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Creamy coconut chicken curry with tender chicken in a rich coconut sauce, garnished with fresh coriander and served with basmati rice.
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Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry

Tender chicken thighs simmered in a rich, creamy coconut sauce with aromatic spices, garlic and ginger. Served with fluffy basmati rice and optional cashews, chilli and spring onion.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Easy Dinner,, Main Dish
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 41 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 21 minutes
Servings 3 Servings
Calories 1050 kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 large Chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp Coconut oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 25 g Fresh ginger Minced
  • 1 large Brown or yellow onion Thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 tsp Sea salt flakes
  • 1 tsp Black pepper

Curry

  • 1 tsp Coconut oil For cooking
  • 3 tsp Ground cumin
  • 2 tsp Ground coriander
  • ½ tsp Ground cloves
  • 2 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp Ground turmeric
  • 4 Cardamom pods Whole
  • ¾ cup Chicken or vegetable stock
  • cups Coconut milk Do not use coconut cream
  • 12 g Desiccated coconut Optional

Rice

  • 1 cup Basmati rice Washed and dried
  • 2 cups Water
  • 2 Kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 pinch Sea salt flakes

Garnish

  • 1 Spring onion Thinly sliced
  • 1 Long red chilli Thinly sliced; optional
  • Roasted cashew nuts Chopped; optional
  • Fresh coriander Optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Ingredients

    Thinly slice the onion. Mince the garlic and ginger, then thinly slice the spring onion and red chilli for garnish.

  2. Marinate the Chicken

    Add the chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, sliced onion, garlic, ginger, salt and black pepper to a large bowl. Mix well to coat the chicken.

    Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for deeper flavour.

Cook the Curry

  1. Heat a large pan over high heat and add 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the onion mixture.

  2. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove and set aside.

  3. Add the reserved onion, garlic and ginger to the same pan. Sauté for 1 minute.

  4. Add the cumin, coriander, cloves, smoked paprika, turmeric and cardamom pods. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

  5. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the browned flavours. Simmer for 1 minute.

  6. Add the coconut milk and season with salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then stir in the desiccated coconut if using.

  7. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook the Rice

  1. Add the basmati rice, water, kaffir lime leaves and a pinch of salt to a saucepan.

  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 16 minutes without stirring.

  3. Remove from the heat, discard the kaffir lime leaves and fluff the rice with a fork.

Serve

  1. Serve the creamy coconut chicken curry over the fluffy basmati rice.

  2. Garnish with roasted chopped cashews, sliced spring onion, red chilli and fresh coriander, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Serving and Presentation

Serve the creamy coconut chicken curry over fluffy basmati rice, spooning plenty of the rich coconut sauce over the chicken. Finish with roasted chopped cashews, sliced spring onion, fresh red chilli and a little fresh coriander for colour, freshness and crunch. Serve immediately while hot.