This Coconut Chicken Curry proves you don’t need a long list of spices or a jar of curry paste to make a truly Indian-tasting curry – just 3 simple spices and very little effort. Tastes like a coconut-y Rogan Josh! I love that it’s made from scratch using pantry spices.
Coconut Chicken Curry
This is just a Coconut Chicken Curry recipe that is quick, easy and fabulous. It’s not the first coconut curry I’ve shared, and definitely won’t be the last. Some versions are more involved, with longer spice lists, longer cooking times, or marinating time.
This one is none of that – but it still tastes like a real Indian curry. Consider it a dialled up version of the western-style Chicken Curry from the 80’s which will always have a place in my life!
It’s based on a Lentil Curry I shared years ago, a streamlined take on Indian Dal with that same irresistible curry flavour but far less effort, using just a couple of spices. This version uses three – curry powder, turmeric, and cumin – and my friends say it tastes like a creamy, coconut-y take on Rogan Josh that’s real-Indian-flavoured enough to keep the grown ups happy but mild enough for the kids. Everybody’s happy!
Ingredients in Coconut Chicken Curry
Here’s what you need to make this Coconut Chicken Curry.
Fresh ginger and garlic – This recipe calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons of each. I know that’s a lot! But this the backbone to getting tasty flavour using so few spices in this curry sauce. Both the ginger and garlic are grated so you’ll make quick work of preparing them – no need to finely mince with a knife!
Boneless chicken thighs – Stays juicier than breast so it’s my preferred cut. If using breast, add it in for the last 5 minutes of the simmering time to prevent it from overcooking and drying out.
Curry powder – Just regular Western-style curry powder you get from grocery stores, like Clives of Indian and Keens. While I find they are a little plain used by themselves, when pimped up with other spices and fresh garlic and ginger, it is a wonderful shortcut to flavour!
Turmeric and cumin – Extra spices to give the sauce flavour a boost. Turmeric also gives the sauce a lovely warm yellow glow.
Coconut CREAM rather than milk – For a richer, fuller-bodied sauce with better coconut flavour that thickens faster than using coconut milk. Recipe shortcut. 🙂 (Fun fact: Coconut cream only has ~15% more calories and fat than coconut milk, so the calorie trade-off is modest. They are also the same price.)
Quality note: Use a good coconut cream – the best ones are 100% coconut and naturally thick (like Ayam), while cheaper versions (as low as 75% coconut) are diluted with water and thickeners.
Coconut oil or other oil – Also for flavour reasons, I use coconut oil rather than a flavourless vegetable oil, though you can really use any cooking oil, butter, or ghee. Be sure to use virgin or unrefined coconut oil which has coconut flavour, sold in jars as it’s firm like butter at room temperature, melts with heat. Refined coconut oil, which is commonly in liquid form, has had the coconut flavour removed.
Tomato paste – This helps thicken the sauce, adds colour and a touch of flavour too.
Chicken stock/broth – The liquid for simmering. I did try with water, but for a speedy recipe, I couldn’t get enough flavour in the sauce. See tip below on cost savings using chicken powder instead.
Onion – Use one large onion or two smaller ones. It is part of the flavour base.
Chickpeas – I use this to fill the curry out just by cracking the lid of a can! Other ideas – potato (see below), lentils.
Other add-in SUGGESTIONS
I deliberately made this curry very saucy for great rice soakage, so there’s sufficient sauce for more add-ins if you’d like to incorporate vegetables and/or bulk the curry out to serve more. Here are some ideas.
Potato – Cut into cubes so they cook through in the 13 minute sauce simmer time. Add in addition to or replace the chickpeas
Leafy greens – Like baby spinach, torn pieces of kale, frozen spinach. Stir them in at the end.
Frozen peas – I regret not adding these now, I held off because it would look so similar to the retro Chicken Curry! Add them in at the beginning of the simmer time.
Other diced vegetables – Zucchini, capsicum/bell peppers, carrots etc. Sauté after the onion.
Lentils – Add a can of lentils, or use dried split lentils and simmer for a little longer until they are cooked through.
💰 Cost saving tip of the day
Using chicken bouillon powder rather than liquid stock or broth saves a lot of money – 75c versus $4.50 per litre (confession: I never buy full price!). However, not all chicken powders are created equal! The only ones I use in place of liquid chicken stock are Chinese chicken powders – Knorrs and Lee Kum Kee. I find these have a cleaner chicken flavour than Western brands which taste more artificial. You can get these at large grocery stores in metropolitan areas of Australia (Coles, Woolworths) as well as Asian stores.
