Nourishing Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

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There’s just something different about digging into a bowl of a spicy and flavorful curry and rice- truly a soul soothing and comforting meal. Indian style chicken curry is packed with the goodness of coconut milk, dark meat chicken, a slew of spices and some fenugreek for a bit of rustic and earthy flavor. This version of chicken curry with coconut milk is an absolute must try if you’re looking to enjoy a simple yet nutritious home cooked meal.

What’s best is the fact that it is actually really easy to put together as well. Scroll down to get a quick rundown of everything you need to know about making this recipe.

While you’re here make sure to check out all our family friendly healthy recipes!

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Ingredients For Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

Here’s what you’ll need to put this comforting and nourishing Indian chicken curry together.

• 4 tablespoons mustard oil
• 3-4 cloves
• 4-5 black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chilies (chopped)
• 1 lbs chicken (we used drumsticks, but any cut works)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• ½ Teaspoon garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh methi leaves / fenugreek leaves
• A few curry leaves
• fresh cilantro (optional for garnish)

This recipe comes to me from a friend in India. There are a few ingredients that may not be common in your local US grocery store. There are easy substitutions.

If you want to make this an authentic Indian curry with coconut milk then take the time to gather all the ingredients listed ahead and you will be well rewarded. Most can be purchased on Amazon linked above.

The fresh methi leaves/fenugreek leaves and fresh curry leaves are perhaps hardest to come across in the US, but can be found at some Whole foods stores, natural health grocers or Indian Markets. You can use dried instead and get them here.

Have questions about ingredients? Please ask in the comments below.

How to Make Chicken Curry With Coconut Milk

Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to make the curry from scratch.

Start by marinating the chicken with yogurt, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt and lemon juice.

Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add cloves, cinnamon, cumin seed, peppercorns and curry leaves

Fry for a few seconds

Add onion and fry till translucent

Add the other 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and green chilies and fry till onion turns golden brown

Add 1 cup of fenugreek leaves, marinated chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes till the chicken is tender

Add the coconut milk and boil for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot with rice, or quinoa.

More healthy family dinners!

What Else Can I Add to Chicken Curry?

Want to lend a bit more flavor and nutritional boost to the chicken curry? You can add a lot more into it- including some veggies that you may have lying in your refrigerator. Here are a few good ideas to consider.

• Chopped carrots
• Broccoli florets
• Chopped zucchini
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped spring onions
• Chopped potatoes
• Chopped bell peppers

Tips to Nail this Recipe

While putting the curry together is quite easy and straightforward,

• Marinating the chicken in advance is actually highly recommended, not just when it comes to making this curry, but almost all other curries. This is because it helps the chicken absorb all that delicious marinade and get more soft and tender.
• The mustard oil lends the chicken curry an amazing smoky flavor, but if you don’t have it at hand, you can make do with almost any other oil of your choice as well.
• Opt for full fat coconut milk and yogurt for this recipe. This will ensure that the curry is nice and creamy. If you’re trying to keep the curry low in calories, you could use low fat versions instead as well.
• To pack in an extra nutritional punch into the curry, you can also throw some nut powder into the marinade. This will also bring some creaminess and richness to it.
• Don’t forget to top the curry with a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) right before you serve.

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

This classic chicken curry with coconut milk tastes best when paired with some steamed rice on the side. If you’re not a fan of rice, you can also team the curry up with some flatbread.

To make it a complete fancy meal, I like to serve a small appetizer like these frozen potstickers in the air fryer while we wait for it to cook. Then I also whip up a crunchy salad on the side to go with it.

Don’t have chicken on hand, try this sausage curry!

What I particularly love about this Indian chicken curry with coconut milk is the fact that it is a simple, comforting, nutritious home-cooked meal good for every day of the week and even makes the perfect dinner for breastfeeding moms.

More Healthy Dinner Recipes

Fenugreek Chicken Recipe

Taco Chicken Thighs Recipe

Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

How Do I Store the Leftover Indian Chicken Curry?

Your leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure you use an airtight container to preserve its freshness.

Can I Prep the Recipe in Advance?

You definitely can! The base of the curry can be made in advance and refrigerated if you plan to use it up within a couple of days, or in the freezer if you want it to last longer.

You can also marinate the chicken up to 24 hours earlier if you want to.

Remember to use a freezer safe container if you’re freezing the base, as it will help prevent freezer burn.

Check out freezer meal ebook for more good recipes to freeze!

More Meal Planning Ideas or Recipes

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