Kerala Chicken Curry (Nadan Kozhi Curry)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Swasthi
Servings
3
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
610
Make this easy and delicious popular Kerala Chicken curry under 50 mins. Serve it with ghee rice, coconut rice, appam or any flatbreads like parotta or chapati.
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ kg (500 grams) chicken (bone-in cut preferred or use boneless thighs or drumsticks)
-
¼ teaspoon red chili powder (less spicy kind like Kashmiri or byadgi)
-
⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to your preference)
-
¼ teaspoon turmeric
-
½ teaspoon garam masala
-
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
For the curry
- 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
-
¾ cup onions chopped or sliced finely (1 large)
-
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ½ teaspoon each grated)
-
½ cup tomatoes (chopped, optional, read notes)
-
¾ cup coconut milk (thin milk)
For garam masala (or read notes for substitute)
- 1½ tablespoons coriander seeds (or ¾ tablespoon ground coriander)
-
1 inch cinnamon piece (or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon)
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4 cloves (or ⅛ tsp ground cloves)
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2 pods green cardamom (or ¼ tsp ground green cardamom)
-
¼ teaspoon black pepper corn (or ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper)
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1 teaspoon fennel seeds (or ¾ teaspoon fennel powder)
-
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds (optional, or ¼ tsp ground cumin)
-
2 to 4 dried red chilies (or ¼ to ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder)
Tempering (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
-
1 dried red chili (break and remove the seeds)
-
3 to 4 pearl onions sliced thinly (Or 3 tbsps sliced shallots)
-
1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry)
Directions
Marinate chicken with chili powder, salt, turmeric, pepper and garam masala. Keep aside until you prepare the rest.
Make Kerala Masala
On a low flame dry roast coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and red chilies until they begin to smell aromatic.
- Remove them to a plate and roast fennel seeds along with cumin until both turn aromatic. Add these to a grinder or spice jar and make a fine powder.
- Pour 3 tablespoons water and blend to a smooth paste. Keep this aside.
Make Kerala Chicken Curry With Coconut Milk
Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add onions and saute till they turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone, for a minute. Add the tomatoes if using and cook until they break down and lose the raw flavor.
Transfer the marinated chicken and saute on a slightly high flame till it turns white in color, for about 3 to 4 mins.▢
Stir in the prepared kerala spice paste (or garam masala mixed with 3 tbsps water). Cover and cook on a low flame till the chicken is fully cooked and tender. If the pan is too dry, pour ¼ cup hot water.
Pour the coconut milk, stir well and let simmer for 5 mins until slightly thick. Taste test to add more salt or black pepper.
Optional
Heat a small pan with coconut oil and fry onions till they turn pink. Add curry leaves and red chili. When the leaves turn crisp, remove and pour this over the Kerala Chicken Curry.
Serve it with ghee rice, coconut rice, appam, parotta or with chapati.
Recipe Note
I prefer to use 1 tbsp lemon juice to marinate.
Traditional Kerala chicken curry is made without tomatoes but if you want you may add them.
The combination of spices mentioned in the recipe impart the best flavors. But they can be substituted with 1 teaspoon store bought garam masala + ½ tablespoon coriander powder +¼ to ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.
Store bought garam masala varies in strength so adjust accordingly.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- per serving
- Calories
- 610
Amount/Serving
% Daily Value
- Fat
- 47 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 25 grams
- Cholesterol
- 125 milligrams
- Sodium
- 138 milligrams
- Potassium
- 698 milligrams
- Carbs
- 14 grams
- Fiber
- 3 grams
- Sugar
- 4 grams
- Protein
- 34 grams
- Vitamin A
- 785 milligrams
- Vitamin C
- 87.9 milligrams
- Calcium
- 69 milligrams
- Iron
- 4.7 milligrams
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