To use: dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoon of powder per 250ml (1 cup) boiling water (instructions say 1 teaspoon but I find I need a little more). So you’ll need 2 1/4 teaspoons to make the 1 1/2 cups you need for this recipe.
How to make Coconut Chicken Curry
To help the sauce thicken faster, the liquid is reduced in two stages – first the chicken stock, then the coconut cream. It shaves close to 10 minutes off the simmer time!
Grate the ginger and garlic using a microplane. Not only is it quicker than mincing with a knife, grating is a a specific step here as we want it “paste-like” which is how it’s traditionally prepared for Indian curries.
Sauté – Melt the coconut oil in a pot then sauté the onion first to give it a head start. Then cook the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds – keep it moving so it doesn’t stick to the base (if it does, scrape). Next add the spices and stir for 15 seconds. If it starts to stick to the base of pot, add a splash of water then wait until the water evaporates before adding the chicken.
Coat chicken – Next, stir in the tomato paste then stir in the chicken to coat it in all the tasty flavours. The chicken doesn’t get cooked during this step, it gets cooked in the sauce.
Reduce stock 5 minutes – Add the chicken stock and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes to give it a head start reducing.
Simmer 8 minutes – Add the coconut cream, chickpeas and salt. Simmer rapidly for 8 minutes, stirring every now and then. The sauce will thicken a bit but will still seem a little on the thin side – it will thicken more with a brief 5 minutes rest to take some of the blazing hot heat out of the pot before you serve it.
Ready! Ladle over basmati rice, being generous with the sauce (I made a lot of it especially!). Dollop with a little yogurt, sprinkle with coriander leaves then get stuck in.
What to serve with this Coconut Chicken Curry
Serve over basmati rice, or other rice of choice (white, jasmine, brown). For a low carb option, try cauliflower rice (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!). It’s also pictured with homemade naan which really is easier to make than you think. Yes, it uses yeast, but it’s a no-knead dough. Otherwise, I often reach for this simple No-Yeast Flatbread, a great all-rounder for everything from gyros wraps to dipping into tzatziki and curries.
I’ve also added a drizzle of yogurt (just thin it with water) and a few fresh coriander leaves – the yogurt adds a cooling tang that balances the richness, while the coriander brings a hit of fresh, herby brightness. Simple but works really great for just about any curry.
As for a side salad, a Minted Yogurt Cucumber Salad is my favourite one for Indian night. Cooling, refreshing and quick to make.
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Coconut Chicken Curry – quick and easy
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil (virgin), ie coconut flavoured, or butter, ghee, or any cooking oil you want (Note 1)
- 500 g/1lb boneless chicken thighs , cut into ~2cm / 0.8" pieces (Note 2)
- 1 large onion , diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic , finely grated using a microplane (~6 large cloves)
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger , finely grated using a microplane
- 2 1/2 tbsp curry powder , mild – just regular ones like Clives, Keens (feel free to use HOT for spicy!)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 400g / 14oz coconut cream (substitute coconut milk), full fat (Note 3)
- 400g / 14oz can chickpeas , drained
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, double for flakes)
Serving:
- Plain yogurt , slightly thinned with water to make it drizzle-able
- Coriander leaves (cilantro) , roughly chopped, recommended
- Basmati rice (you'll need to cook 3 cups rice grains to make enough) or other rice of choice
- Naan , optional
Instructions
ABBREVIATED
- Melt oil, sauté onion, then garlic and ginger. Toast spices, then tomato paste, coat chicken. Reduce chicken stock by half (5 min), then add coconut, chickpeas and salt. Simmer rapidly 8 min, stand 5 min then serve over rice.
FULL RECIPE
- Sauté – Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat (or a large deep skillet). Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, stir constantly for 30 seconds (scrape base if it starts to stick).
- Toast spices – Add the curry powder, turmeric and cumin. Stir for 15 seconds, taking care to make sure it doesn't stick and burn on base (if it does, add splash of water).
- Coat chicken – Add tomato paste and stir to coat all the onion, then add the chicken and stir to coat.
- Reduce chicken stock 5 minutes – Add the chicken stock, stir well, then once it starts bubbling, simmer rapidly for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid, stirring once in a while (adjust heat as needed, we want rapid bubbles – this is a speedy recipe remember!).
- Simmer 8 minutes – Add the coconut cream, chickpeas and salt. Stir well, bring back up to a simmer then simmer rapidly for 8 minutes, stirring every now and then. The sauce should be creamy but a little thinner than you'd expect.
