Nadan Chicken Curry | Nadan Kozhi Curry

Nadan Chicken Curry | Nadan Kozhi Curry

            The Traditional Kerala Chicken Curry is called as the Nadan Chicken Curry | Nadan Kozhi Curry. The speciality of this dish is using coconut oil and coconut milk (coconut in some form: milk, grated or paste). A very flavorful and thick curry that goes well with any rice, appam or bread.  In Andhra cusine we rarely use coconut milk for chicken curry (except in the coastal region), so I was looking for a chicken curry that is cooked in coconut milk, this recipe of Julie’s had drawn my  attention, especially for the final tempering touch up she had given. I totally adored it and wanted to try. I cooked it for the second time today and enjoyed it. I love my foods to be on the spicier side, so I made minor additions to spices to suit my taste.

Kerala Chicken Curry

 
Ingredients

Marination

1 tbsp lemon juice (original recipe did not use this)

1 tsp red chili pow

¼ tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp homemade garam masala powder

1/8 tsp of pepper pow

½ kg of chicken (500 gms)

Spices to roast and grind with enough water (I used 90 ml water)

1 ½ tbsp. coriander seeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

4 cloves

2 cardamom pods

¼ tsp. pepper corn

¾ tsp. fennel seeds

¼ tsp cumin ( original recipe did not use this)

4 to 5 red chilies or 1 ½ tsp red chili pow (adjust to your tolerance levels)

For gravy

½ cup of sliced onions

1 ½ tbsp. of ginger garlic paste

2 tbsps. Coconut oil

¾  cup of thin coconut milk ( I added 1 ½ tbsp store bought coconut creamer to the thin coconut milk for additional taste)

tempering

1 ½ tsp oil

1 red chili (break and remove the seeds)

3 to 4 pearl onions sliced thinly

1 sprig of curry leaves

Method

1.   Marinate chicken with the marinating ingredients and set aside for at least 45 mins

2.    Dry roast all the spices mentioned under to roast.once cool add water and grind to a smooth paste.

3.   Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry till they turn translucent

4.   add ginger garlic paste and sauté

5.   add chicken and fry on a high flame till it turns white in color, for about 2 to 3 mins  
6.   Pour the grinded spice mix. adjust the salt. Mix well. Cover and cook till the chicken is done. Keep stirring in between. I did not use additional water, the moisture in the chicken and grinded spice mix was enough to cook.

7.   Pour the coconut milk. Mix well. when the coconut milk begins to bubble cover and simmer for 5 mins.. off the heat

8.   Heat a pan with oil and fry onions till they turn pink; add curry leaves and red chili. Pour this over the curry.

Kerala Kozhi Curry