Coconut Chicken Curry / Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry

My interest with Kerala cuisine grew as I read some articles from the Nat Geo Travel blog. With beautiful portrayals and breath taking pictures, I could do nothing but grow an never ending tryst with Kerala. Their fish curries, chicken curries, stir fries and their beautiful sea food dishes....and not to say their sambhar and idiyappam. I just love them.

One day we visited my husband's South Indian colleague and his wife served us idiyappam with some potato curry, sambhar and the typical sweet coconut chutney. What a delish!!

Growing up in Bengal lead me to think that South Indian cuisine is nothing but mustard seeds, curry leaves, idli, dosa and everything vegetarian. But oops....the first thing I hear from my South Indian neighbor is that she loves to eat chicken. I was bewildered...and confused...and with an utmost stupidity, I asked, aren't you supposed to eat veg only??? And she laughed a lot..my god!!!! It almost gave me a fright. Later I knew that South Indian Brahmins are the strictly vegetarians. Ok...now I get it!!!

I recently bought a 500ml can of thick full fat coconut milk. Then I planned to make this Coconut Chicken Curry with half of that, and the rest will go to the Golda Chingri Malaikari. Two show stopper dishes, coming back to back!! It sounded a lot like the movie trailers. But anyways, I am happy, hubby is happy...and my tummy must be thanking me then!! Sadly, my cats don't eat chicken, then don't even sniff fishes. They are super happy with their croquets and cat foods. So posh...really!!!!

Coconut Chicken Curry / Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken on the bones
• 2 large onion
• 6-7 fat cloves of garlic
• 2 inch ginger piece
• 2 dry red chilies
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 green chilies (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (preferably, any other oil will do too)

Method:

• In a blender put in the onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies and some water. Blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilies.
• As they start to sizzle and splutter, add in the onion paste we made.
• Cook till the onion is browned and all the raw flavor is gone.
• When they start to release oil add in some water and all the spices, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.
• Then add the chicken pieces.
• Mix everything so that all the chicken pieces gets coated with all the masalas and the put cover to let it cook in it own juice.
• Keep stirring in between to prevent the chicken pieces and the masalas sticking to the pan.
• When all the water evaporates, add some water.
• Cook till the chicken becomes soft and tender from inside.
• Now add the coconut milk and let it come to a boil.
• Simmer until it reaches its desired consistency.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Serve hot with some roti or paratha or steamed hot rice.