Thengai Paal Kozhi Kuzhambu – Coconut Milk Chicken Curry

Thengai Paal Kozhi Kuzhambu – Coconut Milk Chicken Curry – How to make Thengai Paal Chicken Kuzhambu – Coconut Milk Chicken Gravy – Side Gravy for Biryani – Chicken Curry Recipe – south indian style chicken gravy made with thick coconut milk and green chilies. Kurma Kuzhambu is a coconut based gravy that we make at home very often… just a little different every time for variations. Sometimes its with regular red chilli powder / kuzhambu thool… at times its purely green chili based with no spice powder…this is one such dish which mostly suits as a side for idli / dosa / poori/ idiyappam also pairs well with plain pulao or biryani. Instead of making the same gravy…just play with the ingredients for variations, that’s about it! Lets get into the recipe before I bore you more…

Try this gravy with CEYLON PAROTTA

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Thengai Paal Kozhi Kuzhambu

Thengai Paal Kozhi Kuzhambu – south indian style chicken gravy using coconut milk.  

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time27 minutes mins

Total Time42 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, south indian

Keyword: chicken, chicken curry, coconut milk, kuzhambu

Servings: 5

Author: Mullai Madavan

Ingredients

Ingredients – to make a paste

• 1/4 inch cinnamon
• 4 each cloves
• 1 each cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 10 each black peppercorns
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 6 each green chillies hot variety
• 1/4 cup water optional, just to run the mixer

Ingredients – to temper & saute

• 1 kg chicken whole cut or boneless
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 each bay leaf
• 4 each black stone flower / kalpasi
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 each curry leaves
• 1 cup onions chopped
• 2 each green chilli
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 2 tablespoon coriander leaves for saute
• 1/4 cup tomato chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 5 each curry leaves for garnish
• 2 teaspoon coconut oil optional, for drizzle

Ingredients – to grind and extract coconut milk

• 1 cup coconut grated
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 4 each cashews
• 1 cup water

Instructions

Prep work

• Grind all the ingredients listed to make a paste using less water and keep it ready.
• Soak poppy seeds and cashew in water for 15 minutes and grind it along with coconut and water. Using a fine mesh strainer extract thick coconut milk and keep it ready. 

To make the kuzhambu

• Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaf, black stone flower, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
• Saute onion along with green chillies until it turns lightly crisp and brown.
• Add in the masala paste and saute along till it browns well.  Need to fry over low flame until the raw smell goes away. Add in mint and coriander leaves at this stage and saute along.
• Add in chicken pieces along with tomato, turmeric powder and salt. Saute for few minutes.
• Add water, cover and cook over low-medium flame for 15 minutes until the chicken cooks through. 
• When the gravy cooks,add in the thick coconut milk extract and simmer for minutes until it thickens a bit. 
• Garnish with curry leaves and drizzle little coconut oil and switch off.

Prep work

Grind all the ingredients listed to make a paste using less water and keep it ready.

Soak poppy seeds and cashew in water for 15 minutes and grind it long with coconut and water. Using a fine mesh strainer extract thick coconut milk and keep it ready. 

To make the kuzhambu

Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaf, black stone flower, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Try another version KOZHI KUZHAMBU

Saute onion along with green chillies until it turns lightly crisp and brown.

Add in the masala paste and saute along till it browns well. 

Need to fry over low flame until the raw smell goes away.

Throw in some mint and coriander leaves. Saute along for few minutes to make them wilt a bit.

Add in chicken pieces along with tomato, turmeric powder and salt.

Saute for few minutes to coat the masala and partially cook the chicken.

Add water, cover and cook over low-medium flame for 15 minutes until the chicken cooks through.

I’m using boneless chicken, which cooks a little faste compared to whole cut chicken with bones. Make sure you give enough time to cook the chicken thoroughly.

Once the chicken gets cooked the gravy also thickens a bit and little oil floats on top.

When the gravy cooks,add in the thick coconut milk extract and simmer for minutes until it thickens a bit.

Drizzle little coconut oil at this stage, throw in some curry leaves and simmer.

Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off!