Kerala chicken curry with coconut milk (Nadan chicken curry)

Kerala-style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk (Nadan chicken curry /Thenga Paal Kozhi Curry) is a classic variant of Kerala chicken curry. It has a semi-thick gravy with balanced spice and a natural hint of sweetness from coconut.

Beginner-friendly and fuss-free, it needs no special tools. Just home cooking with pantry staples. Scroll down for the full ingredient list, step-by-step method, tips, variations, storage, and serving guide.

What is Kerala Style Chicken Curry with coconut?

Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut is a milder version of Nadan Kozhi Curry. It uses the same red masala base, but coconut milk is added at the end. This gives the curry a smooth texture, a balanced taste, and a light coconut aroma.

Here, the coconut milk doesn’t overpower. The Kerala spice mix and chicken balance it naturally. First, the curry turns deep red from the masala base. Then, coconut milk lightens it to brown, smooths the texture, and balance the spice with a hint of natural sweetness.

There are many variants of this dish across India. Mangalorean Kori Gassi is one example, but the spices and cooking method are different. Thai red chicken curry also uses coconut milk, but the base, ingredients, and flavors vary.

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

First, visually, the rich gravy, soft chicken pieces, and spiced oil on top catch your eye. Then, the coconut milk brings a light natural sweetness. After that, a gentle heat builds from the spices, lifted by the aroma of curry leaves and coconut oil.

That mix of visuals, flavor, and smell is what makes this curry so easy to love.

Recipe Ingredients

Chicken: Use fresh, farm-raised chicken for best results. Frozen is fine too, but avoid broiler chicken if possible. It affects texture and flavor.

Coconut Milk: This recipe uses both thick and thin coconut milk. Thick milk is the first extract from freshly grated coconut. Thin milk is the second extract made by blending the same coconut again with water. If fresh coconut isn't available, you can use desiccated coconut, coconut milk powder, canned coconut milk, or packed coconut paste.

If you enjoy the coconut flavor in this chicken curry, you’ll love our Kerala Style Meen Curry with Coconut Milk Recipe too. It brings the same rich taste with a seafood touch.

Other Ingredients: Coconut oil, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, garam masala, curry leaves, coriander leaves, onion, tomato, and ginger-garlic paste.

Exact measurements and cooking steps are in the recipe card below.

Variations to Try

1. Base Swap: Roasted Coconut Version
For a richer flavor, skip the coconut milk and use roasted coconut paste instead. Lightly roast grated coconut with a few spices, grind it to a smooth paste, and add it to the curry. 

This version is called Varutharacha Curry and works well with chicken, prawns, or fish. If you like this style, try our Kerala-style Varutharacha Prawns Curry for a seafood version.

2. Add-ons for Volume
To make the curry more filling, add potatoes or drumsticks. These absorb flavor well and match the coconut-based gravy.

3. To Adjust Taste
If you prefer a slightly sour note, add kudampuli (Malabar tamarind) along with the coconut milk.

4. Protein Options
You can replace chicken with mutton, beef, fish, or even egg. We have a detailed recipe for Kerala Style Egg Curry with Coconut Milk if you want to try it. For a vegetarian version, add soya chunks, paneer, or potatoes.

All versions follow the same base steps. Only the ingredient or timing changes slightly.

How To Make Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk(Step-by-Step Guide)

1. Clean the chicken pieces. Marinate it with the ingredients listed under marination. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Thinly slice onions and green chilly. In a kadai, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves, and salt. Adding salt helps the onion to get cooked fast.
3. Grind ginger and garlic into a fine paste. When the onions are lightly brown, add the ginger, garlic paste. Saute well till the aromatics release their flavor.
4. Once sauteed well, add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, fennel powder and saute. Add oil as needed to fry the masalas. I use homemade garam masala. When you use store bought one, based on the brand you use, you may have to increase garam masala measurement to 1.5 teaspoon or 2 tsp.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and mix them well in the gravy. Cover and cook until tomatoes are cooked. It might take around 5 to 8 minutes. Adjust salt in the gravy.
6. Add marinated chicken pieces to the gravy.
7. Mix it well. Cover and cook on a low to medium flame until water releases from the chicken. Then increase the flame to medium.
8. This is probably the key step in the recipe. Once chicken pieces are cooked, allow water to evaporate but not completely dry.

9. Then add chopped coriander leaves and thick coconut milk. Refer notes on how to prepare coconut milk. 
10. Adjust the salt and allow it to boil.
11. Adjust to the final gravy consistency, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot.

For your next meal, consider trying our Authentic Kerala-style Chicken Biryani. It’s packed with rich spices and is a beloved classic from Kerala.

