This is my go-to recipe for the classic Pakistani comfort food, our potato and chicken curry (aka aloo chicken ka salan). Perfectly cooked juicy chicken, buttery-soft potato chunks, and the super delicious gravy make this dish a great main course to enjoy with naan, roti, karak roti, or steamed basmati rice.
Almost every Pakistani family has its own version of this dish, often passed down through generations. Most look about the same, but the taste can vary quite a bit depending on the spices and ingredients used.
I make this curry a few different ways. For instance, I've got a recipe, my mama's special, which has no tomato at all. It's very unusual, but a delicious yogurty take on the dish.
Now, in this recipe, to make the prep fast and easy, I skip chopping tomatoes, green chilies, and garlic. Instead, I throw them all in a high-speed blender and puree them together.
The cooking process is simple too. First, the onions get sautéed, then the spices and tomato mixture go in. The sauce gets reduced, next I add the chicken, potatoes, and water and let everything cook through. A few finishing touches, and you end up with a curry that never fails to impress.
Pre-cooking notes and tips
- Slice your onion as thin as possible. I prefer to use a slicer/mandoline.
- I exclusively use Roma tomatoes for all my desi dishes. Some tomato varieties can be too sweet and lack the right level of acidity. Get red, ripest ones you can find. Ideally, they should have come give, but shouldn't be too soft either.
- Speaking of tomatoes, if your tomatoes aren’t fully ripe or aren't in season, adding tomato paste will pep up the overall taste. It'll also give the dish a more pronounced red-ish pop of color. When needed, I use about one tablespoon of paste per pound of chicken. Don’t reduce the amount of fresh tomatoes, though, as they add body and volume to the gravy.
- Fresh chilies can vary a lot in heat, so adjust the amount as you see fit. I use red or green Thai/bird’s eye chilies.
- Don't worry about the generous quantity of garlic we're using, it works out great. Avoid store-bought garlic paste. It doesn't taste the same at all. I have nothing against convenience, but do yourself a favor and smell the insides of your ginger or garlic paste jars. Such a funky, chemical-like smell. If you have unsalted, homemade garlic paste, use 3 tablespoons of it, but fresh garlic is the best option.
- You can swap in lime juice for lemon. Just use a bit less. For every tablespoon of lemon juice, go with about ¾ tablespoon of lime.
- Avoid russet potatoes. They can turn to mush and make the dish starchy and weird. I prefer red potatoes for all my desi recipes. Yellow potatoes are ok too, but red ones hold up better.
And that's a wrap
This curry has big flavors and has all the potential to become a staple in your rotation. If you give it a go, comment and rate down below. I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen.
Aloo Chicken Salan (Potato Chicken Curry)
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 2 black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- 1 green cardamom - aka choti elaichi
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon - aka dalchini
- 3 cloves - aka laung
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - aka sabut zeera
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder - aka lal mirch powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder - aka haldi
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoons kasuri methi - aka dried fenugreek leaves
- 1.75 teaspoons salt - white/table salt
Other Ingredients
- 3 medium (300 g) tomatoes - I prefer Roma tomatoes
- 1 small green chili - stem removed (see Note A)
- 10 cloves garlic - peeled
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) cooking oil - or ghee
- 1 medium (100 g) onion - thinly sliced
- 1 pound (500 g) bone-in chicken pieces - skinless (Note B)
- 1 pound (500 g) potatoes - peeled, cut into halves, quarters, or sixths, depending on size (Note C)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - or lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
- 5 small whole green chilies - pull off the stems, don't cut
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together ingredients listed under "spice mix" and set aside.
- In a blender, put tomatoes, green chili, garlic cloves, and process until completely smooth. Don't add water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil or ghee in a pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until it just starts to turn golden.
- Then add the prepared spice mix and stir 30 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of water (careful, the oil may splatter).
- Simmer until the water has cooked off. Stir in the pureed tomato mixture. Cook uncovered until it reduces to a thick, glistening, oily sauce. Adjust the heat as needed to keep a steady simmer. Stir occasionally early on, then more frequently as it thickens to prevent sticking.
- Next, turn up the heat to medium-high and add chicken pieces. Stir until it's no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the potato pieces along with 1.5 cups water. Stir to combine. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat just enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are nice and soft. Pierce a potato piece with fork or knife to check for doneness.
- Add lemon juice, chopped cilantro (aka coriander), and whole green chilies. Mix well, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes on very low heat. Serve hot with naan, roti, or steamed basmati rice.
Hiba says
You have the best recipes! Thank you so much for sharing 🤗🙏
Nelo says
Aw thanks! So happy you like them 🙂