Hot Chicken Madras

Ranked #1,059 in Food & Cooking, #19,652 overall

Delicious chicken curry with coconut and tomato

Here's a really tasty curry recipe if you like your curries on the fairly hot and spicy side! Chicken Madras is one of the bestsellers in UK Indian restaurants and takeaways - hot but not too hot, and this recipe incorporates coconut and tomatoes for a lovely sweet flavor, to offset the handful of chilies which make it hot, hot, hot!

By the way, if you like your curry a little milder, you can add less chilies, or try out my Easy Chicken Curry recipe.

Introduction

According to Camellia Panjabi in her excellent book 50 Great Curries of India, the standard Madras curry you can find in restaurants all over the UK cannot be found anywhere in Madras, India.

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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ArtSiren

Hi! I'm ArtSiren from England. I'm interested in art in all its forms: art, writing, literature, music, martial and healing arts. In fact, I'm interested... more »

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