This is a very simple creamy chicken curry to make and is full of fantastic flavors.
My South Indian chicken curry is fun to make, doesn’t cost much and is sure to impress any guests with the exotic flavors. The ingredients are easily available in most large food stores or sourced much cheaper at your local Asian food store.
My South Indian Chicken Curry
Cover the raw chicken with tumeric and lemon juice and mix well
Marinade the chicken in tumeric and lemon juice.
Gently heat the curry leaves and spices.
Add the chopped onions to the spices
Stir in the garlic/ginger paste and chillies
Add the tomatoes and chicken pieces.
Serve in an attractive dish.
My recipe is for 6 people but this delicious chicken curry can easily be made larger so you could serve a lot of guests easily and inexpensively.
I use skinless chicken thighs as I find chicken thigh meat to have much more flavor than breast meat and it stands up to being cooked for longer so that all the amazing flavors can properly infuse. If you prefer chicken breast obviously go ahead and use that to produce your creamy coconut South Indian Chicken Curry.
Curry leaves are an essential part of this South Indian Chicken Curry but I realize these can be hard to find. If you can lay your hands on some fresh curry leaves I recommend buying a lot and freezing them in freezer bags as they do freeze well. Wash them before freezing and then you will always have curry leaves ready to use.
Preparing Ahead
This South Indian Curry keeps really well in the refrigerator for a few days. I would recommend adding the coconut and the coriander ( cilantro ) on the day it is served just before you re-heat it as coconut milk will not keep very well and will be much better mixed in on the day the curry is served.
If you enjoy this recipe check out my similar ones:
South Indian Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 KG ( 2 Ibs ) skinless chicken thigh cut into bite sized pieces
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp Tumeric
- 2 Tbspn Rapeseed Oil ( Canola Oil )
- 1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
- 20 Fresh Curry Leaves
- 1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 1.5 Tbsp Garam Masala
- 2 Medium Onions
- 3 Green Chillies
- 400 ml Can Chopped tomatoes ( 1.5 Cups )
- 500 ml ( 1.75 Cups ) Chicken Stock
- 800 ml ( 3.25 Cups ) Coconut Milk
- 1 Handful Fresh Coriander ( Cilantro )
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a bowl and mix with the tumeric and lemon juice. Marinade for around 20 minutes or longer if you wish.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the nustard seeds. Heat for 1 minute until they start to pop. , Add the curry leaves, cumin seeds, and garam masala and heat through gently for a few minutes
- Add the onions and fry until they are soft , stirring constantly.
- Add the garlic/ginger paste and the chllies
- Pour in the tomatoes, chicken stock and chicken. Cook for at least 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through .
- Add the chopped coriander, coconut milk, salt and pepper and heat through
- Serve with coriander on top and with dosas or Basmati rice
