Looking for something that WOWS? This creamy, spicy, and aromatic boneless Chicken Handi or Handi Chicken is a restaurant worthy dish that can be made ahead to wow friends and family. A fantastic dish for entertaining and weeknights that you want to feel special.
There are some chicken recipes that anyone who hosts should have in their back pocket. They are make ahead recipes that reheat well, are saucy and easy to eat with rice or naan, and have some spice, but not so much so that some of your guests are scared. This Handi Chicken checks all those boxes just like a great Karahi Gosht or a Paneer Reshmi Handi does.
Developing the Chicken Handi Recipe
I get asked often how I develop recipes.
The answer varies, but in this particular case I was chasing a flavour profile I had had in Karachi restaurants and then made it again and again till the reality matched my craving.
In my mind a great Handi Chicken has to have three componenets
1.) chicken pieces with flavour
2.) a sauce that is creamy, but not cloyingly heavy
3.) a distinctive almost sweet aroma
This Chicken Handi does all three things by doing the following
1.) a little spice rub for the chicken
2.) a mix of yoghurt and cream
3.) using the kasuri methi sparingly and at the end
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 use more than the knob I prescribe here.
Butter Chicken is also never garnished with chilies and ginger, but a 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 with it's ceramic cooktop, but if you have access to one then have at it!
Tips to Optimize your Chicken Handi Ingredients
Here are a few ingredient tips for maximizing the flavour of your Chicken Handi
- Use a yellow cooking onion for a more round flavour
- Ginger and garlic (not pictured above) need to be used with a light hand
- 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.
- Whisk your yoghurt and leave it at room temperature
- 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, but don't despair if you don't have any handy. It does take ten minutes to make, but store bought can work too!
5 Chicken Handi Cooking Tips:
1.) Start by marinating your 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.) 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.
5.) 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!
Serve with your favorite garnishes and hot naan or rice.
Make Ahead Tips
Because of the creamy sauce this is a great make ahead dish for entertaining and can be made 2-3 dyas in advance. Just add the garam masala, kasuri methi, and any garnishes you wish to add.
I like to put my food in oven safe dishes to keep them warm and minimize counter clutter, but you can also reheat it stovetop or microwave it.
What to Serve with Handi Chicken
Chicken Handi
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
- 1 green chilli minced
- ¾ tsp garlic paste
- ¾ tsp ginger paste
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder (sub with ¾ 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 and add once the oil 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
- explanations for ingredient choices (kashmiri red chili powder, yoghurt, etc on post)
- ¾ lb chicken is roughly 340g or 2 medium sized chicken breasts (large ones will bring you closer to a pound)
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!!
My absolute pleasure! Thank you so much for the review!
Delicious, super easy, makes you feel like you’re making a healthier version of butter chicken that tastes just as good!
Yay!!! EXACTLY what I was hoping to hear! Thank you Sana!
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
Hi Farah! Kashmiri Red Chili Powder is far brighter than Paprika so that would absolutely be it!
This turned out so yum. Definitely will be making it time and again. Easy and delicious 😋
Thrilled to hear that Armeen! Thank you!
Turned out great
How wonderful! Thank YOU!
This recipe is so simple and so good! I enjoyed the makhni handi
So glad Amna!!! I love this one for dawats!
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!
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!
Hi, how much oil should we add?
So oil will vary a little by the pot you use but I would suggest 3-4 tbsp!
Made this for the first time and it turned out so so great
That is amazing to hear! thank you for leaving a review!
This is our family go to for busy nights! Thanks for always making delicious things!
Thank you SO SO much Sonia!