This one pan indian coconut chicken curry is delicious, fast and flexible! Tender chicken and vegetables are coated in a creamy sauce that is slightly sweet with a hint of spice. With my tips, this foolproof Indian chicken recipe is ready in under an hour!
This one-pan Indian coconut chicken curry is one of my favorite Indian chicken recipes and is definitely on dinner rotation here at the Table. What I love about this Coconut Chicken Curry is that it is fast and flexible! You can add other vegetables (like carrots, broccoli or zucchini), make it milder or even spicier! One pan and dinner is on the table in under an hour. Done.
All fabulous reasons to add this Coconut Chicken Curry or this Chicken Madras to your monthly dinner rotation!
So what is a curry?
Throughout India and Southeast Asia, you’ll find curries everywhere! Simply put, it’s almost any combination of vegetables, meats and or/ legumes cooked in a spiced sauce. Vegetarian, vegan, chicken, lamb or seafood based, hot and spicy or mild and comforting, the range of curries is infinite. What truly makes curries special is the combination of spices used. Want to learn more about Indian ingredients? Then be sure to check out my Indian Market Guide.
How to Make Coconut Chicken Curry
Step #1: Mash up the garlic, chile, and ginger – a mortar and pestle is great for this!
Step #2: Cook the onions, mashed up garlic, chile and ginger, and then add the spices! Tip: Sauteing the spices before adding any liquid to the pan really brings out all the flavors of the spices and works for all kinds of dishes – not just curries!
Step #3: Add the tomatoes, chicken and then the cauliflower and peas…
Step #4: Add the coconut milk last. Tip: DO NOT BOIL the curry at this point! Boiling will cause the coconut milk to separate – it will still taste good, but won’t have that creamy look !
And there you have it… a one pan creamy Indian Coconut Chicken Curry!!! If you liked this recipe, I’d love for you to rate it and leave a comment!
Other Indian Chicken Recipes you might enjoy:
One Pan Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe:
One Pan Coconut Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil
- 3/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes breasts or thighs
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and cut into thick slices
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
- 1 roma tomato seeded and diced
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tsp. Garam masala
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- 1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk regular or light
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro optional
- 1 red jalapeno sliced, optional
Instructions
- Add the garlic, ginger and chopped jalapeno to a mortar and bash with the pestle until a coarse paste forms. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, chop the garlic, ginger and jalapeno together until finely chopped.
- In a large skillet with a lid, heat 3 Tablespoons of vegetable or coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and salt and saute for 3 - 5 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly browned.
- Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno paste and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala. Stir, cooking for 1 minute until the spices are aromatic.
- Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is just beginning to brown. It won't be cooked through so don't worry. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.
- Add the cauliflower and 1/4 cup water, scraping up all the spices on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan Cook for 20 - 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the lid from the pan and add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Add the peas and stir to combine. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the mixture to boil!
- Remove the pan from the heat and taste, adding salt and/or cayenne pepper as needed.
Recipe Notes
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- There is no need to rinse the chicken. Just blot it dry before cutting into 1 inch chunks. I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts but thighs would work just as well!
- It may seem strange to add the spices before any liquid is added but this is what gives curry dishes their lovely flavor and aroma. Don't skip this step!
- In order to achieve a thick and creamy curry sauce, do not boil after adding the coconut milk. Boiling will cause the coconut milk to separate. If this happens, don't worry - the curry will still taste delicious but the sauce will look grainy!
- If you don't have cauliflower, feel free to substitute potatoes, carrots, zucchini - almost any vegetable will work although I think cauliflower tastes the best in this dish.
Nutrition
This looks like it is above and beyond loaded with flavor, like wow! I gotta try this, so many great spices and ingredienst that you used
Hi Albert! It is a really good curry dish – and perfect for those who aren’t that familiar with curries!
I made this last night & it was fantastic!! I’m just learning to cook & your directions are clear and easy to follow. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone. Thank you so much!