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.

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.

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.

Coconut and Turmeric: The warmth and complexity of turmeric pairs exceptionally well with the creamy nutty notes of coconut, creating a taste combination that's delicious in herbal teas, prepared sauces, snack chips, and nutritional supplements.

If you're a fan of Thai curries or Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala, canned coconut milk likely has a permanent spot on your grocery list. A few splashes add a creamy richness and nutty, slightly sweet flavor to everything from soups to desserts.

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

If you prefer to go the coconut-free route (or if you don't have coconut shreds, cream, oil, water, or butter on hand), you can use plain old milk — whichever kind you prefer. Whatever you're making won't have the same flavor as it would with coconut, which may make things like curries taste a little flat.

It is thicker, has a higher fat content and is scoop-able throughout. 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.

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.

Coconut Cream vs Coconut Milk

Compared to normal coconut milk, coconut cream has a much higher fat content, containing around 19-22% fat. Coconut cream still retains the delicious coconut flavor that coconut milk has, but is much thicker as it is essentially coconut milk with less water.

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products. Instead of (or in addition to) onion, ground coconut may be used. White poppy seeds and/or watermelon seeds are also used in some creamy sauces.

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.