If you have been to Kerala (a small state in the southern most part of India), or have been to a restaurant serving Kerala cuisine, you would have most likely come across a dish by the name Beef Coconut Fry. This recipe using Chicken is similar to that in taste, but prepared in a much quick and easy manner. I prefer using boneless chicken for this, cut into small pieces as that helps with the flavours getting absorbed much better. This recipe has been shared by my mom and I love making this at home, especially when I have guests who prefer chicken over beef!
If you are looking for more recipes from the Kerala cuisine, do check out Ammachy’s Chicken Roast (one of my favourite recipes on the blog and one which has got a lot of awesome feedback too!), Chicken Stew, Mutton Stew and Fish Molly.
Chicken Coconut Fry
Course: MainCuisine: KeralaDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesAn easy chicken side dish from the Kerala cuisine!
Ingredients
- For Marination
Boneless Chicken – 500 gms, cut into small pieces
Coconut pieces, sliced thin – ¾ cup
Soya Sauce – 4 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Vinegar – 2 tsp
Salt – As per taste
- Remaining Ingredients
Coconut Oil (or any other cooking oil) – 3-4 tbsp
Curry Leaves – 25-30
Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 3-4
Small Onion – 15-20, crushed
Garlic – 10-12 cloves, crushed
Ginger – 1 inch piece, crushed
Dry Red Chilli – 3-4 nos. crushed
Green Chilli – 1-2, slit
Pepper Powder – ¾-1 tsp
Fennel Powder – ½ tsp
Directions
- Add the chicken and coconut along with all the ingredients mentioned under marination together in a bowl and mix it well.
- Let it sit for 10-15 min till you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the dish.
- Crush the small onions, garlic, ginger and dry red chilli together or separately and keep it aside.
- In a kadai, add the oil and half the curry leaves. Fry the curry leaves and remove it from the oil and keep it aside. We will use this at the end for garnish.
- Into the same oil, add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and let it splutter. Into this, add the crushed small onion, garlic, ginger, red chilli and green chilli along with the remaining curry leaves.
- Saute this till the onions start change to a light brown color.
- To this, add the marinated chicken and coconut and cook on medium to high flame till the chicken releases water.
- At this stage, cover and cook for 5-7 min till the chicken pieces are cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, continue stirring and cook on medium to high flame without the lid till it dries up and you will see the chicken and coconut pieces starting to look roasted.
- At this stage, add the pepper powder and fennel powder and mix well.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with the fried curry leaves and serve hot.
- This chicken coconut fry is a good side dish with roti, parotta, bread or rice.
