Coconut Chicken Curry

What’s easy to make, creamy, bursting full of flavor, and can be eaten in a myriad of different ways and occasions?

It’s none other than this scrumptious and appetizing coconut chicken curry!

With tender chicken thighs or chicken breasts chunks soaked in a fragrant coconut curry made out of fresh ingredients easily found in your local grocery store, this beginner-friendly creamy coconut chicken curry is a portion of hearty comfort food that will fill up your bellies in the most satisfying way.

I am lucky to have grown up in a multiracial nation such as Malaysia as I get to eat a variety of food from different cuisines ever since I was young. This chicken coconut curry is one of my favorite dishes as it is a great way to use coconut cream and red curry paste to achieve amazing saucy goodness that is both delectable and simple. There are many delicious curry chicken recipes to make different types of chicken curry such as Thai chicken or Indian curry chicken.

This staple coconut curry chicken recipe with potatoes was my mum’s recipe that she used to feed my siblings and me for many many years. As I previously mentioned, this easy weeknight dinner can be eaten in a myriad of different ways. You can eat it with rice such as brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, and quinoa. Here’s a pro tip, by adding some soy sauce to the rice you will enhance the taste of the coconut chicken curry even further. For those bread-lovers out there, chicken coconut curry is often eaten with Indian flatbreads as well such as naan or puri.

What is coconut chicken curry?

Curry is a dish that is created by using seasonings and curry spice. Chicken curry is a common staple dish found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and the Caribbean. The quintessential recipe for curry chicken consists of chicken stewed either through a slow cooker or an instant pot or crockpot with tomato-paste-based sauce (sometimes onion as well). Its flavor is enhanced using ingredients such as ginger, garlic, tomato puree, chili powder, diced onions, and a variety of spices, often including turmeric powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom. Nowadays, most chicken curry recipes are made using a pre-mixture known as curry powder.

If this is your first time attempting chicken curry recipes, have no fear as this recipe for coconut curry chicken is extremely simple as I use a pre-mix curry powder instead of making it from scratch (I can already hear the relief from all our housemakers out there) and to make this a good coconut chicken curry that is more filling I add potatoes to the juicy chicken as well. This makes it a scrumptious chicken potato curry.

Is Chicken Curry Spicy?

Curry powder is a yellowish orange spice that has a unique combination of savory and sweet. Cumin, turmeric, and bay leaf add a deep earthiness along with the bright sweetness of cinnamon and clove. Most curry powders used in chicken coconut curries are not very spicy and are instead more fragrant and carry a savory and sweet taste instead. This cumin, turmeric, and bay leaf combo give the chicken curry depth and grounds it with a savory flavor whereas the cinnamon and cloves give our curry a little sweet tone.

COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY 

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If you prefer a spicier, hotter chicken curry then get curry powders that contain a higher content of chili pepper or bell pepper for that extra kick. If you are cooking this for your young ones then you should look out for curry powders that use black pepper and ginger for a toned down coconut chicken curry.

Coconut Milk vs Coconut Cream vs Cream of Coconut

The creamy coconut milk is what gives your chicken coconut curry its name and its creamy milky texture. In this curry chicken recipe, I use regular coconut milk that can be substituted by fresh milk (but for the best results it is recommended to use coconut milk).

Some of you may wonder what is the difference between coconut milk, coconut cream, and cream of coconut and whether or not they can each be used for our curry chicken recipe. Don’t worry about the coconut flavor as you won’t taste it at all in the chicken curry.

Coconut milk is the most liquid of the three. It has a similar texture and consistency as that of regular milk. Full-fat coconut milk is always best as it thickens the curry chicken and gives you a richness that light coconut milk won’t give you.

Coconut cream on the other hand is much richer and denser than coconut milk. Hence for a stronger creamy texture to your curry chicken, you can substitute coconut milk with coconut cream to your liking.

Cream of coconut is not suitable to be used in this coconut chicken curry recipe as it is a sweetened version of coconut cream hence it is usually used in drinks or desserts.

Storing Leftovers

Do not worry if you aren’t able to finish all your delicious chicken curry with coconut milk in a day. You can always seal the leftover in an airtight container and refrigerate it. However, try to finish it as soon as possible within the next few days as the chicken curry that contains coconut milk will go bad easily if not stored properly. Always ensure your chicken coconut curry has completely cooled before sealing it and refrigerating it. The next time you want to enjoy this delectable curry chicken just reheat it and voila! The same method of storage goes for any recipe for chicken curry.

If you have tried this coconut chicken curry and loved it, I have more recipes in my recipe section for you to master and if you would love to give more sweet desserts a go, I have a cake recipe section that will definitely catch your fancy. Not forgetting our craft patterns section if you are interested in DIY and handmade items.