Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Boneless chicken breast simmered in a rich and flavourful tomato and coconut sauce, with mild spices that give it an earthy touch, this chicken curry is a perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family.
Coconut milk features heavily in Asian cuisines. From desserts, to appetizers, mains or sides, there are so many delicious ways of using a good can of coconut milk. Although coconut curries are mostly associated with the Thai cuisine, and less with the Indian food, that does not mean that we can't prepare an awesome Indian curry with coconut milk.
I think the combination of the Indian spices and coconut milk is particularly nice. The sweetness of the coconut contrasts beautifully with the heat coming from the spices. And then you get a whole range of flavours and textures that make this chicken curry with coconut milk a fabulous meal.
I used coconut milk in my Chicken Korma, and it was a huge hit with everybody in my family, so I knew that another recipe had to make its way to our table soon.
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Ingredients used
- chicken breasts - I prefer using chicken breast when I make curries, but chicken thighs or legs can work too. Just cut the meat off the bone and use it the same way
- onion - it can be wither yellow, red of shallots
- garlic - it adds a nice touch to the dish, I highly recommend it
- garam masala - this dish does not need a daunting list of spices, garam masala is perfect for giving it an Indian touch, without it being overpowering
- ground cumin - you can also use cumin seeds if you like a more fragrant touch
- curry powder - you can go for mild or spicy, I prefer mild
- coconut milk - use full-fat coconut milk, the light one isn't creamy enough
- chopped tomatoes - you can also use fresh tomatoes if they are ripe and sweet
Step-by-step photos and intructions
This is by no means an authentic recipe, but mostly made up with the ingredients I had around. That's what I love about cooking, that I can be as creative as I want, and cook delicious meals without effort.
- Searing the chicken beforehand is optional, but I think it adds to the flavour, so I highly recommend it.
- Once the chicken is lightly brown, remove from the pan, and fry the onion. This will soak up all the chicken juices left, and the onion will caramelize nicely.
- When you add the spices, stir gently for about one minute. The spices will release their full flavour without burning.
- Add the chicken back to the pan together with the chopped onions and coconut milk, stir, and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.
The coconut milk makes the sauce pretty sticky, so I recommend you stir gently now and then, to make sure the sauce does not stick to the pan.
Expert tips
Make sure you keep an eye on the curry, although it doesn't need stirring a lot, when the sauce is reduced, it tends to stick to the pan.
It is best to cook the curry on a medium heat, a high heat will reduce the sauce too quickly, and the chicken won't have time to cook through.
You can play with the amount of spiciness you want for the sauce, I prefer it mild, but by all means, this dish can take a lot more heat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you have leftovers, just leave the curry to cool completely first, then transfer it to a tupperware, and freeze. To defrost, you can pop it in the microwave and reheat until bubbly hot. Do not refreeze any food that has already been frozen previously though.
Absolutely! Since the chicken is already cooked, you can just add it at the same time you add the coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, and cook in the same way. Or, if you cook the sauce beforehand, just add the chicken at the end, and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes with the sauce, so it can soak up all the flavours.
Basmati rice is particularly nice, but wholegrain or long grain rice can also be used. Flatbread, wraps, or any other plain bread are a good choice too. You can have any vegetable on the side as well, since this recipe does not use much vegetables.
What to serve with chicken curry
The best side dishes for me are either plain basmati rice or pilau rice. One is basic, but cooked to perfection, the other is beautifully fragrant and as easy to make. Then you can flat bread, naan bread, chapati, poppadum and the list can go on.
Oher chicken curry recipes
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Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (1 ½ cups)
- chopped coriander (chilantro) to garnish
Instructions
- Cup the chicken breasts into pieces, add a teaspoon of oil to a pan, and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes or until lightly brown.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Peel and chop the onion, add the remaining oil to the same pan, and gently fry the onion until soft.
- Add the chopped garlic, spices, and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken back to the pan together with the coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.
- Season with salt to taste, and garnish with fresh coriander.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you keep an eye on the curry, although it doesn't need stirring a lot, when the sauce is reduced, it tends to stick to the pan.