Tips And Tricks

1. How to Make Coconut Milk at Home
   Grind 3 cups of grated coconut with ¾ cup of lukewarm water. This gives about ¾ cup of thick coconut milk. Using lukewarm water helps extract the milk more effectively. Always add thick milk at the final stage to avoid splitting.
2. Quick Curry Using Leftover Chicken Roast
   You can prepare this curry quickly using leftover Chicken Roast. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and fennel powder as needed. Roast the spices, then add 1 cup of shredded leftover chicken. Once it heats through, pour in coconut milk and simmer. Adjust the spices and milk based on the amount of chicken and how thick you want the gravy.
3. Prevent Coconut Milk from Splitting
   Do not let the curry boil after adding thick coconut milk. Always simmer gently to keep the texture smooth and creamy.
4. Optional Flavor Tip
   Though not traditional, adding a small amount of ghee along with coconut oil gives a deeper flavor to the curry.

Serving Suggestions

Breakfast:
Serve the curry with appam, idiyappam, puttu, pathiri, or orotti. The curry adds body and flavor to these Kerala staples.

Lunch:
Nadan Kozhi Thegha Paal Curry pairs best with rice. You can serve it with matta rice, basmati rice, or ghee rice. For a full Kerala-style lunch, try it with matta rice alongside cabbage or beans thoran, pappadam, and Nadan Kozhi Prichathu.

Dinner:
It also goes well with porotta, chapati, naan, or kuboos. Soaking chapati in the curry gives it a soft texture and rich flavor.

Storage Instructions

Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk contains coconut milk, so it should not be left at room temperature for long. To avoid spoilage, reheat it on low heat and consume within a day. Refrigeration is recommended for storing leftovers. 

Freezing is not ideal because coconut milk can separate and spoil, affecting texture and flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

More Kerala Curries Made with Coconut Milk

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below. Don’t forget to share your photos on Instagram and tag @a_little_bit_of_spice.

Kerala chicken curry recipe with coconut milk (Nadan chicken curry)

Jane Jojo

Chicken curry with semi thick gravy well flavored with spices and coconut milk. It’s an easy and delicious nadan kozhi curry recipe. This recipe is our house favorite one and an evolved recipe over the time. It goes well with pathiri, any sort of rice variants ( ghee rice, pulao), chapati, parotta/paratha, appam or any other Indian breads.

4.10 from 20 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine kerala, south indian

Servings 6 serving

Calories 266 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 kilogram chicken

Marination

• ▢ 2 teaspoon chilli powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoon salt

Masala Gravy

• ▢ 4 number onion (medium size)
• ▢ 4 number green chilli
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon ginger paste
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon garlic paste
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon chilli powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon coriander powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon fennel powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• ▢ 3 numbers tomato (medium size)
• ▢ 3 sprig curry leaves
• ▢ ¾ cup Thick coconut milk
• ▢ coriander leaves
• ▢ salt
• ▢ coconut oil / vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Clean the chicken pieces. Marinate it with the ingredients listed under marination. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
• Thinly slice onions and green chilly. In a kadai, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves, and salt. Adding salt helps the onion cook faster.
• Grind ginger and garlic into a fine paste. When the onions are lightly brown, add the ginger, garlic paste. Sauté well till the aromatics release their flavor.
• Once sautéed well, add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, fennel powder and sauté. Add oil as needed to fry the masalas. I use homemade garam masala. When you use store-bought one, based on the brand you use, you may have to increase garam masala measurement to 1.5 teaspoon or 2 tsp.
• Add chopped tomatoes and mix it well in the gravy. Cover and cook until tomatoes are cooked. It might take around 5 to 8 minutes. Adjust salt in the gravy.
• Add marinated chicken pieces to the gravy.
• Mix it well. Cover and cook in low to medium flame until water releases from the chicken. Then increase the flame to medium.
• This is probably the key step in the recipe. Once chicken pieces are cooked, allow water to dry up. Don't make it a complete dry.
• Then add chopped coriander leaves and thick coconut milk. Refer notes on how to prepare coconut milk.
• Adjust the salt and allow it to boil.
• Adjust to the final gravy consistency, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve.

Notes

1. How to Make Coconut Milk at Home
   Grind 3 cups of grated coconut with ¾ cup of lukewarm water. This gives about ¾ cup of thick coconut milk. Using lukewarm water helps extract the milk more effectively. Always add thick milk at the final stage to avoid splitting.
2. Quick Curry Using Leftover Chicken Roast
   You can prepare this curry quickly using leftover chicken roast. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and fennel powder as needed. Roast the spices, then add 1 cup of shredded leftover chicken. Once it heats through, pour in coconut milk and simmer. Adjust the spices and milk based on the amount of chicken and how thick you want the gravy.
3. Prevent Coconut Milk from Splitting
   Do not let the curry boil after adding thick coconut milk. Always simmer gently to keep the texture smooth and creamy.
4. Optional Flavor Tip
   Though not traditional, adding a small amount of ghee along with coconut oil gives a deeper flavor to the curry.

Nutrition

Serving: 336gCalories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 17gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 691mgPotassium: 340mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 946IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!