Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry
On the coast of Kerala, curry is unthinkable without coconut milk and fresh curry leaves, two ingredients no quick recipe truly respects. No cream here: coconut naturally thickens the sauce, and freshly ground black pepper, added off the heat, is the step rushed versions always skip.
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken thighs: 800g
- Onions, finely sliced: 2
- Garlic, made into a paste: 3 cloves
- Fresh ginger, made into a paste: 3cm
- Tomatoes, crushed: 2-3
- Coconut milk: 400ml
- Coconut oil (or neutral oil): 2 tablespoons
-
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
-
Fresh curry leaves: 15-20
-
Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
-
Ground coriander: 2 teaspoons
-
Kashmiri chili powder: 1-2 teaspoons
-
Kerala black pepper, freshly ground: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
Instructions
-
1
Heat the oil, let the mustard seeds pop, then add the curry leaves and let sizzle for 30 seconds.
-
2
Add the onions and cook until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
-
3
Add the garlic and ginger, then the dry spices, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
-
4
Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates from the sauce.
-
5
Add the chicken and sear for a few minutes.
-
6
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
-
7
Off the heat, add the freshly ground Kerala black pepper.
-
8
Garnish with fresh curry leaves before serving.
Tips
Dried curry leaves instead of fresh: add them earlier and double the quantity.
Grind the Kerala pepper at the very last minute, it loses its aroma fast once ground.
Simmer gently, without forcing a boil: coconut milk can split if it boils too hard.
Spices used
Find the spices from this recipe in our shop.
Whole Malabar black pepper
Dried Curry Leaves from Uttarakhand
Kashmiri Red Chili
Coriander Powder
Mustard seeds
Lakadong Turmeric Powder
Get this recipe by email
Receive the recipe in PDF format directly in your inbox, ready to print.
Your email will only be used to send you the recipe. See our privacy policy.
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to review this recipe!