Try this amazing South Indian chicken curry from Kerala state. This isn’t your standard Northern-style, cream-based curries that you find in most Indian restaurants. What sets it apart is the coconut-spice paste that forms the sauce’s base. Toasting and grinding the spices and coconut — a process called varutharacha in Malayalam — imparts a savory, smoky flavor and aroma to the sauce. And as with many dishes in India’s south, a generous portion of fresh curry leaves rounds out the flavor and gives it added texture.
The recipe below uses boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. But you can also use bone-in chicken pieces for added flavor and body, but remove the skin first to keep the dish from becoming too greasy. If you do use bone-in chicken, increase its cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
Varutharacha Kozhi Kari
Cuisine: IndiaWhat sets this particular curry apart from the cream-based curries you find in most Indian restaurants is the coconut-spice paste that forms the sauce’s base.
Ingredients
- For the spice paste
Coconut or other vegetable oil — 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon stick, broken into pieces — 1/2 stick
Cardamom seeds — 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds — 1 teaspoon
Whole cloves — 3 or 4
Peppercorns — 6 to 8
Unsweetened shredded coconut — 1 cup
Curry leaves — small handful
Sweet or mild paprika — 2 or 3 tablespoons
Ground coriander — 1 or 2 tablespoons
Turmeric — 1 teaspoon
- For the curry
Chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless — 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
Gingerroot, peeled and minced — 1-inch piece
Garlic, minced — 6 or 7 cloves
Coconut or other vegetable oil — 3 tablespoons
Fennel seeds — 1 teaspoon
Shallots or onion, thinly sliced — 1/2 cup
Green chilies, roughly chopped — 3 or 4
Curry leaves — small handful
Tomatoes, roughly chopped — 1 or 2
Salt — about 1 teaspoon
Directions
- Heat the oil over medium flame in a medium saucepan or skillet. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, cloves and peppercorns and stir often until they start to release their fragrance, about 3 or 4 minutes. Take care not to burn them.
- Add the shredded coconut and continue to stir until the coconut starts to take on a toasty brown hue. Toss in the curry leaves, and then stir in the paprika, coriander and turmeric. Keep stirring until all the ingredients are well toasted and fragrant, about 2 or 3 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool.
- Once the spice mixture has cooled, grind it in a mortar, coffee grinder or food processor until smooth, adding a little water to make a thick paste. Then set aside.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a kadhai, deep skillet or pot. Add the fennel seeds and toast them for about 15 to 30 seconds. Next add the shallots or onions and saute until just translucent. Stir in the ginger aand garlic, chilies and curry leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Next stir in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat to cook down the tomatoes a bit, around 3 to 5 minutes.
- For the final step, stir in the ground coconut-spice paste and add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water, just enough to make a soupy gravy. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, then stir in the chicken and simmer, covered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over steamed basmatic rice. For an authentic South Indian dining experience, top plates with a square of cleaned banana leaf.
Varutharacha Kozhi Kari Notes and Variations
- The dish can be finished by stirring in a teaspoon or two of garam masala and a drizzle of melted coconut oil.
- You can usually find fresh or frozen curry leaves in your local Indian market.
Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
