One-Pan Hyderabadi Wedding Chicken Curry with Tofu

Hyderabadi wedding chicken curry made vegan with tofu is a traditional curry served at weddings. The sauce has a vibrant, red color and rich flavors from nuts and whole and ground spices. This simplified version of the classic recipe cuts back on time without sacrificing an ounce of flavor!

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Hyderabadi wedding chicken is this delicious chicken curry with a vibrant red sauce and lots of spices, which is often served at weddings. It has a base of nuts and coconut to make it super rich, plus whole spices and a lot of caramelized onion!

You’d traditionally use a sauce made with fried onion in Hyderabadi chicken curry, but I am caramelizing the onion in a skillet instead. If you have some fried onion, you can use that as well. 

The key to this dish, like many other Indian curries, is that the flavor gets stronger as it sits. You ideally want to prepare this a day or two before you serve it, making it perfect for meal prep!

Instead of using both almonds and cashews, I’m just using almond flour to make the process simpler. Otherwise, you would have to dry toast almonds, cashews, and coconut, then use a blender to make it into a paste. But we’re skipping all of those steps, so that you don’t have to use the blender. 

I’ve pared this down to a one-pan recipe. You use the same pan to cook the tofu and then the sauce. If you’re not as worried about making this in one pot, you can bake the tofu instead. Come along with me and try vegan versions of different dishes from the many state and city cuisines of India! This red chicken curry is from Hyderabad city.

Why You’ll Love Hyderabadi Chicken Curry

• Amazing Indian dinner, one-pan meal
• rich, flavorful curry sauce
• toothsome chicken-style tofu pieces
• simplified recipe is easy to make!
• my dad requested I make it again twice before he left to go back from his stay with us! Oh and he is usually in I don’t like tofu camp 🙂

More Indian Curries

• Palak Tofu
• Aloo Baingan
• Butter tofu
• South Indian eggplant curry
• Mango Curry Tofu

Hyderabadi Wedding Chicken Curry

5 from 7 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 4

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian

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Hyderabadi chicken curry made with tender pieces of tofu is a traditional curry served at weddings. This South Indian curry sauce has a vibrant, red color and rich flavors from nuts and whole and ground spices. This simplified version of the classic recipe cuts back on time without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

To dry toast:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• ▢ 1/4 cup almond flour

For the tofu:

• ▢ 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into organic shapes about 3/4” to 1” in size
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, or use paprika
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the sauce:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 2 green cardamom pods, opened partially
• ▢ 1 red onion, thinly sliced, at least 1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cups
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 cup nondairy yogurt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder, or use paprika
• ▢ 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• ▢ 2 teaspoons soy sauce, , use tamari for gluten-free
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 to 1 cup water
• ▢ 1/2 cup well-packed chopped cilantro
• ▢ 10 curry leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi
• ▢ 5 to 6 mint leaves, optional
• ▢ 1/2 green chili such as a Serrano or Indian green chili , thinly sliced

For garnish:

• ▢ cilantro, sliced green chilies

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Instructions 

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and almond flour to the dry skillet and dry toast them until the coconut is golden. Stir frequently, so that the coconut doesn’t burn. Transfer this mixture to a bowl.
• In a bowl, add the torn tofu. Sprinkle on the Kashmiri chili powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch. Toss well to coat, then set this aside.
• Add a tablespoon of oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the green cardamom and stir once, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue to cook until almost all of the onions are golden brown. (You can increase the heat to medium high to speed up this process, but then be sure to stir more frequently. You want some of the onions to get pretty crispy on the edges, so continue to cook until some of the onions are crispy on the edges), about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on your pan.
• Once the onion is ready, add the spiced tofu to the skillet. Mix in and continue to cook until the tofu is crisped up on some of the edges. (The onions will continue to cook a little bit along with it, so you don't want the onions to be completely crisp when you add the tofu, but golden brown and somewhat crisp). Continue to cook until the tofu is crispy on most of the edges.

