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Quick Chicken Curry

Recipe by Imran Ali on InstagramAdded 1 August 2026.

10 minutes to prep, 30 to cook. A fast, aromatic chicken curry made with ghee, warm spices, and tomato passata. The sauce is rich and fragrant, perfect for serving over rice or with flatbread on busy weeknights.

See all 6 versions of chicken curry, compared

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Quick Chicken Curry by Imran Ali, a frame from the Instagram video

Method

  1. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy‑bottomed pan over medium heat.

  2. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom pods; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

    Kitchen notes · Added by ReelsMeals: The whole spices sizzle and smell fragrant in the ghee.

  3. Stir in the garlic‑ginger paste and cook for 1‑2 minutes until the raw aroma disappears.

  4. Add the chicken pieces, season with a pinch of salt, and brown on all sides, about 4‑5 minutes.

  5. Sprinkle in the onion powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chilli powder; stir well and cook for another 1‑2 minutes to toast the spices.

    Kitchen notes · Added by ReelsMeals: The ground spices become aromatic after stirring through the chicken.

  6. Pour in the tomato passata, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and reduce the heat to low.

  7. Stir in the garam masala, cover the pan, and let the curry simmer for 20‑25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

    Kitchen notes · Added by ReelsMeals: The chicken is cooked through and the passata has thickened into a coating sauce.

  8. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.

  9. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods) if desired.

  10. Serve the hot chicken curry over steamed rice or with warm flatbread.

Tips while you cook

Toast whole spices briefly
Sauté the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom pods for about 30 seconds until fragrant before adding other ingredients.
Brown chicken first
Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for 4‑5 minutes before introducing the powdered spices.
Cover while simmering
After stirring in garam masala, cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 20‑25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes from ReelsMeals, based on this recipe's ingredients, times and method. They are not the creator's instructions.

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Imran Ali made this.

The recipe comes from Imran Ali’s Instagram reel. ReelsMeals wrote it down from the caption and the voiceover. Check the original if something looks off, and for anything about allergens.

Are you Imran Ali and want this changed? Email [email protected].

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Chicken curry, 6 ways

Six creators posted their own. Most use chicken, garlic cloves, ginger and onion.

  1. Imran Ali40 min15 ingr.Only this one uses ghee, garlic and ginger paste and onion powder
  2. Eroshan (Kolamba)1 hr 20 min19 ingr.Only this one uses tamarind paste, pandan leaf and roasted chilli powder
  3. sukipantal1 hr 5 min25 ingr.Only this one uses chicken on the bone, kashmiri red chilli powder and vinegar
  4. South Cookery1 hr 15 min21 ingr.Only this one uses julienned ginger, green chilies and coriander seeds
  5. Peter Martin50 min18 ingr.Only this one uses cinnamon, cumin and allspice
  6. Arpita35 min14 ingr.Only this one uses curry powder
Compare all 6 side by side

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