How spicy is chicken madras?

Medium to hot — noticeably hotter than a rogan josh or tikka masala, but well short of a vindaloo. Most restaurants will adjust the chilli on request.

What is madras sauce made of?

Kashmiri chilli, ground coriander and cumin, turmeric, onion, garlic, ginger and tomato, usually with tamarind or coconut for sourness and body.

Is chicken madras from Madras?

Only in name. It was created in British-Indian restaurants and named after the city, rather than being a traditional Tamil Nadu recipe.

What's the difference between madras and vindaloo?

Vindaloo is hotter and built on vinegar with Goan-Portuguese roots; madras is tomato-based with a tamarind or coconut sourness.

Cooking 101

Chicken Madras: What It Is, How Hot It Is, and What's in the Sauce

7 September 2026 · 5 min read

Chicken madras is one of the most ordered curries in Australia and the UK, and it's almost entirely a restaurant invention. Named after the port city of Madras (Chennai since 1996), it isn't a dish you'd find on a home table in Tamil Nadu — it was built by South Asian restaurateurs abroad as a recognisable step up in heat from a korma or a tikka masala.

What's in madras sauce

Kashmiri chilli powder — deep red colour, moderate heat
Ground coriander and cumin — the earthy backbone
Turmeric and black pepper
Onion, garlic, ginger, tomato
Curry leaves and mustard seed in South Indian-leaning versions
Tamarind or coconut for sourness and body

The signature is the ratio: much more chilli and tomato than a korma, no cream, and a deliberate sour note. That sourness is what stops the heat from flattening the dish.

How hot is chicken madras?

Dish	Heat	Character
Korma	Mild	Creamy, nutty
Tikka masala	Mild	Tomato, cream
Rogan josh	Mild–medium	Aromatic, warm
Madras	Medium–hot	Chilli, tomato, sour
Vindaloo	Hot	Vinegar, heavy chilli
Phaal	Extreme	Chilli-forward, little else

What to serve with it

Basmati rice is standard; a plain naan or roti works if you want something to mop the sauce. A cucumber raita on the side takes the edge off the heat far better than water does — dairy binds capsaicin, water just moves it around.

Making it at home

Two things separate a good madras from a hot but flat one. First, bloom the ground spices in oil for 30–40 seconds before the tomato goes in — raw powder tastes dusty. Second, cook the onion base far longer than feels necessary, 15 minutes at least, until it collapses. The sweetness that develops is what balances the chilli.