  (Alternatively, pan fry the tofu before starting the curry sauce and remove from skillet. Or bake at 400 deg F for 20 mins. Then add into the sauce with the curry leaves and cilantro -last step)
• Then then reduce the heat to medium, and add in the nondairy yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and ketchup. Mix in really well, and cook for 2 minutes, then mix in the reserved coconut almond mixture, all of the spices, the sambal oelek, soy sauce, and the salt. Mix in the water, then cover with a lid and bring to a boil for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Open the lid, and mix in the cilantro, curry leaves, fenugreek leaves, mint leaves if using, and green chili. Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes, then switch off the heat. Taste and adjust flavor, adding more salt, if needed, and then let the mixture sit for another 5 to 10 minutes in the heat of the pan, so the flavors can meld. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chilies, and serve with flatbread, naan, dosa, or over rice.

Video

Notes

Nut-free: omit the almond flour and use coarsely ground pumpkin seeds instead. Also make sure to use a nut-free a nondairy yogurt.

Soy-free,use chickpea flour tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, or chickpeas, seitan, or a vegan chicken substitute that is soy-free.

This recipe is gluten-free if you use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Oilfree: sauté onion in 1/4 cup or more broth. 

No onion no garlic: use a mix of zucchini and celery instead of onion. Omit the garlic and only use ginger paste.

Blended sauce: for a smooth sauce, scoop the browned onion into a blender and blend with the coconut almond mixture and 1 cup water. Then add it to the skillet with the spices. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 567mg, Potassium: 151mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 625IU, Vitamin C: 58mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• shredded coconut and almond flour – You’ll dry toast these ingredients as the base for the curry sauce.
• tofu – This is your vegan chicken! You can use other meat alternatives, like chickpea flour tofu, chickpeas, seitan, or a vegan chicken substitute
• dried spices – To season the tofu and the sauce.
• cornstarch – Helps the spices adhere to the tofu and gives the tofu a crispy outside.
• cardamom pods – Whole cardamom pods, partially opened, infuse so much amazing flavor into this sauce!
• red onion – Caramelized onion is central to this sauce’s rich flavor and texture.
• non-dairy yogurt – Adds creaminess and tang.
• ginger-garlic paste – Adds umami and a little bit of heat to the sauce.
• ketchup – Brings umami and a little sweetness to balance out the spicy in the Hyderabadi chicken curry sauce.
• sambal oelek – Another layer of heat for the sauce.
• soy sauce – Adds saltiness and even more umami.
• curry leaves – Add even more amazing flavor to the curry sauce!
• fresh cilantro and mint – Brings a fresh flavor to the finished sauce.
• green chili – Gives the sauce even more heat. You can top with additional green chili for an even spicier curry!

Tips

• When you’re toasting the almond flour and shredded coconut, keep a close eye on the pan and stir frequently to avoid burning it.
• The onions will continue to cook after you add the tofu and other ingredients. You want them in the early stages of caramelization, where the edges of some onions are browned, but they’re not fully caramelized.
• Make this dish up to two days ahead. It tastes even better the longer it sits!

How to Make Hyderabadi Wedding Chicken Curry

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and almond flour to the dry skillet and dry toast them until the coconut is golden. Stir frequently, so that the coconut doesn’t burn. Transfer this mixture to a bowl.

In small bowl, add the torn tofu. Sprinkle on the Kashmiri chili powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch. Toss well to coat, then set this aside.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the green cardamom and stir once, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue to cook until almost all of the onions are golden brown.

You can increase the heat to medium high to speed up this process, but then be sure to stir more frequently. You want some of the onions to get pretty crispy on the edges, so continue to cook until some of the onions are crispy on the edges, about seven to 10 minutes, depending on your pan. 

Once the onion is ready, add the spiced tofu to the skillet. Mix in and continue to cook until the tofu is crisped up on some of the edges. The onions will continue to cook a little bit along with it, so you don’t want the onions to be completely crisp when you add the tofu, but golden brown and somewhat crisp.

Continue to cook until the tofu is crispy on most of the edges. 

Then then reduce the heat to medium, and add in the nondairy yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and ketchup.

Mix in really well, and cook for two minutes, then mix in all of the spices, the sambal oelek, soy sauce, reserved coconut almond flour and the salt and mix in. Mix in the water, then cover with a lid and bring to a boil for three to four minutes. 

Open the lid, and mix in the cilantro, curry leaves, fenugreek leaves, mint leaves if using, and green chili.

Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for another four to five minutes, then switch off the heat. Taste and adjust flavor, adding more salt, if needed, and then let the mixture sit for another five to 10 minutes in the heat of the pan, so the flavors can meld.

Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chilies, and serve with flatbread, naan, or over rice.

Frequently Asked Questions