- It is best to cook the curry on a medium heat, a high heat will reduce the sauce too quickly, and the chicken won't have time to cook through.
- You can play with the amount of spiciness you want for the sauce, I prefer it mild, but by all means, this dish can take a lot more heat.
Wendy
Hi how can I spice it up if it’s not spicy enough?
Daniela Apostol
Hi! If you have any red or green chilli peppers, they always work very well. Otherwise cayenne pepper or powdered chilli can be added to taste. For a more spiced taste, you can also double the amount of spices used. I hope it helps!
lewis
Good recipe....I added 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste for heat.
Daniela Apostol
It sound yummy!
Barbara
Can I use prawns or fish in this dish
Daniela Apostol
Yes, absolutely! I have a fish curry on the blog very similar to this one, and it worked very well.
Rosa
Hi. For the tomatoes, is that a can of whole tomatoes (then you chop them?) or can I use fresh tomatoes instead? Thank you! Looking forward to making it!
Daniela Apostol
Hi! I used chopped tomatoes in a tin, if you use fresh tomatoes, let them cook for a few minutes to become mushy, then add the coconut milk and cook as normal.
Nigel Butkowsky
Could I add potatoes and carrots to this recipe if so would the spices need to be increased also can chicken thighs or drumsticks be used instead of diced chicken.
Don't get me wrong I love the recipe Daniela
Daniela Apostol
Of course, any veggies can be added to the recipe. As for the spices, it’s entirely up to you how mild or hot you like it. The veggies might soak up the heat, so perhaps add a bit more spices, even for a mild version.
Uday
Looks like a great and simple recipe..I want to try it with chicken on the bone and experiment a bit. Can it be done?
Daniela Apostol
Yes, absolutely. It can work that way too.
Lex
Instructions missing.
So, there are NO mentions of cooking temperature anywhere. I guessed - not the best way to ensure the recipe gets made right.
I started with searing the chicken, but the chicken sort of just boiled and stayed mostly white. Then I dumped a lot of the juice to help it sear (to little success) and I wondered if wasting the juice was a bad idea. Then I come back to read this and find only in the paragraphs does it mention soaking this juice up with the onions, so opportunity wasted there.
Still no mention about the temperature range to cook in for the final sauce reduction. People are going to try this and then wonder how they can be expected to guess what temperature to cook this at for 20 minutes and still get the desired result.
Daniela Apostol
Thank you for your comment! Generally, if the cooking temperature is missing, it is assumed that it is on a medium heat - everybody cooks on a different kind of hob, so it will be impossible to say exactly what temperature. For example, on my hob, the highest temperature is 9, so I always cook everything on 7, which is a medium one. Anything under is low, anything above is high and everything cooks too quickly.
Before this I was using a gas cooker, and I had to make sure the flame was kind of right, rather than too low or too high. So the point is it's really hard to say anything else than medium heat.
As for searing the chicken, if this boiled and stayed white must be because the pan was overcrowded - if they chicken pieces were arranged in one layer, there is no way it stayed white, but it would have seared nicely. There should not be any searing juices left at all- cook the chicken in batches if necessary.
Again for the sauce, medium temperature.
David
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and doubled up on the spices. It had great flavor but I think I'll try it with 3x the spices when I make it tonight. My 18 yr old son had seconds last time and he's very particular about chicken dishes. THANK YOU for this great recipe! Can't think of a better recipe to use tonight!
Daniela Apostol
I am glad you enjoyed it!
Tracey
I agree with comments to triple the spices for added flavour. I also added fresh Thai chillies to give it some heat. Lovely flavour and easy to make! We served it on basmati rice. 😀
Daniela Apostol
I am happy you enjoyed it! I added less spice so my little girls could join us for dinner, but indeed, more spice can be added.
Sue D
A lovely, simple curry. I doubled up the spices & added half a chilli that was kicking around thr fridge. I only had one and a half chicken breasts so bulked it out with some home grownd courgette/zucchini. Also, I only had half a tin of cocnut milk so added some tomato puree too - kept the creamy texture. It was still amazing. We mopped up the delicious gravy with some naan bread. This will be my go-to quick curry in future.
Daniela Apostol
I am glad you enjoyed it!