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
Malabar Chicken Curry | Video
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:
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- Chettinad Pepper Chicken Roast
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- 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
Want to try a North Indian chicken curry? Click here for the ever popular Tandoori Chicken Curry recipe.
Nava K says
Goodness! I am salivating. Just give a me a plate of rice and I will finish this whole portion of curry.
demeter | beaming baker says
Nish, this curry dish looks absolutely amazing! I'm drooling just looking at it. Thanks for sharing such an incredible recipe. 🙂
rasakama says
OMG ! This looks amazing ! This creamy sauce looks so rich in spices and the color of it is super tempting. Looove this chicken curry. I have all the ingredients at home and I can't wait to try this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Smitha says
Iam drooling over as if iam amidst a festival season with lots of relatives around for a communal pot. Looks amazing and classic nish
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
This chicken curry looks deliciously spicy and full of awesome flavors. Awesome share, Rose.
Suja Nair says
Fabulous.
Very tasty dish
Craig Anthony Stewart says
I actually made this dish for the first time over the weekend and like all the other recipes I have tried on this site, it was a complete success. My wife adored the coconut element and with the leftover sauce once we had fished off all the chicken, we had a lovely egg curry the next day.
Strongly recommended. By only tweak was that i used chicken in the bone pieces and so cooked them for longer.
Rose, could i use this space to ask if you have a Dhanzak recipe up your sleeve? Here in England Dhanzak is a popular sweet and sour lentil based curry (with lamb, chicken, prawn etc.) that every Indian restaurant does to varying degrees of quality but at its best is excellent. Hope you can help.
Craig
Tonya says
Do you put the cinnamon stick in the food processor? Do you have suggestions on ground seasoning (cinnamon, cardamom pods, curry leaves, etc.) alternatives? I am struggling to find these and also trying to save money and work with spices I have (already ground)
Rose Mary George says
You can use the ground versions of all the spices. 🙂