Malabar Chicken Curry

17 ingredients
8 steps

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 12 -15 curry leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 dried cayenne, chiles
  • 4 cups chopped red onions (2 large onions)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and or or stems)
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Directions

  1. 1
    Pour 1/2 cup oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and red chiles.
  2. 2
    Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the ginger and onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to brown until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula-about 25-30 minutes.
  3. 3
    Add the chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and cilantro-mix together.
  4. 4
    Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out-15-20 minutes.
  5. 5
    Add 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.
  6. 6
    In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink-2-4 minutes.
  7. 7
    Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through. Serve over basmati rice.
  8. 8
    Cook's Notes: I went to a small foreign market to collect some of the unique ingredients for this recipe. There, I had no trouble finding everything on my list. Extra curry leaves can be wrapped and frozen for later use. This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!

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