Varutharacha Chicken Curry | വറുത്തരച്ച കോഴിക്കറി
In Kerala (South India), Varutharacha Chicken Curry is a common and simple chicken curry made with roasted coconut and spices. Curry has a rich and aromatic taste from a perfect combination of roasted coconut and spices. Since each family has its own recipe, it could be made in so many different ways!
Varutharacha Chicken Curry
Varutharacha Kozhi Curry is Kerala's (south India's) most traditional chicken curry. The gravy has a roasted coconut base and some flavorful spices, making it a perfect combination for appam, pathiri, chappati, and idiyappam.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken (about 1 1/2 kg)
- 1 inch ginger
- 7 garlic
- 5 green chilies Adjust to your spiciness
- 50 ml oil
- 2 tsp salt Adjust to taste
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder if you like spicy, add 1 tbsp more.
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 ½ cup grated coconut
- 5 Shallots / Small onion 1/4 cup
- ½ tbsp garam masala 1 teaspoon
- 2 sprig curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Remove skin from chicken and cut into medium size pieces. Rinse and drain the chicken very well.
- Heat 3 tbsp coconut oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. When oil is hot add sliced ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add sliced garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add green chilies and stir for another 2 minutes. Add sliced shallots or small onion. Saute onion over medium heat until it is light brown. Add curry leaves. When shallots are golden brown, remove it from the pan.
- Use the same pan to roast the coconut. If there is no leftover oil in the pan add 1-2 tbsp coconut oil. When the oil is hot add grated coconut. Stir continuously for 12-15 minutes on medium low heat. Do not leave the pan without stirring otherwise the coconut will turn black on the bottom and will have burned taste. We want the coconut to have nice even brown color.
- When the coconut is just starting to change color to brown, then add spice powders, 1/2 tbsp turmeric, 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder (Adjust to your spiciness), 2 tbsp coriander powder. Saute until the spices are fragrant and coconut is fried well. Add fried onion mix to coconut and combine all together. Transfer roasted coconut from the pan to a plate. If you leave it in the hot pan it may continue to darken and overcook.
- Add toasted coconut to a blender and pulse the coconut mixture in the blender without adding any water. Scrape the sides and repeat until you get a coarsely ground mixture. Then add little water at a time and grind it for 30 sec, wiping down the sides of the blender with a spatula and repeat this until you get a very smooth paste. Try to use as little water as you can to grind roasted coconut so that you get a more dark golden-colored paste.
- Add half of the ground coconut mixture to the drained chicken and add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp garam masala. Increase the heat to medium-high and keep stirring the chicken for 3-4 minutes.
- Wash the blender with 1/2 cup of water and add that to the chicken. Stir again to make sure masalas are not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook chicken on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. You can stir a couple of times in between to make sure the curry is not sticking to the bottom. If the gravy is too thick you can add hot water as needed.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove the lid and add the remaining 1/2 of the ground roasted coconut mixture, 1/2 tsp black pepper and let it boil.
- Once the curry has come to boil again check salt and spices. Add more salt if needed. Simmer the curry uncovered on low heat for another 5-10 minutes. When the gravy is thick and oil starts to separate on the top this means the curry is ready!!
- It is delicious and fragrant. You can serve with rice, appam, pathiri, etc.
