Glasgow chicken chasni recipe (sweet and tangy red curry)

How to make a Glasgow curry-house-style chicken chasni at home — charred chicken tikka pieces in a sweet-sour red sauce with mango chutney, mint sauce, ketchup and cream. The bright-red mild curry that’s a Glasgow classic and a curry-house staple across Scotland.

Ingredients

• For the chicken tikka: 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced into 3 cm pieces
• 200 g Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
• For the quick base sauce: 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 ml chicken stock
• For the chasni sauce: 2 tbsp mango chutney
• 1 tbsp mint sauce (the green stuff from a jar)
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 100 ml single cream
• Red food colouring (optional, 2-3 drops for the signature colour)
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Marinate the chicken (at least 30 min, ideally 2 hours). Mix yoghurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and garlic-ginger paste in a bowl. Add the chicken, coat well, cover and refrigerate.

2. Make the quick base sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 6-7 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic-ginger paste and stir for 30 seconds. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala, stir for 10 seconds, then the tomato purée. Cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt and stock. Simmer 15 minutes until thickened. Blend smooth with a stick blender.

3. Cook the chicken tikka. Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over high heat until smoking. Cook the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until well-charred and cooked through (75°C internal). Set aside.

4. Build the chasni. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high. Fry the garlic-ginger paste for 30 seconds. Add the turmeric and cumin, stir 10 seconds, then pour in 250 ml of the base sauce and bring to a simmer.

5. Add the chicken. Stir the pre-cooked tikka into the sauce with enough extra base to coat. Simmer 5 minutes so the chicken soaks up the sauce.

6. Add the sweet-sour. Stir in the mango chutney, mint sauce and ketchup. Simmer 3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking — it should coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable.

7. Cream and colour. Lower the heat. Stir in the single cream and 2-3 drops of red food colouring if using , the sauce should turn a vibrant red-orange. Do not boil after adding the cream or it may split.

8. Finish. Stir in the garam masala and most of the fresh coriander. Taste and season with salt , balance of sweet, sour and salt is everything, so adjust with more mango chutney, mint sauce or salt to your preference.

9. Serve immediately with pilau rice, naan, chips, or a proper curry-house combo of all three.

Notes

Adapted from The Curry Guy’s ‘Restaurant Style Chicken Chasni’ (greatcurryrecipes.net).

The signature red colour is from food colouring , entirely optional, the curry tastes identical without it. Some curry houses skip it entirely, others use it heavily.

Balance is everything: taste as you go and adjust the mango chutney (more sweet), mint sauce (more sour) or salt to your preference. A splash more lemon juice at the end brightens everything.

Coconut milk (full-fat, 200 ml tin) can replace the cream for a dairy-free version , gives a slightly different but delicious flavour.

Pre-cooking the chicken tikka separately (rather than simmering raw chicken in the sauce) is the curry-house secret , adds a charred layer you cannot get any other way. Shop-bought tandoori chicken pieces work in a pinch.

Base sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 6 months. A double batch is worth it , you’ll find other uses.

For a hotter curry, add ½ tsp chilli powder or a finely chopped green chilli with the garlic-ginger paste. Traditional chasni is mild (kids’ curry-house favourite), but easy to heat up.