Malabar chicken curry - Looking for a delicious chicken curry that’s well-known for its rich and creamy sauce? No problem. Why not try this Malabar style chicken curry in coconut sauce? Perfect to enjoy with naan or a bowl of rice!
Truth to be told, a good chicken curry is one of my go-to comfort dinners. When it comes to chicken curry, I usually stick to my traditional favorite. But, as you know, I always love to try out new recipes. So, last week I made this special chicken curry which is actually a classic recipe from the northern region of Kerala.
The best part of this Malabar chicken curry is its rich, luscious sauce or gravy. The creamy sauce alongside the subtle spices, and of course the tender chicken. It’s very similar to a basic chicken curry.
As I said, the most exciting part of this chicken curry is its sauce. I mean,
who doesn’t like the combination of coconut and spices? To make this delicious sauce, you’ll need fresh grated coconut. The keyword here is ‘fresh’. If fresh coconut is not available, frozen ones will also do the job. But don’t use dried grated coconut. For maximum flavor, fresh is always the best.
Fry coconut with all the spices until it’s golden. But don’t forget to stir continuously to prevent burning, okay? Grind this coconut to a smooth paste. Again, remember the word ‘smooth’. That’s the secret to the richness of the sauce. Now don’t you love the spicy, toasted flavor of coconut?
The second and final part of this Malabar chicken curry is cooking chicken pieces in the coconut sauce. I always prefer chicken with bone for curries as they are more flavorful. In my opinion, chicken with bone tastes much better compared to the boneless version. But, on the other hand, if you like boneless chicken, go for it.
And add plenty of curry leaves for the authentic taste. Now if you want to take a break from the regular chicken curry you make, try this out. I must admit, the combination of chicken and toasted coconut is just amazing. So flavorful, yet easy to make!
MORE MALABAR RECIPES
- Malabar Roast Chicken | Kozhi Nirachathu
- Malabar Chicken Biriyani
- Malabar Paratha | Kerala Parotta
- Malabar Fish Roast
Ingredients
Coconut Paste:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon oil coconut oil preferred
- ▢ 2 small onions chopped
- ▢ 3 cloves
- ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
- ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ▢ 4 cardamom pods
- ▢ ½ cup grated coconut
- ▢ Water
Malabar chicken curry:
- ▢ 2 tablespoon oil coconut oil preferred
- ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ▢ 3 medium onions chopped
- ▢ 1 sprig of curry leaves
- ▢ 2 green chilies
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic garlic paste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced ginger ginger paste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ▢ 2 tablespoon ground coriander coriander powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ▢ 2 tomatoes chopped
- ▢ 1 kg chicken cut into medium-sized pieces
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper black pepper powder
- ▢ Water
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ Curry leaves to garnish
Instructions
Coconut Paste:
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, and sauté until golden. Add cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cardamom. Stir fry for a minute. Add coconut. Saute, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Leave it to cool.
- Place the cooled mixture in a food processor. Add a little water, and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Malabar Chicken Curry:
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Splutter mustard seeds. Add onions, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Add ginger and garlic. Saute again until aromatic.
- Stir in turmeric, coriander, garam masala and red chili powder. Saute for a minute. Add tomatoes, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are mushy. Stir in the ground paste. Stir-fry for few seconds.
- Add in the chicken. Stir to coat the chicken pieces really well in the spices. Season with salt and black pepper. Add ¼ cup water. Cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with curry leaves.
Video
Nutrition
Like this Malabar chicken curry recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook , Pinterest or Instagram for the latest updates. Also, check out:
- Tawa Chicken
- Butter Chicken
- Chettinad Pepper Chicken Roast
- Kashmiri Chicken
- Capsicum Chicken
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Chicken Curry -Restaurant Style
- Chicken Korma
- Chicken Vindaloo
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Jalfrezi
- Chicken Karahi or Kadai Chicken
- Ginger Chicken
- Thattukada Chicken Fry
- Butter Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Tikka Biryani
- Chicken Kabsa
- Easy Chicken Biryani
- Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
Coconut Paste:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon oil coconut oil preferred
- ▢ 2 small onions chopped
- ▢ 3 cloves
- ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
- ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ▢ 4 cardamom pods
- ▢ ½ cup grated coconut
- ▢ Water
Malabar chicken curry:
- ▢ 2 tablespoon oil coconut oil preferred
- ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ▢ 3 medium onions chopped
- ▢ 1 sprig of curry leaves
- ▢ 2 green chilies
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic garlic paste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced ginger ginger paste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ▢ 2 tablespoon ground coriander coriander powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ▢ 2 tomatoes chopped
- ▢ 1 kg chicken cut into medium-sized pieces
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper black pepper powder
- ▢ Water
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ Curry leaves to garnish
Instructions
Coconut Paste:
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, and sauté until golden. Add cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cardamom. Stir fry for a minute. Add coconut. Saute, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Leave it to cool.
- Place the cooled mixture in a food processor. Add a little water, and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Malabar Chicken Curry:
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Splutter mustard seeds. Add onions, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Add ginger and garlic. Saute again until aromatic.
- Stir in turmeric, coriander, garam masala and red chili powder. Saute for a minute. Add tomatoes, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are mushy. Stir in the ground paste. Stir-fry for few seconds.
- Add in the chicken. Stir to coat the chicken pieces really well in the spices. Season with salt and black pepper. Add ¼ cup water. Cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with curry leaves.
