Indian Coconut Curry Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Indian
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
My husband and I love Indian food. All of it. It’s amazing. One of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to was ironically in Kansas City, Missouri. I don’t remember the name of it. But I was out there on a business trip when my colleagues and I decided to go out for Indian in the middle of a blizzard. It was amazing!
I love the diversity of curry, not only in Indian cuisine but in Asian cuisine in general. Not all curry has actual curry powder in it either. My son complains that we make curry all of the time. But, we mix it up quite a bit! I remind him that butter chicken, his favorite, is also a curry, so shush.
We have an Indian restaurant about 20 or so minutes away, but if we ordered delivery, we’d be waiting an hour to get it. This curry cooks in 30 minutes! And there’s nothing better than a weekday dinner that comes together in 30 minutes. And 30 minutes is about how long it takes to make basmati rice! Perfect timing!
There are so many different vegetables you can use to make curry, but I love coconut curry chicken with lots of bell peppers! And, I like to get three different colored peppers. It brings vibrancy to the dish. But, each colored bell pepper has it’s own unique taste, and I love adding that complexity to any dish I use peppers in. I call for shallots in this recipe. They’re a milder, sweeter onion.
The key to moist chicken is to sear the outsides without cooking the chicken through. Remove the chicken from the pan and sauté the vegetables. Once the coconut milk is added, the chicken is returned to the pan to finish cooking in the liquid. Then, some lime juice, lime zest, basil, and cilantro. And dinner is done! This dish is packed with flavors and is so colorful!
Craving more curry dishes? Check out some of these other delicious curry recipes:
Indian Curry Monkfish with Okra & Peppers
Indian Chicken Curry Stuffed Hand Pies
Green Curry with Mussels and Squid
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 TB curry powder
1 TB Madras curry powder
1 TB turmeric
½ tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced
2 medium shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1” ginger, minced
14 oz coconut milk
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 lime, zested & juiced
2 TBs olive oil
basmati rice, to serve
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the curry powders, turmeric, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over it. Toss to thoroughly coat.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook until browned all over ~ it does not have to be cooked through yet. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the bell peppers and lightly season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until just starting to soften ~ about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant ~ about 1 minute.
Add the coconut milk to the pan and bring to a light simmer. Return the chicken and any liquids to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the lime zest and juice, cilantro, and basil. Stir to combine.
Serve immediately over rice. Enjoy!
Keywords: Indian coconut curry, Indian curry, yellow Indian curry, Indian curry with bell pepper, Indian coconut curry chicken, Indian curry chicken