- Serve – Remove the pot from the stove and leave to cool for 5 minutes, during which time the sauce will thicken a bit more. Serve over basmati rice with a drizzle of yogurt and sprinkle of fresh coriander. I wouldn't say not to a warm naan or flatbread either. 🙂
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Remembering Dozer
This has nothing to do with today’s recipe, but I came across this photo the other day and it made me laugh. Dozer was such a heavy sleeper! He also wasn’t allowed on the couch – so naturally, we used it as an excuse to see just how deeply he slept.
Pretty deep, it turns out. We ran out of cushions. 😂
Flower robber update – In other news! I’m happy to report the Dozer flower robber seems to have retired from their life of crime. Not a single bloom has gone missing lately from the Dozer memorial outside RecipeTin Meals, which either means they’ve turned over a new leaf or found a more lucrative patch elsewhere. 🌻🌻🌻
And that little “D” biscuit you spy was made using scraps from JB’s Galettes Bretonnes which I made on the weekend. I was happy to hear from the team at RTM that the ants have left that alone. All in all a good weekend – no flower robber, and ant free!
Dear Dozer – On the weekend, a breeder sent me a photo of the most adorable litter of golden retriever puppies and said that the gold boy had my name on it. I know getting a new puppy would cheer me up, but I also know I’m not ready because I bawled like a baby for hours.
It’s been 68 days since I lost you, and while some days I’m better, other days it hurts like it was yesterday. A friend told me that it takes great courage to love so completely as I did you, and I understood what she was saying but didn’t really “get it”. But now I do – because, damn it hurts.
I am not sure when I’m going to be ready, and I know it’s different for everyone. But for me, I don’t think I am the right type of person to get a new dog as a bandaid, but rather a new chapter I step into with a full heart, not one still breaking.
Then again, maybe I’m wrong, because you were my first, and I don’t really know what “ready” is. Maybe, as so many wonderful supportive readers say, I should look at a new fur baby as a new door opening rather than closing the door on you.
I miss you every day. I hope you are living your best life up in the Big Sky Kitchen, surrounded by endless snacks and very questionable rules about staying off the couch. Love – your mum. xx
Hi JB,
Please pass along plenty of love and hugs – and this brief note – to Nagi for feeling better.
A double-button atop the recipe pages would allow you to chart both sides of your journey (and that is content many will relate to, having made it already), and that would likely be cathartic. Though these steps feel leaden, they will get lighter over time. It will never be as it was prior, unless you throw your heart as wide as you did with Doze with a new baby bear boy, but there will be plenty of moments you can build joys into. Keep falling *forward* in hopefulness and healing into promising waters. Try to enjoy & appreciate the new moments with the new boy when he does come for what they are, not what they are not. You will be his mum too, and he will love you and want you to be happy – to share fun play times and adventures together, and settle into snuggly evenings together relaxing in repose. You will have each other…and that will be some comfort. XO, E
This is exactly what I was looking for, appreciate the detailed explanation. Will definitely be following your blog.
This is exactly what I was looking for, appreciate the detailed explanation. Keep creating great content like this.
Very well explained, bookmarked for future reference.
Chef JB,
I can’t find my original post, but you answered me asking for specifics on my curry allergy. I honestly don’t know which spice it is, but this is what happened ( multiple times):
I bought a can of curry spice. I mixed it in flour and fried chicken pieces. The first serving I itched. The second serving I itched more. The third time I ate it. I itched horribly and my tongue swelled.
I am now afraid of any curry.
That could escalate into anaphylaxis. I wouldn’t gamble on that, if I were you; it could be dangerous. Could be a brand thing, or an ingredient thing (curry is actually comprised of many things), but it sounds like for you, it could be a dangerous thing. You could get an allergy test at the Dr., but I would suggest avoiding curry period, as it won’t be worth it if you go into anaphylactic shock. Curry is nice but not necessary for survival 😉
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Very comprehensive coverage.
Made this last night for dinner and it was a big hit with everyone. Used coconut milk instead of cream, and added a squeeze of lime at the end, and it was delicious. Definitely added to our regular meals list.
This was a great read, looking forward to more articles. Very insightful indeed.
Thank you Mary 🙂
This was honestly such an easy recipe to make and so yummy! It was a bit runnier than my liking but next time will add a little less stock and should be perfect. Thanks for another fantastic recipe
Hi Soph, so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for making it. If it was a bit runnier than you like, just reducing the stock slightly next time will fix it nicely. Appreciate the feedback!
Yes! Another quick and delicious recipe. Perfect for Friday night/sport night dinner. Chickpeas were a really tasty surprise. Thanks Nagi.
Hi Leisa, so glad you enjoyed it and yes it’s a perfect kind of dish for a Friday night. Thanks for making it!
