This is a traditional Kerala style chicken curry. To save time, you can roast and keep coconut and other ingredients in the fridge. It’ll last in fridge for a week. When its time for cooking you just have to heat up the roasted coconut mix and the powdered mix in a pan and grind it to paste. Mix it with your chicken pieces and add some curry leaves and water. Cook it for 15 – 20 minutes in medium heat or till the oil from the roasted coconut separates. Here I’m preparing it in a time consuming method 🙂 . This method is done in 3 stages.

1. Roasting coconut.
2. Cooking chicken.
3. Tempering.

Preparation time : 20 mts

Roasting time : 15 mts

Cooking time : 20 mts

Serves : 4

Stage 1

Ingredients for roasting :

• Small shallots – 10 (you can use 1 red onion)
• Garlic – 5
• Ginger – 1″
• Cinnamon stick – 1/2
• Cardamom – 5
• Cloves – 4
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Fresh grated coconut – 1/2 cup
• Few curry leaves.
• Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Heat oil in a pan add the whole spices. when the spices starts to splutter add rest of the ingredients and roast till dark brown but not burnt. The colour of this curry really depends on the colour of the roasted coconut.

When the roasted coconut is slightly cooled pulse it in a mixer without adding water at first. when it starts to combine add water in small quantities (1/4 cup). Grind it to fine paste.

Stage 2:

Ingredients for cooking:

• Onion – 1 (medium, 10 small shallots is best)
• Green chill – 3(slit in the middle)
• Curry leaves – 2 sticks
• Oil – 1 tsp

Saute all the ingredients till soft.

Powdered  Dry Spice mix: 

• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Black pepper 1/4 tsp

Add these to the saute ed onions and fry for a few minutes. Do not allow the dry spices to smoke. Now add the grinded coconut paste chicken pieces and 1 cup water. Cook it for 15 minutes till the oil seperates.

Stage 3:

Ingredients for tempering:

• Coconut oil – 2 tsp
• Small shallots – 3(cut small)
• Curry leaves – 1 stick

When th oil is heated up add the shallots and curry leave s and fry till golden brown. Add this to the cooked chicken and allow it to rest for 15 mts covered.