Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, Coconut Milk Chicken Curry Recipe

November 1, 2022 39 Comments

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Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk – Learn how to make a basic and easy Indian-style chicken curry with coconut milk and spices. This is a relatively mild chicken curry recipe that’s fabulous because it goes with everything – rice, chapati, pulao, dosa, appam, puttu, etc.

There are so many variations to a coconut milk chicken curry and this is my own. There’s nothing special or majorly different in this recipe than the base of most Indian curries but I do like my chicken curry in a particular way, and this is it.

While generally my Indian non-vegetarian recipes are on the spicier side, both heat-wise and spice-wise, I like to keep coconut based curries on the milder side. That tends to brings out the flavour and sweetness of coconut milk which really should be the star in such recipes. I also like to keep tang to a minimum and so add tomatoes for the colour than for any major flavour.

You can adapt this chicken curry with coconut milk recipe in many different ways to suit your palates and I have mentioned some variations below, while I explain the flow of how I make it. If you use canned or packaged coconut milk, this is a very easy dish to put together in under 30 mins. Making your own coconut milk will obviously elevate the flavour of the curry but it’s not essential in this dish, in my opinion. Since I like the gravy to be a bit on the thicker side, I used ground poppy seed paste, something that is unavailable in Singapore and so more used and appreciated in Sydney 🙂 TH and I have different choices (he’s a vegetarian) and we rarely comment on each other’s choices but after making this chicken curry, I told him for the first time that I wish he could taste it.

I have a few more chicken recipes in the site and my favourites are dry chilli chicken, Kerala chicken curry, and butter chicken masala. Try them! You can also check out how to make coconut milk at home.

Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk - Coconut Milk Chicken Curry Recipe

nags

Chicken curry with coconut milk - An easy, coconut milk chicken curry that comes together in less than 60 minutes, perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.

5 from 8 votes

Ingredients

250 gm of cleaned and cubed chicken pieces
1 cup of sliced onions
2 tbsp of oil I use coconut oil
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
2 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1 " piece of ginger
2 green chillies adjust to taste
2 flakes of garlic
A few cubes of ripe tomato
1 tbsp of poppy seeds soaked for 15 mins (see notes)
2 cups of thin coconut milk see notes
1 cup of thick coconut milk
A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a wide pan and add the sliced onions. Fry until golden brown
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Grind the green chillies, garlic, and ginger together coarsely
Add the spice powders – chilli, coriander, cumin, and turmeric – to the fried onions. Saute for 20 seconds
Now add the ground chilli paste and tomatoes to the above. Fry again for a minute, the mixture will turn fragrant
Add the cleaned chicken pieces to this, along with the thin coconut milk + 1 more cup of water. Add salt. Bring this to boil
Meanwhile, grind the soaked poppy seeds in 2-3 tbsp water into a smooth paste. I use the same grinder as I used for chilli paste
Add poppy seed paste to the curry and when it comes to boil, lower heat and cook closed for 15-20 mins or until the chicken pieces are cooked. The gravy will also thicken a bit
On low heat, add the thick coconut milk and mix well
Do not boil for too long after the thick coconut milk is added. If you feel the gravy is too watery, boil the curry in an open pan before adding the thick coconut milk
Once it’s heated through and just begins to boil, add the chopped coriander leaves, adjust salt, and remove from flame
Serve hot!

Step by Step Coconut Milk Chicken Curry Recipe

1. Heat oil in a wide pan and add the sliced onions. Fry until golden brown (they need to brown a bit more than in the picture below).

2. Grind the green chillies, garlic, and ginger together coarsely.

3. Add the spice powders – chilli, coriander, cumin, and turmeric – to the fried onions. Saute for 20 seconds.

4. Now add the ground chilli paste and tomatoes to the above. Fry again for a minute, the mixture will turn fragrant.

5. Add the cleaned chicken pieces to this,

along with the thin coconut milk + 1 more cup of water. Add salt. Bring this to boil.

6. Meanwhile, grind the soaked poppy seeds in 2-3 tbsp water into a smooth paste. I use the same grinder as I used for chilli paste.

Add poppy seed paste to the curry and when it comes to boil, lower heat and cook closed for 15-20 mins or until the chicken pieces are cooked. The gravy will also thicken a bit.

7. On low heat, add the thick coconut milk and mix well.

8. Do not boil for too long after the thick coconut milk is added. If you feel the gravy is too watery, boil the curry in an open pan before adding the thick coconut milk. Once it’s heated through and just begins to boil, add the chopped coriander leaves, adjust salt, and remove from flame.

Serve hot!