Nagi,
I am allergic to curry. ( the spice) is there anything else I can use in this recipe? It sounds delicious , but prefer to stay breathing.
Julie
Hi Julie, could you be a be more specific and tell me to which spice you are allergic as curry is a spice mix and can be done in many different ways.
Chef JB I answered you in a new post as I could not find this post. Then after I posted the new comment my original post showed up! Lol
Just discovered your blog, love the content quality.
Thank you Mark, we really appreciated it. And welcome to the RTE family!
Nagi, plan on making this tonight and I’m confident it will be delish.
Just read about Dozer and share tears for you. He’s romping on some beach in the sky with dozens of other lover dogs. 💕
Hi Mary, thank you for your kind words about Dozer… 🙂
This curry is SENSATIONAL Nagi! I added, zucchini, diced sweet potato and some frozen peas/corn and capsicum!
I cannot wait for my family to devour it tonight! THANK YOU!
Thanks for making it Karen, I like your way of making it, especially the zucchinis! 🙂
Have not been on this site for a while. so busy with work. but i think of you often nagi & was wondering about a new taste tester in the kitchen. i said no more pets when my conure died. but someone gave me a cockatoo parrot {nippy the nipper} helped me through my grieving. If i did’t take him he was on his way to a pet shop. That pet shop was swept out to sea when super storm hit here in si ny usa. every now and then i tell him how lucky he is. and how lucky i am to have him here with me. he will never take the place of my conure parrot. i love this bird and he loves me. so maybe a new taster in your kitchen. dozer will be keeping an eye on him
Hi! That’s such a beautiful story andthank you for sharing it ❤️ Sounds like Nippy really found the right home at the right time. Really glad you’ve got each other.
Dearest Nagi,
When you mentioned the breeder and a golden boy something stirred in me. When I lost my Billie almost 12 years ago I was so upset I just wanted to die. Literally. I stopped eating. Not to consciously starve myself but because I couldn’t face eating. Or anything else. All I could do was cry and look at pictures of him and stroke the fur I had cut from his tail before I buried him in front of my bedroom.
Via a minor miracle a tiny dog the size of a guinea pig found his way into my arms and I adopted him. Named him Maxi. He is still with me.
For the first six weeks the two of us stayed in bed, him playing and sleeping, me crying and learning to smile again. He was nothing like my Billie, he wasn’t another dog, he was AN OTHER dog.
And one morning as I was waking up I saw my Billie at the foot of my bed, I swear to God. It was like he was saying “good, you’re not alone anymore, I can now fly high.” After that losing Billie hurt a lot less, the constant crying eased, I could feel genuine joy again.
The Queen said that grief is the price we pay for love. Love – the purest there is – is what dogs give us. Maybe you could take a look at that puppy. It won’t be Dozer, unfortunately. But it may be his brother or sister in spirit, sent (perhaps by Dozer) to fill you up to overflowing with a NEW love, that can be just as wonderful as what you had with Dozer. Just differently.
I hope these thoughts of mine help to lift your spirits.
God Bless and stay strong, Love, Irini
Hi Irini, thank you for sharing this story with us. What you went through with Billie… I think anyone who’s loved a dog that deeply will understand that kind of loss. And I’m glad you found Maxi. Thank you again for such a thoughtful message, there’s a lot of kindness in it. I’m replying on the behalf of Nagi as she isn’t feeling so well at the moment.
Chicken coconut curry is amazing! and simple to cook!
All your recipes are amazing and I am looking forward to freezing some !
i am always spreading your website and how good you are 🥰
Hi Amanda, thank you so much, that’s really kind of you. So glad you enjoyed the curry! It’s a great one to have on hand in the freezer too. And I really appreciate you sharing the site around, it means a lot!
I made this recipe with a few modifications. I didnt have any ginger so I used ginger discs from the health food shop. I also added okra which just dissolved into the sauce. The recipe which I served to my 3 adult grandchildren was an amazing success with the leftovers being taken home by them.
Hi Roz, Love this, sounds like it was a success! Best sign of success is no leftovers!
This curry recipe sounds right up my alley, I shall be making it soon!
I share your loss & pain regarding Dozer. My fur baby was Ruby, a very cute, highly intelligent little bundle of joy & filled my days/nights with love & joy. It’s been 5 years since she went away & there are times when tears come to my eyes when I think of her. I’m so thinking of you!! xxJ
Hi Judi, I’m so sorry about Ruby. The pain never quite goes away really.. We really appreciate your message, and I hope you enjoy the curry when you make it 🙂
Absolutely delicious, thank you. I added potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peas. Very quick and simple. Definitely making again
Great version! Thank you for making the curry and great job making it your own 🙂