There are so many chicken curries I have shared, and like most, this coconut milk chicken curry also uses fresh ground spices which elevate the flavor. However, if you are in a hurry, you could use powdered spices in your pantry to make an easy and quick version.
Why You Will love this recipe?
It is a one pot dish perfect for mid week dinners. This curry is mild and on the creamier side without addition of any nuts or heavy cream.
Ingredients
Here is a picture of ingredients that you will need.
Spices (Whole) - Coriander, Black Peppercorn, Cinnamon, Bayleaf, Dried Chillies, Cloves, Cumin, Fenugreek etc. Refer to recipe card for suggestion on using ready to use powdered spices.
Which Cut of Chicken is Best for Curries?
It is a bit uncommon to make curries with boneless chicken in India. Only few mughlai or nut based creamy curries like butter chicken, chicken korma, chicken tikka masala etc use boneless chicken. Indian restaurants outside India popularized curries with boneless chicken because they were less messy to serve to non- indian guests. Slowly it became a practice among home cooks like you and me. Boneless chicken curries are definitely quick to make and if we use the right techniques, the flavors come out absolutely amazing. Always use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for making indian chicken curries. Chicken thighs have more fat content and they are a super flavorful cut for any kind of curry. Chicken breast will get tough & stringy and because its very lean,neither it will stand up to the cooking time nor add much to the flavor to the sauce. Except a few tikka recipes like this malai chicken tikka, you will rarely see me using chicken breast for indian preparations.
Fresh Ground Spices Or Ready to Use (Powdered)
If you have been following my blog, you would know that I am more of a fresh ground spices girl. Undoubtedly, the flavors are just so deep and bold- you can grind the spices a day or a week ahead and store. Use it whenever you are making the curry. That said, you can mix up store bough powdered spices and use rightway- it is definitely quick & easier.
How To Make Coconut Chicken Curry (Step Pictures)
Preparation
Toast and grind the spices or if using powdered, keep the spices ready. Cut chicken thighs into 2.5 to 3 inch pieces. Sprinkle the salt and spices over chicken thighs. Rub thoroughly. Let sit while we prepare the sauce base. Chop onions, mince ginger and garlic. If using canned, open the (unsweetened) coconut milk can.
Cooking The Coconut Chicken Curry
Stove Top Method:-
In a dutch oven or heavy kadai(indian wok), warm up oil and temper with bay leaf, green cardamom and cinnamon. Add the onions and lightly brown them for 6-7 minutes. Add the ginger & garlic. Saute for few seconds. Add curry leaves and turmeric powder and saute for 10 seconds.
Add the chicken and mix it around for about 6-7 minute till you see that the chicken is starting to turn whitish.
Cover and let cook till the chicken is 90 percent cooked. There is no need to add water, keep the heat on low medium and check 1-2 times to make sure that the chicken is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Pour the coconut milk, mix and turn the stove to low. Cover and let cook for 15-18 minutes. We dont need to any water, the water from chicken along with coconut milk will form a good amount of sauce. Dont let coconut milk come to a boil.
Finish the curry with tamarind pulp. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Method:-
Set the instant pot on saute mode. Warm up the oil and temper with bay leaf and cinnamon. You can also add a small piece of star anise. Add the onions and lightly brown them for 6-7 minutes. Then, add the ginger & garlic, green chilies curry leaves and turmeric powder and saute for 20 seconds. Add the chicken and saute. Add ⅓ cup water and close the lid of the pot fitted with vent in the sealing position. On pressure cook mode, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and again put the IP in saute mode. Add the coconut milk and tamarind. Stir around and cook the sauce for 4-5 minutes. Dont let coconut milk come to a boil.
Stove Top Or Instant Pot
If you ask me there is not much of a time difference when it comes to using stove top or instant pot. We are using boneless chicken thighs and they cook pretty quickly, about 15-18 minutes for 2-2.5 inch chicken pieces. I like the stove top method more because even though I don’t baby sit the chicken while it cooks, I love that I can take a peek here and there and adjust the stove from low to high depending on what’s going on in the pot. Also I feel that the texture of the chicken is far more succulent. Instant Pot method is awesome for busy evenings. In about 30 minutes you got a beautiful yellow colored, fragrant chicken coconut curry waiting for you without much effort.
Serving & Variations
Like most south indian dishes, this curry is best served with some plain steamed basmati rice. You can serve a few pieces of naan and a fresh salad to go along. You can also serve it with quinoa. This chicken curry freezes so well. Cool it completely, portion it in plastic containers, cover with lid and freeze for 2 months. Thaw for a few hours before reheating. Variations You can Try :-
Add vegetables - You can add potatoes, green beans, carrots or broccoli to this chicken curry to make it extra satisfying. Potatoes can be added with chicken and for other vegetables, blanch them before adding them towards the end. Make it Non Spicy - Skip or reduce the chilies. Make it With Seafood - You can use the same recipe and add firm fish like salmon or cod. You can add extra large size raw shrimp and make shrimp coconut curry. Make Egg Curry- This is the easiest. Make the sauce, add harboiled eggs and egg curry is ready! If you are making a fresh spice powder, toast some dry or desiccated coconut with the spices and grind together to bump uo the coconut flavor.
My Notes
Cut chicken thighs into a bit large pieces - 2.5 to 3 inch chunks. As they cook the release their juices and shrink in size. This is particularly useful tip for boneless chicken cooking. At any stage of cooking, dont let chicken cook on high heat for long. This avoids tough chicken. When we use IP, just 3 minutes of high pressure cooking and rest everything is on saute mode. When cooking on stove top, you should make sure that the curry cooks on low to medium, there should not be any bubbling/boiling, only simmering. Don’t let the curry boil once you have added the coconut milk because there are chances of sauce getting curdled. Tamarind sauce/pulp/paste available in stores can be sweetish to very salty depending on the brand. Make sure to taste it before adding to the sauce.
