CHICKEN CURRY WITH EARTH SPICE MASALAS
Nadan Kozhi is a chicken variety prepared in Kerala and is a part of the famous Malabari cuisine. It is a lip-smacking regional dish with a slightly sweet flavour profile in which the coconut taste is quite pronounced. It is a simple and accessible dish that can be served and enjoyed even without much skill or experience. It is infused with the flavours of a distinctive spice mix and the gravy has a bright red colour..
SERVING TIME
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 50 minutes
YIELD
- 6 servings
INGREDIENTS LIST
Chicken | 1 kg |
Chilli powder | 2 tsp. |
Salt | 1.5 tsp |
Turmeric powder | 1 tsp |
Onion, medium sized | 4 pc |
Green chilli | 4 pc |
Tomato, medium sized | 3 pc |
Ginger-garlic paste | 3 tbsp |
Chilli powder | 1.5 tbsp |
Coriander powder | 2 tbsp |
Fennel powder | 2 tsp |
EarthSpice Garam Masala | 1 tsp |
Curry leaves | 3 sprigs |
Thick coconut milk | 3-4 cups |
Coriander leaves | for garnish |
Salt | As required |
INSTRUCTIONS
- Clean and marinate the chicken pieces with chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes. This retains the juiciness of the chicken and maintains its tenderness. Marination saves cooking time.
- EarthSpice Chicken Masala will be tosted in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute until you notice its fragrance. Add to water and stir to make a fine spice paste.
- Now it’s time to prepare the tadka. The tadka defines the foundations of the flavouring of the gravy and tempers it.Take a small skillet with vegetable oil. Add thinly sliced onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and salt. Raise the flame to mid-high and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the onions acquire a translucent colour. The addition of salt makes the onions cook faster.
- After you notice the onions turning brown, add the spice paste made with EarthSpice Chicken Masala along with a fine paste of ginger and garlic to mix. The whole mixture should be sautéed for 2 minutes until the spices let out their aromas.
- Continue to sauté as you add EarthSpice Garam Masala together with black pepper, coriander powder, and fennel powder to enrich and achieve a complex spiciness in the gravy. Add enough oil to fry the masalas and bring to medium flame.
- Stir the mix until the oil separates out from the paste in about 2 minutes. Adjust the proportion of EarthSpice Garam Masala according to your preference for spiciness.
- Put chopped tomatoes and cook it well by keeping it covered over a low to medium flame with the rest of the gravy. Cover the mix and continue for 5—8 minutes, fine-tuning the salt in the gravy as you like it.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces to the gravy. Mix properly such that the spice seasonings coats the exterior and is soaked up in it as much as possible. After that, cover the skillet and reduce the flame to low-medium. Cook the chicken until moisture (water) begins to emerge from it.
- Now, it’s all about draining the chicken of water while retaining just enough moisture at the end, otherwise the chicken will completely dry up and we don’t want this to happen.
Next, add the coconut milk to lighten the colour and balance the spice profile of the gravy. The coconut milk imparts the signature taste of this dish. Cook the chicken with the coconut milk and salt to taste over a low simmering flame, until the desired consistency is achieved. This takes an estimated 25 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves to finish

READY TO SERVE
Combine with steamed rice, appam, pathiri, roti or parantha to enjoy this medium-thick curry flavoured with a complex spice mix.
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTES
- You can make this dish without coconut milk for a thinner gravy and different taste.
- Roasted chicken can also be used
- Chicken stock can be added along with the coconut milk
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories 317 (Calories from Fat 180). Total Fat 20g (DV 31%). Saturated Fat 14g (DV 70%). Sodium 600mg (DV 25%). Total Calories 317 (Calories from Fat 180). Total Fat 20g (DV 31%). Saturated Fat 14g (DV 70%). Sodium 600mg (DV 25%). Total