5 Best Side Dishes To Serve With Your Curry Chicken

curry chicken side dish

Curry chicken is the most common kind of curry among many varieties in Indian cuisine.

Why trust me?

I'm an experienced food writer and passionate cook. My website, Cookindocs.com, features accessible, informative, and engaging content with quality recipes and articles that are thoroughly researched and enjoyable to read. You can trust my expertise with 8 years of experience in the field. Learn more about me and my work on this website, and check out my featured articles on TastingTable, Mashed, and 5-Minute Crafts. Read more about me HERE.

There are numerous ways to serve curry chicken, but one of the key factors is to choose the right side dish.

In this article, we are going to figure out the five best companions to serve with your next curry chicken.

Let’s get started!

What is curry chicken?

[amazon fields=”B000V1D19A” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B000V1D19A” value=”button”]

Do you love curry?

Curry is a dish that originated in Indian cuisine.

It can be made without meat or from different kinds of meat, including chicken, beef, pork, or lamb.

Curry chicken consists of chunks of chicken (either bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless) that are slow-cooked in a tomato-and-onion-based sauce with a lot of other condiments to flavor the dish.

The common condiments, spices, and herbs used in curry chicken are garlic, ginger, chili peppers, coconut milk, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander.

The resulting dish is creamy, rich, pungent, and flavorful with tender chicken.

Some versions may contain carrots and potatoes too.

What to consider when choosing a curry chicken’s side dish?

When choosing a side dish for your curry chicken, there are many things to consider.

You want something that will bring out the flavors of the curry and not overpower it. Here is what you should keep in mind when selecting a side dish:

It should be crunchy or crispy so that it brings the texture into the meal without being too heavy

Since curry chicken has a creamy and tender consistency, if you pair it with a side dish that has a contrasting texture (crunchy or crispy), it will be great.

This makes sure that the meal will provide you with a satisfying mouthfeel, a crunchy bite of food followed by a rich curry soup.

Go with green vegetables like broccoli or spinach because they are eye-catching but also nutritious

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a side dish for curry chicken is to choose a companion with a green color.

Normally, a veggie-based side dish is the best choice in this case.

Going with green vegetables will not only make your meal look more appealing and beautiful but also be nutritious and provide you with sufficient vitamins and minerals.

Make sure that the side dish doesn’t have a pungent flavor that overpowers the main dish

Curry chicken has a spicy and hearty flavor, therefore, when choosing the side dish to serve with this Indian main course, it is best to opt for an accompaniment with a lighter taste.

That side dish shouldn’t be cooked with pungent spices like garlic, ginger, curry powder, chili pepper, or turmeric.

5 best side dishes to serve with curry chicken

Here we come with the most expected part of the post, the five best side dishes that you should serve on the same table with your curry chicken:

1.     Naan bread

[amazon fields=”B074H5J2YW” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B074H5J2YW” value=”button”]

Naan bread is one of the staples in Indian cuisine.

Naan bread is typically served as a good accompaniment for many curry-like dishes.

It has a mild flavor that is great to enjoy with such a flavorful and rich dish like curry chicken.

Naan bread is often used as a utensil when torn apart to scoop up chicken pieces and the soup too.

2.     Steamed basmati rice

[amazon fields=”B001HTIXSO” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B001HTIXSO” value=”button”]

Another simple but good side dish for curry chicken is basmati rice.

A bowl of plain steamed basmati rice is just enough to elevate your meal with curry chicken to a new level.

You can also cook basmati rice with coconut milk and coconut flakes for a slightly sweet and aromatic taste.

3.      Raita

[amazon fields=”B01BK0QVME” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B01BK0QVME” value=”button”]

Raita is a common side dish in Indian cuisine.

It is made with cucumber, yogurt, other raw vegetables, herbs, and spices.

The creamy but light raita is perfect to offset the rich taste of curry chicken.

When serving these two dishes together, it is better if you have some pieces of naan bread too.

4.     Salads

[amazon fields=”B00KMM8KG2″ value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B00KMM8KG2″ value=”button”]

A crunchy salad with different kinds of raw vegetables will make your meal more interesting.

There are many recipes for salads that can be made from your favorite kinds of vegetables or fruits like lettuce, cabbage, bell pepper, onion, tomato, avocado, or cucumber.

A colorful salad can also provide a beautiful presentation to your meal besides being nutritious and healthy.

5.     Onion Bhajis

[amazon fields=”B08TP8PQTB” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B08TP8PQTB” value=”button”]

Onion Bhajis are a common snack in India that is great to pair with curry chicken.

This side dish is made with thin slices of onions that are coated in a seasoned batter and deep-fried until golden and very crispy.

The bottom line

Nobody will say no to a rich and hearty bowl of curry chicken.

But you can even have a better meal when you serve this curry dish with other side dishes that complement the rich, spicy, and flavorful taste of curry chicken.

The five aforementioned side dish ideas will surely satisfy the whole family and elevate your curry chicken every time they are served together.