3 Easy Recipes For Chicken Curry Kerala (Nadan Kozhi Curry)

Keralan Cuisine is native in Kerala, a state south of India. It is well known for its usage of chilis, curry leaves, and coconut. One of its famous dishes is the Chicken Curry Kerala, also known as Nadan Kozhi Curry. What makes this dish unique is the preparation of chicken – it is enriched in spices and gravy is also refined by the traditional Keralan cuisine ingredients. With its classic and traditional taste, the sauce is what makes it outstanding – spicy and intense, making it a good pair with any rice or bread. The intensity and flavor of this gravy are enjoyed by most locals and even tourists, making it a highly recommended dish for those who want to try the Keralan Cuisine.

Below are three recipes of different versions that will let cooking enthusiasts experience the taste of Keralan Cuisine’s Chicken Curry Kerala. Most of the recipes have standard Keralan ingredients, easy to cook, and have instructions that are easy to follow. Read more about them below.

Chicken Curry Kerala With Coconut Milk (Nadan Chicken Curry)

Also known as Nadan Kohzi, this dish has a curry flavor with a hint of coconut. While the coconut adds authenticity, the taste of this dish is dictated by the quality of the masala. The spices and herbs included in the list of ingredients give out a traditional Keralan aroma and taste. Try this dish together with rice and bread, such as parotta, pathiri, appam, or chapati. If you can spare an hour to prepare this dish, this recipe is perfect for you. Check it out below:

No. of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Qty	Recommended Product
Chicken	2.2 lb
Oil (Coconut or Vegetable)	1 and 1/2 tsp	Carrington Organic Coconut Oil
Chili Powder	3 and 1/2 tsp	Spice Classics Chili Powder
Turmeric Powder	1 tsp	Anthony’s Organic Turmeric Powder
Salt	2 and 1/2 tsp
Tomato (chopped)	3 pieces
Onion	4 pieces
Curry Leaves	3 pieces (Sprig)	Fresh Curry Leaves
Ginger Paste	1 and 1/2 tsp	Laxmi Ginger Paste
Green Chili	4 pieces
Garlic Paste	1 and 1/2 tsp	Laxmi Garlic Paste
Coriander Powder	2 tbsp	Rani Coriander Powder
Garam Masala Powder	2 tsp	Nirav Garam Masala
Fennel Powder	2 tsp	Banyan Fennel Powder
Coconut Milk	10 oz	Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk

Instructions:

1. Get the chicken and clean it per piece through running water and dry for a few minutes.
2. In a small bowl, add the 1 and ½ tsp of salt, chili powder, and turmeric powder. Mix them all together.
3. In a bigger bowl, put in the chicken and the powder. Mix the chicken and powder and leave it aside for half an hour. This should marinate your chicken.
4. Get the onions and green chili and slice them thinly. Set them aside.
5. Put your deep-cooking pot in the stove with the heat set to low. Add in 2 tsp oil wait for it to be heated.
6. Once the oil is heated, add the onions, green chilis, curry leaves, and the remaining salt. Add the ginger and garlic paste too. Saute the spices until the ingredients appear soft and aroma is out.
7. Once the aroma of the ingredients is evident, add the following ingredients:
   • Chili Powder
   • Fennel Powder
   • Coriander Powder
8. Add the remaining oil as you also add the Garam Masala. Continue to sauté the spices and herbs.
9. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well with the other ingredients. Add salt as needed and cover the pot until the tomatoes are fully cooked. This will now complete the gravy of your dish.
10. Once the tomatoes are cooked, and gravy is to your suited taste,  add in the chicken and mix it with the gravy. Cover the pot and set the heat to low.
11. Check the pot once in a while. After several minutes the water will release from the chicken – when this occurs, heat should be set into the medium.
12.  Wait until the dish is sticky but not dried up. And then add the coriander powder and the coconut milk.
13.  Allow the mixture to boil and ensure that the chicken is cooked. Once the mixture achieves your desired consistency, set aside the cooking pot. The dish is now ready to be served.

Chicken Curry Kerala Stew

For people who enjoy any type of stew – this dish is for them. With the chicken simmered in coconut milk along with the traditional Keralan spices, Chicken Curry Kerala Stew is an excellent dish for breakfast, especially when paired with any bread such as Idiyappam. In just 40 minutes, you can make this dish just by following the recipe below:

No. of Servings: 3

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Qty	Recommended Product
Chicken	1 lb
Coconut Milk	16 oz (Medium Thick) and 8 oz (Thick)	Chaokoh Coconut Milk
Coconut Oil	4 tsp	Garden of Life VCO
Ginger Paste	1/2 tbsp	Shan Ginger Paste
Garlic Paste	1/2 tbsp	Bart Fresh Garlic Paste
Cinnamon (Crushed)	1 piece	Nirav Cinnamon Sticks
Cardamom (Crushed)	2 pieces	Nirav Cardamom Pods
Black Peppercorns	1 tsp	Nirav Black Peppercorns
Pepper Powder	1/2 tsp	Nirav Pepper Powder
Cloves (Grounded)	3 and 3/4 tsp	Nirav Cloves
Aniseeds	1/2 tsp	Badia Aniseeds
Small Potato	3 pieces
Onion	7 pieces
Cashew Nut	1 and 1/2 tbsp	Yupik Nuts Organic Raw Cashews
Green Chili	3 pieces
Small Carrot	1 piece
Curry Leaves	3 pieces (Sprig)	Fresh Curry Leaves
Salt	1 and 1/2 tsp

