Kerala chicken curry, also called nadan chicken curry is a specialty of Kerala, one of the Southern Indian states. This simple chicken curry is full of delicious flavors from coconut oil, fresh coconut, fennel seeds and other Indian spices.
Marinate chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoon lemon juice for a minimum of 30 minutes. (note 1)
Prepare the gravy
Heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a deep pot. Sauté onions and curry leaves for a couple of minutes, until onions are browned.
Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté until it browns.
Add marinated chicken thighs and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes until they turn opaque.
Add 1½ tsp chili powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt with 1½ cups of water. Stir well .
Set the flame to high and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer on low flame for 15 minutes. (note 2)
Make coconut paste
Blend ½ cup grated coconut and 1½ tsp fennel seeds with ¼ cup water until you get a smooth paste.
Add the coconut paste and ½ tsp garam masala to the simmering gravy. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
Tempering (tadka)
Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a tadka pan or wok. Add dry chilies, finely chopped pearl onions and curry leaves. Sauté on medium-low flame until well browned. Mix into the curry and turn off the flame.
Serve with rice, appam, chapathi or any bread of your choice.
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Notes
If time permits, marinate the chicken thighs overnight in the fridge.
The simmering time mentioned here is for chicken thighs. It's the same for small drumsticks. Add 5 minutes for larger drumsticks. If you're using smaller pieces of chicken, reduce the cooking time accordingly.
Check the doneness of chicken by applying light pressure to the thickest part with a spoon. The flesh should almost fall apart.
Cayenne pepper and paprika can be used as substitutes for chilli powder and Kashmiri chili powder respectively.