Chicken Aloo
آلو چکن
Chicken and potato salan (stovetop)
A Pakistani home-style chicken-and-potato curry in an onion-tomato shorba, with potatoes tender enough to absorb gravy without falling apart.
Start cooking ↓ Ingredients
Excludes 5 min resting. One tablespoon = 15 ml; one teaspoon = 5 ml.
About Chicken Aloo
A Pakistani home-style chicken-and-potato curry in an onion-tomato shorba, with potatoes tender enough to absorb gravy without falling apart.
Make it work for your kitchen
Also known as Aloo Chicken, Chicken Potato Curry, Aloo Murghi.
Original quantities serve 4. Cooking times, pan size and frying-oil depth do not scale, cook in extra batches instead.
Before you start
Before you start
Weigh ingredients and portion spices. Use a separate board for raw chicken. Wash and chop vegetables; do not wash raw poultry. Preheat a heavy pot and keep a food thermometer ready.
Step-by-step cooking method
1 Prepare and separate ingredients
Cut peeled potatoes, 3–4 cm chunks into similarly sized 3–4 cm chunks. Keep bone-in chicken, raw separate from vegetables and ready-to-eat herbs; do not wash poultry.
2 Build the onion-tomato masala
Heat neutral cooking oil over medium. Soften finely chopped onion 8–10 minutes, then add ripe tomatoes, chopped and ginger-garlic paste, cover for 5 minutes and mash until broken down.
3 Bhunao spices and chicken
Add cumin seeds, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground red chilli and fine salt; stir 3 minutes. Add bone-in chicken, raw and cook 6–8 minutes, turning to coat; chicken is still raw inside.
4 Simmer chicken before potatoes
Add about 300 ml FROM the total hot water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook 10–12 minutes. The remaining 250 ml is reserved from the same quantity.
5 Cook the potatoes until tender
Add peeled potatoes, 3–4 cm chunks and remaining 250 ml of the measured water plus optional green chillies, slit. Simmer covered about 15–22 minutes until potato is fork-tender and thickest chicken reaches at least 74°C (165°F); add extra hot water only if required and record it for future testing.
6 Reduce and finish
Uncover 3–5 minutes to adjust gravy; fold in garam masala and optional chopped fresh coriander. Rest covered off heat 5 minutes. Avoid breaking potatoes.
Chef’s tips
- Use a wide heavy pot to reduce scorching and permit even simmering.
- The target is 74°C (165°F) in the thickest chicken piece, measured away from bone.
- Water amount is a starting allocation
Common mistakes & quick fixes
- Watery gravy
- Uncover and reduce only after chicken is fully safe; do not cook it dry.
- Harsh raw-spice flavour
- Cook spices briefly in the moist onion-tomato masala before adding simmering water.
- Chicken cooked unevenly
- Use similar-sized pieces and verify thickest pieces with a thermometer.
Variations & serving ideas
Variation: Reduce chilli quantity for a mild family-style dish.
Variation: Optional green chilli and coriander are excluded from nutrition calculations until quantities and inclusion are confirmed.
Variation: Accompany with chapati or plain rice (not included in batch nutrition).
Perfect result check
| Check | Chicken is at least 74°C (165°F) at the thickest point. |
|---|---|
| Check | The masala is smooth and the sauce is spoonable. |
| Check | Potatoes are fork-tender but hold their shape. |
Storage & reheating
| Fridge | 3–4 days | Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour if above 32°C); keep at 4°C or below. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. |
|---|---|---|
| Freezer | Reheat leftovers thoroughly to 74°C (165°F); freeze portions promptly for longer storage. |
Nutrition information
Nutrition estimate in preparation, we only publish figures we can calculate transparently.
Nutrition estimate in preparation.
Know when to change the heat
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Helpful answers before you cook
How is nutrition calculated?
Match every raw ingredient to traceable nutrition data, measure edible chicken yield and actual retained oil, total the batch and divide by four servings. Any optional toppings or sides must be accounted for separately.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes, but monitor more frequently and verify 74°C; the ingredient edible weight, yield and timing will differ.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
No validated pressure-cooker variant is available for this recipe. Use stovetop instructions; do not improvise times or quick-release procedures.
