Kerala Chicken Curry- with Coconut Milk

Easy chicken curry from Kerala, also called "nadan kozhi curry," which translates to village chicken curry, is made with coconut milk, onions, and a few spices. It's one of the easiest Indian chicken curries you can make. It goes fantastically with rice, rotis, dosas, and appams.

I love mopping up this coconuty chicken curry with spongy dosas and appams. The gravy is heavenly, creamy, and not overly spicy.

Storebought coconut milk makes things easier. It's simple to make, with ingredients that you can find everywhere.

If there was one chicken curry recipe I would suggest to beginners, it's this one. Even though the ingredient list seems long, the process is quite simple. Plus, I have a shortcut to reduce your ingredient list in the recipe.

The recipe is from the state of Kerala in southern India, where my husband is from. I am in love with food from Kerala, as is evident from the number of recipes on this blog.

This chicken curry recipe is very close to my heart. It is the first dish from Kerala that I mastered about 15 years ago ever since I have been making it almost every week.

What you need

Here is what you will need. I have alternatives for whole spices so don't get scared.

Chicken—For this curry, we will use medium-sized chicken pieces on the bone—about 2-3 inch pieces. A mix of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks would also work.The size of the chicken pieces will determine the cooking time.

As a last option, you can use boneless chicken thighs or breasts, but the flavor is usually not as deep as when you use bone-in chicken, which can be simmered for longer.

Coconut Milk—I use store-bought coconut milk. Homemade coconut milk is always better and more intense in flavor, but it requires an additional 15 minutes of active work.

I will let you in on a big secret: Most people from Kerala use canned or powdered coconut milk.

Whole Spices—If you do not have individual whole spices, use garam masala. Fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin are the main staple spices in Malyali cuisine.

Powdered Spices—These are basic Indian pantry spices. To make it even simpler, add turmeric, coriander seed powder, chili powder, and ground pepper.

Curry Leaves -Most South Indian food is incomplete without these leaves. These are readily available in most Indian groceries in both fresh and dried form. The dried curry leaves last a lifetime!

Shallots- Shallots are small onions that have tons of "onion" flavor without the heat and acid. They are quite popular in Malyali cuisine.

But I only add fried shallots when I am looking to impress or hosting dinner.

How to make Kerala Chicken Curry

Step 1: Prep

Gather all the spices—cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, fennel seeds, and peppercorns—and blend them to a powder.

Make a paste of the ginger and garlic. Or just finely chop them along with the onions.

Step 2- Making the Base

Heat a heavy pot. Add the coconut oil. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Cook until the onions turn translucent. You want them pinkish-white so that they thicken the gravy instead of standing out.

Add the dry spice mix and roast the onions and spices for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is starting to burn, add a splash of water.

Step 3: Cooking the Chicken

Crank up the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken , ½ cup of coconut milk , salt and mix well. Coating the Chicken with the onion mixture.

Simmer for 20-25 minutes. The time may differ based on the cut of the chicken.Bone in chicken takes more time than boneless chicken. Bone in chicken thighs will take the longest time to cook.

Step 4: Thicken with Coconut Milk

Add the rest of the coconut milk, stir the curry well, and let it cook open for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust.

If using kokum, simmer it along with the coconut milk so it can release its flavor.Otherwise, add lemon juice at the end of the cooking.

The curry is cooked if the leg piece near the thinnest part starts to tear.

Step 5: Fried Shallots

Do this when you want to impress someone or if you are feeling indulgent. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan. Add thinly sliced shallots & curry Leaves and fry till the shallots turn golden.

Discard the oil and garnish the curry with fried shallots and curry leaves.

Serving with & Menu Options

The curry goes wonderfully with fluffy, hot rice or ghee rice.

If you are in the mood for the meal of the year, make this curry with appams( also called Hoppers)—these are fermented rice pancakes that are soft in the middle and crispy on the sides. Or even better, make Egg appams or egg dosas!

A whole Kerala menu will be this chicken curry, rice, maybe fish fry, dal and some sort of vegetable like sauteed beans and carrots. A great dessert can be this simple coconut laddo or you can go the traditional way with a small banana and curd rice.

You can make the same curry with shrimp instead. If you are new to kerala cuisine, do give a try to my simple vegetable stew and jammy egg roast.

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How to make Coconut Milk at home

Coconut milk can be made ,quite easily ,with fresh coconut. All you need to do is break open the coconut, get the flesh, add it in the blender along with 2 cups of water. Strain the water using a sieve,lightly press and you have the first thick extract of coconut.

The second extract is made the same way by adding 2 cups of water to the left over coconut, blending it again in the food processor and straining the coconut.

Though making your own coconut milk will be so much more flavourful and fresh, it is not always possible to use it.More often than not, we are running against time and modern luxuries of canned coconut milk help us make the curry without breaking a leg(errr coconut I mean).

You may use the canned coconut milk to substitute first extract.The second extract is usually thinned down version of the first, hence add 1 part canned coconut milk to 1 part water and your second extract of coconut milk is ready.

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