Kerala Style Chicken Curry - without coconut (Nadan kozhi curry)

Kerala Style Chicken Curry without coconut (Nadan Kozhi Curry) is one of the simplest and most flavorful Kerala curries. Bold, quick, and easy to make with no complex ingredients or cooking steps.

This version uses the onion-tomato base seen in many Kerala dishes. It’s often called Red Chicken Curry for its vibrant colour and balanced spice.

You can make it easily at home. Scroll down for ingredients, step-by-step cooking, best sides, and storage tips to recreate this dish.

What is Kerala Style Chicken Curry without Coconut milk?

Kerala style chicken curry without coconut milk is a simple dish made with chicken and an onion-tomato masala base. The masala is made with ginger, garlic, and Kerala spices sautéed in coconut oil with curry leaves, then cooked with chicken and water until done.

Once cooked, you’ll see a thin layer of oil on top. The smell of marinated chicken blends beautifully with roasted spices and coconut oil. It is slightly spicy but balanced. The heat stays gentle and does not overpower.

This curry has close cousins across India and the world, such as Andhra Kodi Kura, Punjabi Chicken Curry, and Nigerian chicken stew. They use a similar base but differ in spice levels, texture, and cooking method.

If you prefer something milder and creamy, try our Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk. It brings the same comfort with a softer finish.

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

This curry is simple. No grinding, no special preparation needed. Just pantry spices and everyday ingredients.

The red colour from Kashmiri chilli powder gives it strong visual appeal. It looks bold but stays mildly spicy. The smell of marinated chicken cooking in roasted spices and coconut oil is deeply comforting.

It pairs beautifully with Kerala matta rice, ghee rice, pathiri,idiyappam, chapathi, or porotta. A true Kerala non-veg classic that’s easy to make and easy to love.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Chicken – Use Nadan chicken (local farm-raised) if possible. It gives better flavor and texture than broiler chicken.
2. Spices – Pepper, turmeric, fennel powder, coriander, garam masala, and Kashmiri chilli powder. You can use store-bought spices. But for the best flavor, dry-roast and grind them fresh at home.
3. Other Essentials – Coconut oil, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, curry leaves, and fresh coriander. All ingredient measurements and nutrition details are shown in the recipe card below.

If you enjoy tomato-based Kerala chicken dishes, you might also like our Kerala Style Chicken Roast.

Variations to Try

1. You can turn this into a creamy curry by adding coconut milk. Or try a richer version by roasting and grinding coconut to make Varutharacha Chicken Curry.
2. Some add potatoes to increase volume and soak up the masala.
3. For extra sourness, use a small piece of tamarind or a splash of vinegar while cooking.
4. If you enjoy more heat, add a little crushed pepper towards the end for that final spice kick.
5. If you prefer a milder option, check out our Chicken Stew. It is a creamy, lightly spiced curry made with coconut milk and tender chicken.

How To Make Coconut-free Kerala Chicken Curry (Step-by-Step Guide)

1. Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with the ingredients listed under marination. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Slice onion into very small pieces so it would be easy to blend into the gravy while the chicken gets cooked.
3. In a kadai, heat the oil. Add sliced onions, curry leaves, and salt when the oil is hot. Sweating the onions helps release their moisture and cook faster.
4. Sauté the onions until they are lightly brown. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté well.

5. Once sautéed well, add chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and fennel powder. Sauté for a few minutes. Add oil as needed to fry the masalas properly. Adjust the chili powder according to your spice tolerance. If you love both spice and chicken, try our Kerala Pepper Chicken Recipe. It’s a must-try for spice lovers!
6. Grind the tomatoes. Once masalas are done, add tomato to it.
7. Saute for around 5 minutes in medium flame, until tomatoes are cooked.
8. Add water. Bring it to a boil and adjust the salt in the gravy. Then add marinated chicken pieces. Stir till the chicken pieces are well coated.

