Chicken Coconut Milk Curry - No Tomato Recipe

Chicken curry prepared with spices in coconut milk is such a treat to the taste-buds. Am a big lover of this dish due to the smooth curry texture and yumminess, the chicken pieces in this curry absorbs all the flavors well and remains juicy and succulent. It is not too spicy yet has mild flavors of the spices added, it may seem spicy don't be deceived by the red color of the curry. Chicken with bones will suit this curry more. Goes well as sides with ghee rice, coconut rice (click here for recipe), biryani and other rice varieties, also good with dosas and idlis. I prepared this curry today, as side for coconut rice and got more praises, my coconut rice recipe is a sure hit too, try them and share your feedback here. Now lets see how to prepare this yummy curry.

(Looking for more hotter chicken curry? click here and here)

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 3 - 4 people)

1. Chicken - 500 grams (With bones preferred)
2. Coconut milk - 2 cups ; Thin coconut milk - 1 cup (To know how to make thin milk see tip 1)
3. Big onions - 1 (sliced)
4. Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 spoons 
5. Curry leaves - A handful 
6. Red chilli powder - 1.5 spoons 
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 spoon 
8. Pepper powder - 1/2 spoon 
9. Turmeric powder - Few pinches 
10. Cumin seeds - 1/4 spoon 
11. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long piece
12. Cardamom pods - 2 
13. Salt - As per taste 
14. Oil - 5 spoons ; Ghee - 1/2 spoon 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash chicken well in water apply turmeric powder and salt and set aside for few minutes and wash again. 
• Heat a wide pan add oil and ghee, when it heats up add cumin seeds and let it splutter, then add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, curry leaves, sliced onions and saute well until the onions turn translucent. 
• Add ginger garlic paste saute for few minutes, then add red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and stir well.
• Then add the chicken pieces and saute for few minutes. 
• Now add 1.5 cups of coconut milk and 1 cup of thin coconut milk (or) water and cook on low flame. 
• Stir occasionally and add water if necessary, then add pepper powder. 
• When the chicken seems almost cooked (takes atleast 20 minutes) add the remaining coconut milk and stir well. 
• Cook for another 10 minutes on low flame and remove from flame when the chicken pieces seems tender and cooked and the gravy thickens. 
• If you wish garnish with coriander leaves and serve!

TIP 1: How to extract thick and thin coconut milk 

Thick coconut milk: In a blender add the coconut pieces and grind coarsely first do not add any water now. Then add 1/4 a cup of water and grind into a fine paste. Use a muslin cloth or strainer with finer holes to extract the milk, add another 1/4 cup of water and extract the milk. Muslin cloth works best. Don't discard the pulp, you'll need this to extract thinner milk

Thin coconut milk: Now take the leftover coconut pulp and mix it with 1 cup of water. Then extract the thin milk using muslin cloth or strainer.

TIP 2: This is a mildly spiced curry, but seems like a spicy one. You can add more red chilli powder if you like it more hot.

TIP 3: You can prepare this curry using a pressure cooker also but it will not give you the best flavors. For the pressure cooker method follow the same steps upto step 6 (i.e upto addition of pepper powder) then close the pressure cooker with lid and cook for 10 minutes. Then open the lid and add the remaining coconut milk and boil for another 5 minutes and serve.

Missed ginger-garlic paste in this picture's ingredients list while editing! 

Lip-smacking and delicious chicken coconut milk curry is now ready!! It is so yum and goes well with rice, especially coconut rice or ghee rice, dosas and idlis!!

Participating in The Soup Kitchen Event

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