Instructions:

1. Prepare the onions and green chili by slicing them. Meanwhile, peel the potato and carrot and slice them both into cube sizes. Also, prepare the chicken by cleaning them and slicing them into smaller pieces.
2. Prepare a deep-cooking pot into the stove and add the coconut oil.
3. Once the oil is heated, add in the onions, green chili, ginger, and garlic. Sauté the spices until they are soft. Do not allow the onions to be overcooked or turn them into brown. Add the first two ingredients first and then follow the garlic and ginger.
4. One the aroma of the spices is out, add in the following ingredients and fry them for 1-2 minutes:
   • Aniseeds Powder
   • Pepper Powder
   • Black Peppercorn
   • Cardamom
   • Cloves
5. Add the potato cubes, chicken, and 1 tsp salt to taste. You may add salt if necessary. Continue to stir the ingredients as you add them. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the medium-thick coconut milk to the pot and cover it.
7. Check after 10 minutes if the chicken is slightly cooked or half done. If it is, add the carrot cubes and cover the pot again to allow the dish to be cooked continuously.
8. While waiting for the dish to be cooked, soak 1 tbsp of cashew in hot water and ground it until you have achieved a paste-like texture.
9. Check the dish if the chicken and vegetables are cooked. If they are not, cover the pot and wait for a while until they are cooked.
10. Once cooked, add the thick coconut milk and cashew paste. Cover the pot and bring it to boil.
11. Regularly check until the desired consistency for the gravy. Once it is achieved, turn the stove off, and your dish is now ready to be served.
12. For each serving, garnish it by adding fried onions or cashew nuts.

Chicken Curry Kerala Roast (Kerala Chicken Curry Roast Without Coconut Milk)

This type of curry is different than the traditional Nadan Kozhi as it has no coconut milk. This dish is sometimes called Red Chicken Curry and is a variant of the original Nadhan Kozhi. Like Nadan Kozhi, the flavor of the dish is dependent on the spices, marinade of the chicken, and garam masala. For those who do not like coconut taste but are a fan of curry, this is an excellent dish to cook. Try the recipe below which is doable within just one hour:

No. of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Qty	Recommended Product
Chicken	2.2 lb
Oil (Coconut or Vegetable)	3 tsbp	Viva Naturals Organic VCO
Pepper Powder	1 tsp	Badia White Pepper Powder
Turmeric Powder	3/4 tsp	Nirav Turmeric Powder
Salt	2 and 1/2 tsp
Onion	3 pieces
Ginger (Grounded)	1 tbsp	Fresh Ginger
Garlic (Grounded)	1 tbsp	Fresh Garlic
Chili Powder (Kashmiri)	2 tbsp	Nirav Chili Powder
Coriander Powder	4 tsp	Om Naturals Coriander Powder
Garam Masala Powder	1 tsp	Rajah Garam Masala
Fennel Powder	1 tsp	Nirav Fennel Powder
Curry Leaves	3 pieces (Sprig)	Fresh Curry Leaves
Tomato	2 pieces
Water	12 oz
Coriander Leaves (Chopped)	3 tsbp

Instructions:

1. In a small, prepare the marinade by mixing the salt, pepper, and turmeric powder.
2. In a medium bowl, put the cleaned chicken and mix the mixture from step 1. Make sure that the powder is mixed throughout the chicken pieces. Set aside the chicken for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the other spices by:
   1. Grounding the tomatoes and set them aside.
   2. Slice the onions into small pieces.
4. In a deep cooking pot, add the oil and wait for it to be heated.
5. Once the oil is heated, add the onions, curry leaves and a pinch of salt. Also, add ginger and garlic in the pot. Sauté the spices until the onions are lightly brown.
6. Sauté the spices until pungent. Then, add the following ingredients:
   • Coriander Powder
   • Garam Masala Powder
   • Chili Powder
   • Fennel Powder
7. Sauté the ingredients added in step 6. You may adjust the quantity of the chili powder as needed or in accordance with your desired spicy level. You may also add oil as needed to fry the masala properly.
8. Add the tomatoes and sauté
9.  it under medium flame for five minutes. Make sure that the tomatoes are cooked.
10. Add the water to the mixture. Bring it to boil. This will be the gravy of the dish. Add salt or chili powder to achieve the desired taste.
11. Add in the chicken and stir until chicken is immersed in the gravy.
12. Cover the pot and let the chicken cook.
13. Check after 20 minutes if the chicken is cooked. If it is not yet cooked, just cover the pot again and allow the chicken to be cooked.
14. Once cooked, you may add coriander leaves if you desire. Check also if your gravy consistency is achieved. If not, just continue to boil the dish until the desired texture is achieved.
15. Once the chicken is cooked and the desired taste is achieved, turn off the stove. Your dish is now ready to be served.