Kerala chicken curry. Want a comforting meal to end the day on a delicious note? Look no further than this flavorful chicken curry made with simple ingredients that you can pair with rice or naan. This curry is the way to go if you want an effortless dish loaded with tons of flavor. Between its luscious spiced sauce, tender chicken and aromatic tempering, this dish simply can’t get any better.
Don’t think of this recipe as another classic Indian style curry. In fact, the tempering makes it so unique imparting an extra delicious touch. With sautéed onions and few spices, you can expect a beautiful curry perfect for everyday cooking. And fried shallots, red chilies and curry leaves make it so special.
Well, the secret comes down to the right balance of flavors of the curry as well as the tempering. Together, they bring in the best flavors making the ultra delicious version of the curry. I love that it’s so easy to make even on busy weeknights. So, here comes another addition to my recipe repertoire.
Key Ingredients In Kerala Chicken Curry
- Chicken - Whole chicken cut into small portions is key in the traditional recipe, however, I have opted for boneless chicken (chicken thighs or breasts).
- Spices - You will need dried whole spices and powdered spices in this recipe. The whole spices include bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. The ground spices include turmeric, coriander, fennel and red chili powder.
- Tomatoes - Red, vibrant tomatoes cooked until mushy makes the rich sauce.
- Coconut milk - Alongside tomatoes, the addition of coconut milk accentuates the creaminess of the curry.
- Curry leaves - One of the quintessential ingredients of classic dishes from Kerala.
- Coconut oil - The classic Kerala style dishes are cooked in coconut oil, but you can opt for simple vegetable oil if you like.
How To Make Kerala Chicken Curry
Stir fry chicken with spices - Start with sautéing the whole spices followed by stir frying garlic, ginger and green chilies. When it releases a nice aroma, fry the onions until you get beautiful golden color. Next, stir fry the ground spices quickly over low heat to avoid burning. Tomatoes and curry leaves go in next, and are cooked until tomatoes turn mushy. To this, you will need to add chicken, and stir fry for about 10 minutes. The chicken will release water and absorb the amazing flavors of the spices.
Make the curry - To make the sauce of the curry, you will need to add hot water. This will keep the chicken pieces tender, and not hard and rubbery. Once chicken is cooked through, you can stir in coconut milk, garam masala and ground black pepper.
Tempering - This curry requires tempering or tadka for maximum flavor. It involves frying shallots, mustard seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves in a little oil. Transfer the tempered spices to the curry immediately and stir.
Kerala Chicken Curry
Ingredients
Curry:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 2 green chilies sliced lenghtwise
- 2 large onions sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 kg chicken preferably chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon oil preferably coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- ¼ cup coconut flakes optional
Garnish:
- Curry leaves
To serve:
- Rice roti or naan
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves. Sauté, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until golden.
- Add ground turmeric, ground fennel, ground coriander and red chili powder. Sauté, stirring, for about 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Add tomatoes and curry leaves. Sauté, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes or until mushy.
- Add chicken. Stir to combine. Season with salt. Stir fry for 10 minutes.
- Add hot water. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Add coconut milk, garam masala and ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- To make the tempering, heat oil in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds, shallots, red chilies, curry leaves and coconut flakes (if using). Stir fry for 2 minutes or until shallots are browned. Remove from heat. Add to the curry. Stir. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve with your favorite side.
Make This In Slow Cooker:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add chicken, Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, green chilies, onions, ground turmeric, ground fennel, ground coriander, red chili powder, tomatoes, curry leaves, and water. Stir to combine. Season with salt. Cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low or until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens slightly. Stir in coconut milk, garam masala and ground black pepper. Make the tempering and stir into the curry.
Make This In Instant Pot:
- With the instant pot on sauté mode, heat oil. Fry bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Sauté garlic, ginger and green chilies until fragrant. Sauté onions until golden. Stir in ground turmeric, ground fennel, and ground coriander and red chili powder. Sauté for 1 minute. Add, chicken, tomatoes and water. Stir to combine. Season with salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Once pressure is released, open the instant pot. Stir in coconut milk, garam masala and ground black pepper. Turn on sauce mode. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Make the tempering over stove top and add to the curry.
Video
Notes
- Tomatoes - When fresh tomatoes are not in season, use canned tomatoes.
- Coconut oil - The traditional recipe uses coconut oil, but you can replace it with vegetable oil.
Nutrition
Like this Kerala chicken curry recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Watch exclusive recipe videos on YouTube.
Check out more chicken curry recipes:
- Malabar Chicken Curry - Delicious and must try.
- Chinese Chicken Curry - Easy yet flavorful.
- Whole Chicken Curry - Whole braised chicken in curry sauce.
- Tandoori Chicken Curry - Curry in tandoori spiced sauce.
- Mango Chicken Curry - Delicious combo of chicken and mangoes.
lili says
Priya Thomas says
My favourite chicken curry!
Pooja Saha says
Looks delicious Rose😊
Lynn says
The recipe doesn't say how many tomatoes to use. I used 2 as mine were not very flavourful. Is that correct?
Rose Mary George says
2 large is perfect!