Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Published: Jan 28, 2019 · Modified: Jan 7, 2023 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments

Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Boneless chicken breast simmered in a rich and flavourful tomato and coconut sauce, with mild spices that give it an earthy touch, this chicken curry is a perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family.

Coconut milk features heavily in Asian cuisines. From desserts, to appetizers, mains or sides, there are so many delicious ways of using a good can of coconut milk. Although coconut curries are mostly associated with the Thai cuisine, and less with the Indian food, that does not mean that we can't prepare an awesome Indian curry with coconut milk.

I think the combination of the Indian spices and coconut milk is particularly nice. The sweetness of the coconut contrasts beautifully with the heat coming from the spices. And then you get a whole range of flavours and textures that make this chicken curry with coconut milk a fabulous meal.

I used coconut milk in my Chicken Korma,and it was a huge hit with everybody in my family, so I knew that another recipe had to make its way to our table soon.

Ingredients used

• chicken breasts - I prefer using chicken breast when I make curries, but chicken thighs or legs can work too. Just cut the meat off the bone and use it the same way
• onion - it can be wither yellow, red of shallots
• garlic - it adds a nice touch to the dish, I highly recommend it
• garam masala - this dish does not need a daunting list of spices, garam masala is perfect for giving it an Indian touch, without it being overpowering
• ground cumin - you can also use cumin seeds if you like a more fragrant touch
• curry powder - you can go for mild or spicy, I prefer mild
• coconut milk - use full-fat coconut milk, the light one isn't creamy enough
• chopped tomatoes- you can also use fresh tomatoes if they are ripe and sweet

Step-by-step photos and intructions

This is by no means an authentic recipe, but mostly made up with the ingredients I had around. That's what I love about cooking, that I can be as creative as I want, and cook delicious meals without effort.

• Searing the chicken beforehand is optional, but I think it adds to the flavour, so I highly recommend it.
• Once the chicken is lightly brown, remove from the pan, and fry the onion. This will soak up all the chicken juices left, and the onion will caramelize nicely.
• When you add the spices, stir gently for about one minute. The spices will release their full flavour without burning.
• Add the chicken back to the pan together with the chopped onions and coconut milk, stir, and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.

The coconut milk makes the sauce pretty sticky, so I recommend you stir gently now and then, to make sure the sauce does not stick to the pan.

Expert tips

Make sure you keep an eye on the curry, although it doesn't need stirring a lot, when the sauce is reduced, it tends to stick to the pan.

It is best to cook the curry on a medium heat, a high heat will reduce the sauce too quickly, and the chicken won't have time to cook through.

You can play with the amount of spiciness you want for the sauce, I prefer it mild, but by all means, this dish can take a lot more heat.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with chicken curry

The best side dishes for me are either plain basmati rice or pilau rice. One is basic, but cooked to perfection, the other is beautifully fragrant and as easy to make. Then you can flat bread, naan bread, chapati, poppadum and the list can go on.

Oher chicken curry recipes

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