Easy Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good curry? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

Ideally, you want a coconut milk brand that only uses coconut and water. Avoid brands that contain added preservatives, thickeners, or sweeteners.

Lastly, the mother of all coconut curry thickeners is coconut flour. You can find it in some grocery stores or on Amazon. Rice flour does the trick too. Curry is eaten with rice so why not thicken it with rice flour?

Fenugreek (Methi)

This Indian spice is what people say "smells like curry." Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.

A curry can be sweetened by adding honey, syrup, or sugar. These ingredients add flavour and balance to a sour or bitter curry. Add around one tablespoon of either ingredient to your curry while cooking and taste. Continue to slowly add syrup, honey, or sugar to the dish until a sweet flavour is achieved.

I add new onion, garlic, and ginger prior to adding the curry sauce since they are generally as of now prepared and I think they add more flavor. I like to utilize coconut cream and not liquidy coconut milk that has less fat and less flavor.

Both garam masala and coriander powder are added to those creamy gravy curries. Other sweet-smelling spices such as cinnamon (which may be the secondary source of sweet aromas, or the main source in curries that don't have coriander), cardamom and nutmeg are also usually included in garam masala.

Toss in some fresh vegetables over a base of lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilli, keifer lime leaves, coriander, cumin and turmeric, and tuck into a warm, creamy coconut feast.

The coconut water boom ushered in something of a coconut milk renaissance. With its delicate tropical flavor and luscious texture, coconut milk remains an enduringly popular dairy alternative and a go-to pantry item for home cooks who love curry.

Do you have to use canned coconut milk for curry? ›

If you're making a curry when you realize you don't have any canned coconut milk, Chou recommends a mixture of plant-based milk and coconut oil to provide the creaminess and mild coconut taste.

Coconut milk and cream are mostly interchangeable in recipes such as curries and soups. If you prefer a richer flavour and texture, try coconut cream or vice versa. However, be careful when substituting coconut milk and cream in baked goods.

Coconut cream is the same thing as coconut milk—coconut meat blended with water—but it contains less water. While coconut milk is thin like cow's milk, coconut cream is thick like whipped cream. You can find this fat-rich cream floating on the top of any canned coconut milk, or you can buy it in a dedicated can.

To achieve a creamy, tangy curry sauce, incorporate yoghurt or heavy cream. Stir them in gently, as high heat may cause curdling. These ingredients are ideal for creating a luxurious texture in dishes like butter chicken or tikka masala.

TURMERIC. That is the go to spice in any South Indian kitchen to enhance a dish.

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products.

The most common ingredient in curry dishes is garlic. Onion, cilantro, tomatoes, vegetable oil, fresh ginger root, white sugar, coconut milk and chicken stock are also common ingredients in curry recipes. For herbs and spices, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper are popular.