Kerala Coconut milk Chicken Curry

I had received a few requests on Instagram  for a traditional Kerala chicken curry. It’s difficult to decide between many as there are so many variations to each. But here goes another one of our household favourite – the chicken curry Amma used to make almost every other week while we grew up mostly weekends 😊 and it is still an absolute favourite on my list of chicken curries. It has become a favourite with Percy too. Though I am trying to master the perfection every time I make it I still find a special taste to it when Amma prepares it. 

Sharing the recipe here 

Recipe 

Chicken – 1 kg cut into medium pieces

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Onion – 1 large, thinly sliced

Tomato – 2 medium (one tomato to be cut into 4 pieces)

Ginger garlic paste  – 1 tbsp

Green chillies – 3 slit longitudinally 

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Chicken Masala powder – 2 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Thin coconut milk – 1 cup

Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup

Salt – To taste

Steps 

1. Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a kadai or flat bottomed pan over medium heat. 
2. Add in the onion, green chillies and saute well until onion turns transparent and light golden brown. 
3. Now add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Lower the heat now and add in the turmeric powder first and sauté for 2-3 minutes 
5. Then add in the coriander powder sautéing it for 2 minutes followed by the chicken masala powder and and sauté well for 2 minutes
6. Lastly add in the Kashmiri chilly powder and sauté for a minute. 
7. Now add in the chicken pieces and tomato pieces and add in thin coconut milk and cover it well and cook for 8-10 minutes.
8. Open the lid and mix well and add in garam masala and thick coconut milk and keep cooking on low flame for around 10 minutes or till chicken is well cooked and falls off the bone. The gravy consistency must not be too runny. 
9. Serve hot 

Notes 

• You may add potatoes at the same time of adding the chicken pieces and cook it. It gives the chicken curry a slightly thicker consistency and also adds to the bulk of the curry 

• The chicken pieces need to be cooked on medium flame with lid closed till it gets half cooked before we open lid and cook on low flame till fully cooked.