This Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken is an Indian curry dish made using chicken pieces, coconut milk, and spices. Do try this Indian chicken curry recipe with Naan or Steamed Rice for a delectable meal. Here is how to make it.
You can also try some more Chicken Curries, that you can enjoy during your weekdays – Chicken Chettinad, Kadai Chicken, Chicken Masala, Malabar Chicken Curry, and Fresh Methi Chicken.
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About This Recipe
Coconut Chicken Curry is a one-pot, main course meal in which soft chicken pieces are cooked nicely along with mildly flavored coconut gravy.
The base of the gravy is formed with onions and tomatoes which is then flavored with some aromatic ground spices.
Adding coconut milk not only provides a nice coconut flavor to the dish but also provides a nice sweet touch to the curry.
This curry is quite similar to the one we generally make at home with finely chopped onions and tomatoes.
The only difference is that we add a little coconut flavor to the curry by adding some coconut milk to it, which leaves the gravy less spicy and a bit sweetened and a whole lot flavourful.
Ingredients
Chicken – High in protein, I make sure to include chicken in my meals once a week. And what can be better than this simple Chicken Curry for a weekday? You can follow the same recipe and even make Prawns or Fish Curry with coconut.
Coconut Milk – Coconut Milk not only adds a creamy texture but even decreases the spiciness and adds a hint of sweetness to the dish.
Spices – For this Curry, I have used everyday spices such as coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above ingredients, you will need oil, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, onions, tomato, fresh coriander, and green chilies.
Step By Step Recipe
Heat vegetable oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies and fry for a few seconds.
Add onion and fry until slightly browned.
Add tomato and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt to taste and cook until oil starts to separate from the sides.
Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add water and cover the pan.
Cook until chicken is softened.
Add garam masala powder and coconut milk and cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe, we use coconut milk to provide a nice coconut flavor to the dish and also to thicken the gravy.
Coconut cream, when compared to coconut milk, is too thick in consistency and also has an overpowering coconut flavor. Due to these reasons, coconut milk is preferably used in the recipe. You can read more about these two ingredients here.
In order to prepare coconut curry chicken in a slow cooker, you first have to saute some finely chopped onions and garlic in a pan on high heat.
Once they are soft enough, add all the ingredients (along with the sauteed onion and garlic) mentioned in the recipe into the slow cooker and mix them nicely.
Now cook this on low heat for 3 hours and your delicious chicken curry with coconut milk in a crockpot will be ready to serve.
How to make it in an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker?
If you are in a hurry, you can prepare this delicious coconut curry chicken in a pressure cooker as well.
Just follow the exact same recipe as given below in a pressure cooker and then cook the chicken on a medium flame for 3 whistles.
Let the pressure cooker release all its pressure by itself. After this, mix everything well and coconut curry chicken in a pressure cooker will be ready to serve.
If using Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker, press SAUTE and follow the same steps as mentioned below until adding the chicken in the pot.
Add ½ cup water and close the lid of the Instant Pot. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually. Open the lid and garnish the chicken curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot.
Yes, if you want the curry to be thick, rich, and the coconut flavor to be prominent, you can use coconut cream. I like the subtle and light flavor of coconut milk along with the spices and thus I make this Curry with Coconut milk.
Storage Suggestions
This Coconut Chicken Curry will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator if stored properly in an airtight container.
I will not recommend you to freeze this curry, because if frozen, the coconut milk will split while thawing and it will be grainy and won’t taste good.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this curry along with some hot Roti, Tawa Paratha, Laccha Paratha, Kerala Parotta, Naan, Appam, Dosa, or Neer Dosa by its side.
Veg Pulao, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Steamed Rice or some delicious Biryani would also perfectly complement Coconut Curry Chicken.
Variations
You can always modify the recipe according to your taste. You can add vegetables of your choice along with the chicken, such as carrots, bell peppers, boiled potatoes, spinach, and many more.
If you are adding spinach, always add it at the end, stir it and let it cook for a minute or a two on low flame.
You can also use the chicken cut of your choice, be it chicken breast or chicken thigh. Each modification depends totally on your taste and preferences.
I like to use chicken with bone as the bones add a nice flavor to the curry.
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Recipe Card
Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 15-20 Curry Leaves
- 6-7 Green Chillies
- 1 cup Onion (Chopped)
- ½ cup Tomato (Chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 500 g Chicken (Curry Cut)
- 1 cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
- Add onion and fry until they turn slightly browned.
- Add tomato and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste and cook until oil starts to separate from the sides.
- Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add water and cover the pan.
- Cook until chicken is softened.
- Add garam masala powder and coconut milk and cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot.
