Chicken pathia or patia is a spicy, sweet & sour curry that has origins in Persia but it is now a favourite in British Indian restaurants.
This delicious curry is pretty quick too, it will go from your fridge to your table in around 40 minutes and it is definitely on the spicier end of the “scale”.
A Sweet and Sour Indian Curry
When I lived in the UK there was a phase when a chicken pathia or patia curry was the only thing I ordered from an Indian menu.
Not because I didn’t like or understand the other stuff. But purely and simply because it was my favourite thing on any menu!
As a result, it was only going to be so long before it ended up joining my long list of Indian Curry Recipes here on Krumpli!
As with all phases, they pass but a pathia curry remains one of my favourite dishes. Fabulously spicy and with a distinct sweet and sour vibe.
If you would prefer to avoid the sweet thing then you must check out my Acahri Chicken recipe!
The usual habitat for a pathia curry seems to be a British curry house. Although it is far less well known than the likes of Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Rogan Josh or a Vindaloo.
This fiery sweet and sour number with Gujarati leanings should be shown a lot more love.
As with all of my recipes, this dish is a reflection of me and my love of food. It is not an attempt at smoothing out the wild differences in pathia curries from around the British Indian food scene.
It is rare for food bloggers to declare favourites, but this is hands down my favourite recipe on my website, I love this dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use tamarind concentrate?
You can but you will need to use your judgement as to the amount used.
I never use concentrate because I think it can be tricky to judge the amounts and adding too much leads to an almost “metallic” taste to a recipe.
Most concentrates sit between 4 and 10 times concentrated so you will need to add anywhere between 5-15g.
What mango chutney do you use?
Mango chutney is not usually an ingredient in a traditional pathia curry, but I find that it adds a wonderful complexity and the right level of sweetness.
I got the idea from a British Indian curry called chicken chasni, a dish that hails from Glasgow with a similar sweet vibe.
I used to make homemade mango chutney when I lived outside of the UK. Now that I have returned I usually use Geeta Premium Mango Chutney (Mild).
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this dish is awesome made in advance, it will freeze for up to 6 months and will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days if stored correctly.
Gently reheat in a covered pan, with an extra splash of water until the chicken is piping hot.
I will quite often make the sauce in bulk (2-4 times the size), portion it into freezer bags and pop them in the freezer. Then all you need to do is fry off some chicken and onions and add the defrosted sauce.
Serving Suggestions
I almost always sprinkle my chicken pathia with some extra chopped chilli peppers and some fresh coriander leaves.
I like that raw chilli heat alongside the thick sweet and sour sauce. It also means you can increase or decrease the heat for those less in love with chilli heat!
Then of course there is rice, I usually opt for plain white rice, but a good pilau rice is always a nice option
Flatbread is an essential side for a curry and I usually serve this fantastic sweet and sour curry with a tandoori style naan bread.
However, the thick almost sticky sauce lends itself to a thinner flatbread like chapati or roti.
I’ll also round out the experience by serving a pile of poppadoms, kachumber salad and some mint raita to kick off the meal.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob or stovetop.
- 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kettle to boil the water for soaking the tamarind.
- Small mixing bowl.
- Small fine mesh sieve.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mini Blender
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug and or measuring cups and spoons.
Yield: 2 Servings
Chicken Pathia Curry Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
The usual habitat for a chicken pathia seems to be a British curry house, I think this fiery sweet and sour number with Gujarati leanings should be shown a lot more love.
Ingredients
- 350g (12oz) Chicken Thighs
- 1 Large Onion (around 250g or 8-9oz)
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Tbsp Ghee
- ½ Tsp Asafoetida
- 1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 65g (1.5" cube) Tamarind Pulp
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Mango Chutney
- 6 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Lime
- 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 125ml (½ Cup) Water
- ½-¾ Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind cube in 60ml or ¼ cup boiling water, mash occasionally.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Peel the onion and cut it in half. Roughly chop half of the onion, place it in a mini blender with the garlic cloves and blend to form a smooth paste. Take the second half of the onion, slice into 8 wedges and set aside.
- Push the tamarind through a fine mesh sieve you should end up with around 50-60ml or ¼ cup of paste.
- Cut the chicken into a 2-3cm (¾-1¼") dice.
- Heat two tablespoons of the ghee over a medium-high heat in a 15cm or 6" saucepan and when it is hot add the asafoetida and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the onion and garlic paste, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, then onions should begin to colour and be fairly dry.
- Stir in the turmeric and cumin, then add the tomato paste, mango chutney and tamarind.
- Throw in the bay leaf, cardamom pods and the juice of the lime. Check the seasoning and add salt as required and allow to sauce to simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat.
- Heat the remaining ghee in a 20cm or 12" frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and onion wedges, then cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the sauce to the chicken and crush in the dried fenugreek leaves.
- Pour in the remaining water, stir to form a sauce and cover with a lid.
- Cook until the chicken is cooked through which will take a final 7-12 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 702Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 198mgSodium: 465mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 6gSugar: 26gProtein: 48g
