Chicken coconut curry
For a cozy, comforting, and delicious meal, this chicken coconut curry recipe is nourishing and perfect to make on a chilly winter day. Make it for lunch or dinner, serve it with rice or noodles, and enjoy every bite!
Ingredients
- 1150 grams chicken drumsticks or thighs, 2.5 pounds
- 1 teaspoon salt (1)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1)
- 80 grams yellow onion, 1 medium size
- 175 grams carrots, 2 medium size
- 3-5 garlic cloves
- 56 grams butter or ghee, ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garam masala, if you don’t have it, sub more curry powder
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (2), or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt (2), or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 125 ml chicken stock, ½ cup
- 400 ml coconut milk, 1 can
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Set aside. You can also do this the night before, cover it, and refrigerate it.1150 grams chicken drumsticks or thighs, 1 teaspoon salt (1), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1)
- Chop the onion, carrots, and garlic.80 grams yellow onion, 175 grams carrots, 3-5 garlic cloves
- In a deep skillet, over medium to high heat, melt the butter or ghee. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes per side. If you can’t fit all the drumsticks, do it in batches.56 grams butter or ghee
- Transfer the chicken to a dish while cooking the rest of the ingredients.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook a few more minutes, then add the chopped garlic. Cook for a minute.
- Mix in all the spices, salt, and black pepper together with the tomato paste.1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ⅛-¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon black pepper (2), ½ teaspoon salt (2), 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the chicken stock, stir, and cook for 30 seconds.125 ml chicken stock
- Pour in the coconut milk, mix until incorporated, and return the chicken back in. Turn the heat to low-medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 30 minutes.400 ml coconut milk
- Chop the parsley. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the parsley on top. Cover again with the lid and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- This recipe is pretty forgiving, and you can substitute or omit some of the ingredients. First off, the chicken drumsticks can be substituted with chicken thighs or both, or a mix of white and dark meat.
- You can skip the carrots if you don’t have them or don’t want them.
- Butter can be exchanged for ghee, coconut oil, or any other unflavored oil.
- Now into the spices. If you don’t have garam masala, use more curry, for example. If you like spicy, then add some chili pepper powder or flakes. You can even add a whole dry chili pepper if you prefer.
- Instead of the chicken stock you can use vegetable stock or water
- Heavy cream can be used instead of the coconut milk.
- You can also add some more vegetables such as green peas, spinach, potatoes, mushrooms, or cauliflower. Keep in mind adding more things can make the sauce thicker or less saucy.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to two months. To reheat from the fridge, place the chicken coconut curry in a skillet over medium heat with a lid on and stir occasionally. To defrost, let it thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature if you need it sooner. Warm it up the same way on a skillet, or you can use a microwave.