Chicken Curry With Roasted Coconut (Varutharacha Chicken Curry)

Chicken curry with roasted coconut is other wise called as varutharacha kozhi kuzhambu in southern India. This is one among the basic chicken gravy recipe. In this style of chicken curry coconut is roasted in oil and ground to paste and added to the grave. The ground roasted coconut gives a wonderful flavor and texture to the chicken curry. This type of varutharacha kozhi curry is very famous in Kerala and southern part of Tamilnadu.

You can uses this varutharacha chicken curry recipe to make turkey curry as well. To make turkey curry, just replace the chicken with turkey meat.

Recipe For Making Varutharacha Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• Chicken / Turkey -1 lb (1/2 kg)
• Onion - 1 big (cut lengthwise)
• Tomato - 2 (diced or pureed)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Chicken masala - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
• Coriander leaves - handful (for garnishing)

To Marinate

• Chilly powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Salt - ½ tsp 

To Grind

• Coconut grated - 3 tbsp
• Shallots (Pearl onions, Sambhar Onions) - 4
• Curry leaves - 6
• Dry red chillies - 3
• Whole Peppercorns - 2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
• Whole Garam Masala - 1 cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom

Method

1. Wash and cut chicken (or turkey) in small size pieces.
2. Take a deep bowl mix chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and make a paste.
3. Add chicken (or turkey) pieces to this and rub to coat the masala to all sides of chicken. Let this marinate for at least half an hour in the refrigerator.
4. Now heat oil in a kadai or deep sauce pan and fry the ingredients under 'To Grind' on medium flame for about 1 minute or until it turns brown and gives out a nice aroma.
5. After it cools grind it into a fine paste with little water. (If you are in a hurry, You can grind these without frying.)
6. Now take the same kadai, heat some oil, add cumin seeds and curry leaves and let it splutter.
7. Add onions and fry for few minutes till it browns.
8. Next add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell vanishes.
9. Now add the tomato paste and saute until everything becomes a paste.
10. Add the coconut paste, required salt and chicken masala.
11. Now add the marinated chicken and fry it for 2 minutes.
12. Add required quantity of water.
13. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Simmer for few minutes till oil floats on top.
14. Garnish with coriander leaves and split chillies.

Serving Varutharacha Kozhi Curry

• Serve the yummy chicken (or turkey) curry with white rice, idli, dosa, chapati, roti, parata, etc..

Variation

• As mentioned in the recipe steps, you can use turkey meat instead of chicken to prepare Roasted Coconut Turkey Curry (varutharacha vaan kozhi kuzhambu)