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| Chicken curry with coconut milk |
This is a universal dish. There are as many variations as there are regions. It will be found in roadside coffee shops to 5 star restaurants. Two major versions of chicken curry are that made with dry ingredients and that made with wet ground spice paste.
Chicken curry is famous because it easily absorbs the entire range of flavors. It does not have the strong smell and taste of mutton or lamb or other red meats.
In South Asia it is served with rice, noodles and breads.
Today I am going to make the curry with dry ingredients. This is very simple and straight forward. In future I will show a chicken curry made with spice paste.
Recipe summary
For
Chicken curry with coconut milk
preparation time:30 minutes.
Cooking time:30 minutes
Serves: 6
1. Cut 1 kg boneless chicken into bite size pieces.
2. In a medium size bowl and put the chicken pieces and add 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of pepper powder, 5 grams ginger and 3 cloves garlic ground into paste. Mix all the marinating ingredients and stir well so that all the pieces are well coated with marinates. Cover the bowl with cling foil and leave the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3. In a medium sized skillet heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil of your choice. I used a wok. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add in 1 whole dry red chili. Do not break the dry red chilies into smaller pieces as we want only the aroma and not the heat from it. Fry for one minute.
4. Add 1 piece cinnamon stick - 4” long, 4 cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 1 pandan leaf 5” long, 3 star anise, 3 cloves and 2 sprigs curry leaves and fry for one minute.I am using dry pandan leaves and curry leaves.
5. Add 2 lemon grass pieces 5” long each, Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 green chili finely chopped, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add 90 grams chopped coarsely onion and stir once. I am not frying the onion. I fried only the spices to get the aroma.
7. Add the chicken and fry for about 3 minutes. You will notice the color of the chicken turning to be white.
8. Now add 2 tbsp of curry powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and and stir well. Optionally you may also add 1 tsp briyani masala powder.
9. Normally you will add 1 cup coconut milk towards the end. Here I am adding early so that the chicken will absorb the coconut milk fully. and give a special taste. Add ½ tsp salt.
10. Add 2 cups water to cover the chicken. Bring to the boil in high heat and reduce the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Occasionally open the cover, stir and check for the amount of water in the pan. If the pan is dry add some water.
11.Check to see if the texture of the chicken is to your taste. If it is not tender enough add a little more water and cook for another 15 minutes.
12. Add juice from ½ a lime or lemon. Taste for seasoning and adjust. At this point chicken should be tender and delicious.
Chicken curry with coconut milk is ready.
Recipe follows in detail with pictures. For
Chicken curry with coconut milk
preparation time:30 minutes.
Cooking time:30 minutes
Serves: 6
1. Cut 1 kg boneless chicken into bite size pieces.
2. In a medium size bowl and put the chicken pieces and add 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of pepper powder, 5 grams ginger and 3 cloves garlic ground into paste. Mix all the marinating ingredients and stir well so that all the pieces are well coated with marinates. Cover the bowl with cling foil and leave the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
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| Chicken curry with coconut milk |
3. In a medium sized skillet heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil of your choice. I used a wok. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add in 1 whole dry red chili. Do not break the dry red chilies into smaller pieces as we want only the aroma and not the heat from it. Fry for one minute.
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| Spices |
4. Add 1 piece cinnamon stick - 4” long, 4 cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 1 pandan leaf 5” long, 3 star anise, 3 cloves and 2 sprigs curry leaves and fry for one minute.I am using dry pandan leaves and curry leaves.
5. Add 2 lemon grass pieces 5” long each, Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 green chili finely chopped, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add 90 grams chopped coarsely onion and stir once. I am not frying the onion. I fried only the spices to get the aroma.
7. Add the chicken and fry for about 3 minutes. You will notice the color of the chicken turning to be white.
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| Adding the chicken |
8. Now add 2 tbsp of curry powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and and stir well. Optionally you may also add 1 tsp briyani masala powder.
9. Normally you will add 1 cup coconut milk towards the end. Here I am adding early so that the chicken will absorb the coconut milk fully. and give a special taste. Add ½ tsp salt.
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| Adding curry powder, garam masala and coconut milk |
10. Add 2 cups water to cover the chicken. Bring to the boil in high heat and reduce the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Occasionally open the cover, stir and check for the amount of water in the pan. If the pan is dry add some water.
11.Check to see if the texture of the chicken is to your taste. If it is not tender enough add a little more water and cook for another 15 minutes.
12. Add juice from ½ a lime or lemon. Taste for seasoning and adjust. At this point chicken should be tender and delicious.
Chicken curry with coconut milk is ready.
preparation time:30 minutes.
Cooking time:30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Main
1 kg boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces
Others
90 grams onions chopped coarsely
1 green chili finely chopped
1 pandan leaf 5” long
2 lemon grass pieces 5” long each
2 sprigs curry leaves½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
Juice from ½ a lemon
3 tablespoon of vegetable oil of your choice
2 cups water
Spices
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 dry chili, whole
3 star anise
½ teaspoon cumin seeds½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek
1 piece cinnamon stick - 4” long
4 cloves
3 cardamoms
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| Onion,green chili and lemon grass |
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| Spices |
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon of pepper powder
5 grams ginger and 3 cloves garlic ground into paste
Salt and turmeric powder protect the meat from harmful micro-organisms. They also delay the spoilage of the meat during cooking process. Garlic ginger paste tenderizes the meat.
Preparation
Mix all the marinating ingredients in a medium size bowl and put the chicken pieces and stir well so that all the pieces are well coated with marinates. Cover the bowl with cling foil and leave the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
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| Marinated chicken |
Method
In a medium sized skillet heat the oil. I used a wok. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add in the whole dry red chilies. Do not break the dry red chilies into smaller pieces as we want only the aroma and not the heat from it. Fry for one minute.
You will get some strong fumes from the frying dry chili. If it irritates your nose and throat, or if you don’t like the smell of the fumes add dry chili after adding onion. You may also omit it altogether.
Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pandan leaf, star anise, cloves and curry leaves and fry for one minute.I am using dry pandan leaves and curry leaves.
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| Frying dry chili, cinnamon,cardamom,pandan leaf and clove |
Add lemon grass
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| Added lemon grass |
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| Adding cumin seeds, green chili, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds. |
Add green chili and stir.
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| Adding green chili and stir. |
Add onion and stir once. I am not frying the onion. I fried only the spices to get the aroma
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| Add onion |
Add the chicken and fry for about 3 minutes. You will notice the color of the chicken turning to be white.
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| Adding the chicken |
Now add curry powder, garam masala and and stir well. If you have briyani masala you can add 1 teaspoon.
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| Adding curry powder and garam masala |
Normally you will add the coconut milk towards the end.
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| Coconut milk |
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| Adding curry powder, garam masala and coconut milk |
Add water to cover the chicken.
Bring to the boil in high heat and reduce the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Occasionally open the cover, stir and check for the amount of water in the pan. If the pan is dry add some water.
Check to see if the texture of the chicken is to your taste. If it is not tender enough add a little more water and cook for another 15 minutes.
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| Curry being cooked |
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| Final stage |
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| Chicken curry with coconut milk |
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| Very spicy boneless chicken curry |
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