Malabari Chicken Curry

A comforting coastal curry with tender chicken in a rich coconut sauce, inspired by the coastal Malabar region of Kerala in India. Creamy, lightly spiced, and aromatic from dried curry leaves and ginger, this curry brings the warmth of southern India to your kitchen in under 30 minutes. Serve with rice for a complete, satisfying meal. If time allows, marinate the chicken for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator before making the sauce — it results in more succulent chicken. For a milder version leave out the fresh green chillies from the sauce. You can used tinned chopped tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes.

Start your shop...

Pick which supermarket you want to send your ingredients to:

Ingredients

chicken breast 500 g (cubed)
ginger & garlic paste 1 tsp
ground turmeric 2 tsp
green chillies 2
garam masala 1 tsp
garlic cloves 3 (chopped)
onion 2 (sliced)
tomatoes 2 (chopped)
black mustard seeds 1 tsp
dried curry leaves 1 tsp
ground coriander 1 ½ tbsp
basmati microwave rice 500 g
coconut milk 400 ml

Method

Marinate the chicken

Cube the chicken.
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the ginger & garlic paste, half the ground turmeric, optional pinch of Kashmiri red chilli, garam masala, salt, and black pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator while preparing the sauce.

Prepare the sauce

Slit the green chillies - these are optional. Chop the garlic cloves. Slice the onions. Chop the tomatoes.
Heat a dash of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the black mustard seeds and dried curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds sizzle and start to pop, add the green chillies (if using) and garlic. Stir for 1 minute until aromatic.
Add the onions and cook on a medium heat for 5–6 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Stir in the rest of the ground turmeric, optional Kashmiri red chilli, and ground coriander. Fry for a minute with 1 tbsp water to prevent sticking. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4–5 minutes until forming a thick paste.

Cook the chicken

Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat each piece. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook the rice

Cook the basmati microwave rice according to the packet instructions.

Finish the dish & Plate Up

When the chicken is nearly cooked through, pour in the coconut milk and continue to simmer gently until the chicken is tender and coated in a creamy sauce. Adjust salt if needed.
Plate up with the rice and enjoy.

More recipes like this...