9. Cover and cook until the chicken is done. It will take around 20 minutes.
10. Coriander leaves are optional. Add it only if you like the coriander leaves flavor. Boil till the gravy is up to the consistency desired. Serve it.

Tips And Tricks

1. Marination makes the chicken tender and more flavourful. It’s best to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can skip it if needed, but longer marination always gives a better taste.
2. Sauté the onions slowly on low to medium heat. Stop when they turn light brown. That’s when caramelization begins and adds a hint of natural sweetness.
3. Some people add a very small pinch of sugar or jaggery to balance the spice.
4. Rest the curry for at least 20 minutes before serving. This helps the flavours come together fully.

Serving Suggestions

Nadan Kozhi Curry pairs well with many Kerala staples. For breakfast, serve it with pathiri, orotti, noolputtu, puttu, appam, soft dosas, or even bread.

For dinner, it goes well with chapathi, kuboos, naan, or layered Kerala porotta.

For lunch, pair it with ghee rice, basmati, or Kerala matta rice. You can also turn it into a full meal with a side of cabbage or beans thoran and a Crispy Kerala Chicken Fry.

Storage Instructions

Kerala style chicken curry without coconut milk stores better than the coconut-based version. It often tastes even better the next day after reheating.

If using the same day, it can stay at room temperature for a few hours and be reheated when needed.

For longer storage, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze it for 1 to 2 months. Before serving, thaw to room temperature and reheat in a pan or microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

More Kerala Chicken Recipes To Try

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment

Kerala Style Chicken Curry - without coconut (Nadan kozhi curry)

Jane Jojo

Chicken curry well flavored with spices. It goes well with pathiri, any sort of rice variants ( ghee rice, pulao, normal rice) and any Indian bread. It is an easy peasy recipe for kerala chicken curry which suits for a weekday menu. Good one for bachelor's and newbies to cooking also.

3.54 from 101 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, kerala

Servings 6 serving

Calories 245 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 kg chicken

Marination

• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Masala Gravy

• ▢ 3 numbers onion (medium)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger (grinded)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic (grinded)
• ▢ 2 tbsps Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• ▢ 4 tsps coriander Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel Powder
• ▢ 3 numbers curry leaves (Sprig)
• ▢ 2 numbers tomato (medium)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups water
• ▢ 3 tablespoon coriander leaves (chopped)
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Coconut oil or Vegetable oil
• ▢ salt

Instructions

 

• Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with the ingredients listed under marination. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
• Slice onion into very small pieces so that it would be easy for it to get mashed into the gravy while chicken gets cooked.
• In a kadai, heat the oil. When oil is hot, add the sliced onions, curry leaves, and salt. Adding salt helps the onion to get cooked fast.
• Sauté the onions until it is lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic, and saute well.
• Once sautéed well, add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, fennel powder, and sauté. Add oil as needed to fry the masalas. ** This is a bit spicy curry. So adjust chilly powder according to your spice tolerance level.
• Grind the tomatoes. Once masalas are done, add tomato into it.
• Sauté for around 5 minutes in medium flame, until tomatoes are cooked.
• Add water. Bring it to boil and adjust salt in the gravy. Then add marinated chicken pieces. Stir till the chicken pieces are well coated.
• Cover and cook until chicken is done. It will take around 20 minutes.
• Coriander leaves are optional. Add it only if you like the coriander leaves flavor. Boil till the gravy is up to the consistency desired.

Video

Notes

1. Marination makes the chicken tender and more flavourful. It’s best to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can skip it if needed, but longer marination always gives a better taste.
2. Sauté the onions slowly on low to medium heat. Stop when they turn light brown. That’s when caramelization begins and adds a hint of natural sweetness.
3. Some people add a very small pinch of sugar or jaggery to balance the spice.
4. Rest the curry for at least 20 minutes before serving. This helps the flavours come together fully.

Nutrition

Serving: 332gCalories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 16gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 492mgPotassium: 233mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 964IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!