Delicious chicken curry with coconut and tomato
By the way, if you like your curry a little milder, you can add less chilies, or try out my Easy Chicken Curry recipe.
Table of Contents
Introduction
It is such a common curry in the UK though that I thought I'd publish a version here - especially as some people are 'chili-heads' and like their curries quite hot.
Of course, you don't have to go wild with the chilies in this recipe - most Madras-style recipes I have seen include coconut and tomato, and that is the distinctive flavor to aim for. Adjust the heat to your own requirements.
Ingredients
80g desiccated coconut (or try grated fresh coconut)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 large onions
5 cloves of garlic
6 fresh green chilies
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp hot paprika
12 curry leaves
4 chicken breasts, diced
125 ml water
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Fry the onions and garlic
Add lots of chili

Slice one of the onions and fry it in hot oil along with crushed garlic. It is important to pay careful attention to getting some color onto the onions without burning them.
As soon as the onions begin to brown, add the coarsely chopped chilies and continue cooking until the ingredients are soft and the onion golden brown.
Blend coconut with tomatoes
And lots of ginger

While the onion, garlic and chilies are cooking, blitz together the coconut, chopped tomatoes (including the juice) and ginger, in a food processor.
If you can get hold of some tamarind concentrate, this is a nice ingredient to add (1 tbsp) that I have tried in the past.
Add the spices
Stir until fragrant

Once the onions are nicely golden brown, add the cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, chili flakes and hot paprika, and then stir to combine all the ingredients, cooking until fragrant.
Add the chicken
And the coconut mixture

Add the diced chicken and stir to coat in the spicy onion mixture.
Add the curry leaves, water, and coconut mixture. Then blitz the second onion in the food processor and add this to the curry.
Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Chicken Madras
Spicy and hot!

5 minutes before the end of cooking time, throw in 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and stir.
Serve with plenty of boiled rice, or naan bread. Absolutely delicious!
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Do you have any curry comments?
Like it hot? Or a little milder?
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Reply
- ftuley ftuley Jun 3, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
- Grat lens! 5 *'s
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Reply
- Treasures-By-Brenda Treasures-By-Brenda May 10, 2009 @ 7:51 am
- Nicely done, focused lens. Blessed.
Welcome to the Culinary Favorites From A to Z group. Your lens is being featured in the 'C is for Chicken' section. Don't forget to come back and add your lens to the link list so that it will appear on the group page!
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Reply
- flighty02 flighty02 Feb 3, 2009 @ 9:31 am
- I think that curries are my favourite thing to cook, I have made a chicken keema whilst snowed in today, had I seen this lens first I may have tried your recipe, it sounds fantastic.
Welcome to The Cooks Cafe group.
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Reply
- mulberry mulberry Nov 29, 2008 @ 10:49 am
- Looks and sounds great, I was afraid there would be ingredients I couldn't find but actually it's pretty basic. Thanks!