Variations and Notes:

You can add more tomatoes if you want or omit it completely
If you want a ‘whiter’ curry, omit the chilli powder and increase amount of green chillies, to taste
I use poppy seeds as a gravy thickener. Other options are to use cashew nut paste (soaked cashew nuts ground with water) or more thick coconut milk or coconut cream
You can use curry leaves as garnish instead of coriander leaves but avoid using both
You can try this same recipe with chicken pieces with bone. It’s hard for me to find that kind cleaned and prepared so I always opt for chicken breast. Adjust cooking time according to size of chicken pieces
You can make a vegetarian version of this curry by substituting chicken with soya chunks, potatoes, or a mixture of both. A mix of vegetables may also turn out well
Regarding thin and thick coconut milk – if using canned coconut milk, buy full cream variety (not the low fat or whatever) and for the 2 cups thin milk, dilute with 1:1 water. When you need to add the thick coconut milk, add it as is. Check this post if making coconut milk at home

For chicken curry with coconut milk recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, etc, please use Google translate button in the sidebar.

Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, Coconut Milk Chicken Curry Recipe - Edible Garden (2024)

FAQs

At what stage do you add coconut milk to a curry? ›

Once the spices and veg have cooked, add in the coconut milk and a couple cups of chicken stock. Turn the heat up so it comes to a boil and then lower to about medium heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. Just until it starts to thicken! I normally do 10 minutes, but if you like a really thick sauce, take it longer.

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What does coconut milk do to curry? ›

Coconut milk or water both give the dish different tastes and consistency. Coconut milk as a curry sauce base makes the dish creamy, sweet and give it a thicker consistency. The sweetness of the milk reduces the sharpness of spices and heat making the dish a little mild.

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Can I use canned coconut milk for curry? ›

If you're a fan of Thai curries or Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala, canned coconut milk likely has a permanent spot on your grocery list. A few splashes add a creamy richness and nutty, slightly sweet flavor to everything from soups to desserts.

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Is it better to use coconut cream or milk for curry? ›

Coconut milk and cream are mostly interchangeable in recipes such as curries and soups. If you prefer a richer flavour and texture, try coconut cream or vice versa. However, be careful when substituting coconut milk and cream in baked goods.

How do you keep coconut milk from curdling in curry? ›

Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to a dish to prevent curdling of coconut milk. Adding cornstarch will also thicken the sauce, so don't use it if you're making a dish that requires a thin sauce.

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What to add to coconut milk for curry? ›

Making the coconut curry sauce

Add Spices and cook – this brings out the flavour of the spices, making them bloom; Add coconut milk, tomato passata (tomato puree in the States, or even Tomato Sauce) plus chicken or vegetable broth/stock; Simmer to bring the flavours together.

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What vegetables go in curry? ›

The curry base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder and garam masala. I prefer to go with potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, corn and bell peppers. Though you can use other veggies like baby corn, sweet potato and broccoli, the curry will have different flavors.

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How do you thicken coconut milk curry? ›

You can use mashed potatoes or flour. Corn flour can be used as well and you can use cream mixed with coconut milk. You can also use gram flour. Tapioca, arrowroot flour can be used too.

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How do you thicken curry after adding coconut milk? ›

Cornstarch slurry:

Cornstarch is another popular thickening agent. To create a slurry, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Add the slurry to your curry and bring it to a simmer.

Do you put yogurt or coconut milk in curry? ›

If it's North Indian dish, it's mostly cream in curry and hung yogurt for marination. If it's southern Indian dish, it's either yoghurt. Most of Indian cuisines don't use coconut milk. We use either fresh grated coconut or dried coconut.

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Do you cook curry paste or coconut milk first? ›

I always stir fry the curry paste first, and then add a small amount of coconut milk to break the paste up and leave it to simmer for about 5 minutes until the oils rises to the surface, then I season and add the rest of the coconut milk with the meat/veg.

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When to put cream in curry? ›

Puree the ingredients with either an immersion blender or a regular blender. Return to pan and add lemon juice plus salt to taste. Now add your chicken and simmer in the curry on medium-low to medium until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked through, add the heavy whipping cream, then stir.

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Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of coconut milk in curry? ›

Cream. If dairy isn't a concern, heavy cream and half and half would also be a good replacement for coconut milk at a 1:1 ratio. Since coconut milk's fat content is between heavy cream and half and half, the consistency of your dish may be slightly thicker or thinner, depending on the replacement used.

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Is sweetened condensed coconut milk the same as cream of coconut? ›

It is not the same thing as coconut cream or coconut milk. Cream of coconut is pureed, concentrated coconut that's been sweetened—kind of like sweetened condensed milk is just condensed, sweetened milk. You can use Cream of coconut straight out of the bottle or can and it does not need to be cooked to be consumed.

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Can you use cream cheese instead of coconut milk in curry? ›

Low-fat cream cheese and milk

Dairy products won't withstand the heat in the same way so will generally need to be added at the end of cooking.

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When to add coconut milk? ›

Savory Recipes

One of the most popular uses for coconut milk is in soups and stews, where it adds a lovely creaminess and a subtle coconut flavor. The fattiness of coconut milk works particularly well with spices and acid, which is why it's often included in traditional Thai and Indian dishes.

Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, Coconut Milk Chicken Curry Recipe - Edible Garden (2024)