gravy that contains yoghurt tends to become watery when defrosted.
Menu Ideas
What to serve with you Handi Chicken for a complete, delicious meal.
Some of our Other Hosting Favorites!
Dishes that you can make in advance and that are both special and easy to make! Check out some of our hosting favorites below or the full "dawat" ready collection here.
Thank you for being here! Made this Chicken Handi? I'd love to hear your comments - share them below and do leave a recipe rating! You can also tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog
Chicken Handi - Boneless, Creamy, Make Ahead!
Equipment
- 1 saute pan / wok with lid
Ingredients
chicken rub
- ¾ lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp kashmiri red chili powder
handi sauce/ gravy
- 1 onion diced
- 3-4 tbsp oil
- 1 green chilli minced
- ¾ tsp garlic paste
- ¾ tsp ginger paste
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-1.5 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder (sub with ½-3/4 cayenne if unavailable)
- ¼ cup yoghurt
- ¼ cup cream
Finishing Touches
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
- ¾ tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp pf cream to drizzle
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
- sliced ginger and green chilies to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rub the chicken pieces with the spice mix and set aside
- Heat your pan on medium heat, add the oil and once it shimmers then add in your onion and green chili
- Saute until the edges of the onion start to change colour
- Add the ginger and garlic paste, cook for a minute to get the rawness out
- Now add in the tomatoes, kashmiri laal mirch, and ½ tsp salt
- Cook, covered for a few minutes to hasten the softening of the tomatoes
- Uncover and cook on medium high heat to take out some of the excess moisture, when the masala comes together, it will be one cohesive delicious looking paste, then remove it from the pan. Be sure to leave some oil behind
- If your blender can handle high heat liquids then you can puree it right away - otherwise wait for the mixture to cool a little. Puree the tomatoes with the ¼ cup yoghurt.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pan on medium high heat and saute until the color changes completely.
- Stir your pureed mix back into the pan, along with half a cup of water. Bring it to a simmer and then let it cook, covered, and on low heat until the chicken is tender (20 minutes - more if needed)
- Add your cream to the handi and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Adjust consistency to your liking and top with kasuri methi, your garam masala, a knob of butter, and taste for seasoning. This is when you can add more spice (remaining kashmiri laal mirch), salt, some tomato paste, or even a pinch of sugar to balance out the flavours.
- Garnish with a drizzle of cream and your favorite toppings. Serve with hot naan or basmati rice.
Notes
- kashmiri laal mirch is a brighter colored less spicy variety of chili powder, half the amount for regular chili powder (cayenne) and then adjust to taste. The colour will be more muted but it will still be delicious
- if your boneless chicken gets tough then add a little water and simmer till softened - best to do this before adding the cream!
Aida says
Made this dish with chicken tenderloins and few bone-in pieces, definitely tastes better without bones. Amazing recipe, the kasuri methi, ginger slivers, garam masala add-ons at the end make a lot of difference so I would not skip it. Also, the color was orange and not so much red even though I added kashmiri chili and very ripe roma tomatoes. It was finger licking good, saving this recipe.
Sarah Mir says
Thanks SO much Aida for this review! So happy you enjoyed it!
Steven Julians says
Our 3-year-old great niece loves a mild chicken curry, such as tikka masala or butter chicken in restaurants, so when she came over to us at the weekend with her parents, I cooked this for lunch. She absolutely LOVED it - so thanks for this one. She's now a chicken handi-holic !!
Sarah Mir says
First of all Kudos to your niece for the palate! I am very impressed! Second of all THANK YOU for making this for her and I am so happy to see this review and that she enjoyed it!!!
Sonia H says
Salaam alaykum! Please keep these recipes coming! I am so grateful to have found your website! How many grams of onions and tomatoes do I use in this recipe? I can't wait to try it! Can you also teach us bhindi chicken salan as well?
Sarah Mir says
Wasalam!!! I am SO glad you're here!!! In grams this works out to be 60g for the onion and my tomatoes are generally 120-130g each so that would be 360-390g! Let me know what you think!
Ayesha Marghoob says
Hi, I tried this recipe today. I can honestly say it was one of the best chicken dishes I've ever made or eaten!! To me it felt like the perfect mixture of traditional chicken karhai with the contemporary chicken malai handi. Will 10/10 be making this again. Thank you!!
Sarah Mir says
I wish there was a way for me to insert a happy dance GIF here because thats what I am feeling right now! Thank you SO SO much for this review!
Elizma says
Hi Sarah which tangy masala would you suggest to use with fryums as a snack? I am from South Africa.
Sarah Mir says
hmm chaat masala would be great!
Sonia says
This is our family go to for busy nights! Thanks for always making delicious things!
Sarah Mir says
Thank you SO SO much Sonia!
Areej says
Made this for the first time and it turned out so so great
Sarah Mir says
That is amazing to hear! thank you for leaving a review!
Na says
Hi, how much oil should we add?
Sarah Mir says
So oil will vary a little by the pot you use but I would suggest 3-4 tbsp!
Hajra I says
Hi Sarah I love your recipes. I’ve tried this before as well and it came out so great. I wanted to ask how I should adjust if I want to use 3lb of chicken (4 times the original recipe). Should I quadruple all the ingredients? Thank you!
Sarah Mir says
Hi Hajra! first of all, thank you! secondly i think you can just quadruple this one - it is one of my dawat go tos because you can prep it ahead of time and it works!
Amna Kamran says
This recipe is so simple and so good! I enjoyed the makhni handi
Sarah Mir says
So glad Amna!!! I love this one for dawats!
Mary says
Turned out great
Sarah Mir says
How wonderful! Thank YOU!
Armeen says
This turned out so yum. Definitely will be making it time and again. Easy and delicious 😋
Sarah Mir says
Thrilled to hear that Armeen! Thank you!
Farah says
Dear I have cooked this handi but the color of handi is not red
I have used paprika powder instead of kashmiri Mirch powder.please tell me the issue
Sarah Mir says
Hi Farah! Kashmiri Red Chili Powder is far brighter than Paprika so that would absolutely be it!
Sana says
Delicious, super easy, makes you feel like you’re making a healthier version of butter chicken that tastes just as good!
Sarah Mir says
Yay!!! EXACTLY what I was hoping to hear! Thank you Sana!
NA says
It was a hit! I used chicken with bone as it was all I had, so had to cook it a bit longer. Also used Greek yogurt because I didn't have regular, but still tasted delish! Thank you for the recipe!!
Sarah Mir says
My absolute pleasure! Thank you so much for the review!