Kerala chicken curry

by Peter Joseph
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4
60 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken curry

  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces (or a mixture of breast, legs and thighs)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 green chillies, slit open
  • 150g of onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp of coriander, chopped
  • 2 tbsp of oil, plus extra to fry the chicken
  • salt

Roasted coconut masala

  • 1 tbsp of coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp of fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 stick of cinnamon, approximately 5cm long
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 3 dried red chillies, whole
  • 20 curry leaves
  • 1 piece of fresh ginger, approximately 4cm long, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 tbsp of shallots, sliced
  • 30g of freshly grated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp of oil

To serve

  • toasted coconut flakes
  • freshly grated coconut

Method

1
To begin, make the roasted coconut masala. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan and once hot, add all of the dry spices, the dried chillies and the curry leaves. Cook until aromatic
  • 2 tbsp of oil
  • 1 tbsp of coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp of fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 stick of cinnamon, approximately 5cm long
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 20 curry leaves
  • 3 dried red chillies, whole
2
Add the ginger, garlic and shallots and cook for a few minutes. Add the coconut and turmeric powder and roast all of the masala ingredients together, sautéing until golden-brown. Add a splash of water if required
  • 1 piece of fresh ginger, approximately 4cm long, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 tbsp of shallots, sliced
  • 30g of freshly grated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3
Remove from the pan, leave to cool then grind in a blender with a small splash of water to create a silky paste
4
To prepare the curry, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan add the bay leaves, green chillies, onions and turmeric powder. Sauté the onions until golden brown, then add the masala paste to the pan and cook for a few minutes
  • 2 tbsp of oil
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 green chillies, slit open
  • 150g of onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
5
Add the chopped tomatoes, stir well and leave the pan covered on a gentle heat until the tomatoes break down and the masala is fragrant
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
6
Add a dash of oil to a clean pan, place over a medium heat and, once hot, add the chicken pieces. Stir-fry on a high heat until the chicken is golden, then reduce the heat and add the curry. Allow the chicken to simmer on a gentle heat for approximately 20 minutes – the oil will eventually separate from the curry
  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces (or a mixture of breast, legs and thighs)
7
Check the seasoning and stir in the coriander. Once the chicken is fully cooked through, serve hot garnished with the fresh coconut and toasted coconut flakes
  • toasted coconut flakes
  • freshly grated coconut