I draw inspiration for this recipe from a classic Andhra dish known as ‘Chicken Fry‘. Interestingly, several Indian dishes though sautéed, are referred to as ‘fried’. There is no specific reason for this, it just is, like so many other inexpiable things:). I can say one thing for certain-chicken fry is cooked in more oil than necessary. So much so, you could probably consider it ‘shallow fried’. It is a ‘dry curry’, as it has no gravy.
Curry Leaf Coriander Chicken
Curry Leaves/ Coriander Powder
As with all our recipes my end goal here was to cook this recipe in the healthiest and simplest way possible. I also like to stay true to the taste of the recipe, so I did some research and deconstructed the recipe. Then I mentally checked the taste of all the Andhra chicken ‘fry’ dishes I had in my life. With most recipes I try, there is something that stands out as a distinct flavor. For this dish, I concluded that coriander powder and curry leaves were the key differentiators (wow, did that sound like a marketing lesson?!). Of course, this took me a few tries to get the proportions exactly right.
Reduce Ingredients
My next goal was to minimize the number of ingredients. Most spicy recipes call for whole spices- they bring in a different flavor to the dish. Since garam masala is a blend of some whole spices, I decided to discard whole spices. So, it was down to just curry leaves, coriander powder, onion, garam masala, turmeric and chili powder. That’s it.
Make this healthier
I used cold pressed coconut oil since it has some amazing health benefits and has a high smoke point. Most folks think it leaves that coconut flavor residue, but that’s not true. All the spices neutralize any coconut flavor. I used skinless chicken thigh meat. Chicken cooks fast. It doesn’t need to be pressure cooked, unless you want it to really fall apart. Pressure cooking suits gravy-based recipes better.
Quick-Marinate
Quick-Marinate
I learnt a trick for quick-marinating chicken from my guide Pemba, on a trip to Ladakh, India. Wash and drain chicken, add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and turmeric, mix well, set aside for about 5 minutes. Just before you start cooking is good enough. It enhances the flavor of the dish. Normally chicken or any other meat is marinated for at least a couple of hours. The marinade usually has yogurt, salt and a bunch of other spices. Yogurt softens the meat and gives it a somewhat creamy consistency.
Chicken thigh meat is more moist because it is a little higher in fat, but it also has more flavor and iron. Curry leaves have anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Coriander seed powder is a good anti oxidant. It is also an excellent source of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium.
Check out our other delicious chicken recipes:
- Baked Spicy Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooked Spicy Chicken Curry
- Non Spicy Chicken Korma
- Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry
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Curry Leaf Coriander Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Chicken - Thighs (boneless, skinless)
- 1/8 Cup Onion - (Or shallots) fine cut
- 1/4 Cup Curry Leaves
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger & Garlic Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil - Cold pressed
Instructions
- Wash and drain chicken, add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and turmeric, mix well, set aside. Set Instant Pot (IP) in 'saute' mode. Add onion and ginger/garlic paste, stir for a minute. Add garam masala, mix well and add curry leaves.
- Add chicken, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.
- Add coriander powder, keep stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn't get burnt (if needed, turn off saute mode for a few minutes). The chicken should be cooked in 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with Brown Rice Vegetable Pulao and Tomato Onion Tadka Raita.
