Madurai Chicken Curry Recipe, a popular dish from the southern city from India. Madurai is very famous for hot and spicy food, with unique flavor and taste.
This chicken curry is great to serve with rice, ghee rice, fried rice, appam, idli, dosa, or chapati. To make a highlight this is great chicken curry for Biryani. Are you thinking of making chicken curry without coconut milk and yogurt? This Madurai chicken curry is perfect for you. Made with fresh onion and tomatoes.
My mom, who is from Madurai, never go for cinnamon or cloves for the chicken recipes. She brings all the flavor with pepper and cumin seeds. But I've added cinnamon and cloves, to get perfect restaurant style Madurai Chicken Curry.
Chicken Curry with warm Indian Spices is the Most suitable recipe for winter, spring and rainy seasons when we opt for 'light' yet spicier food. Perfect remedy recipe for cold and cough.
About this recipe
The curry leaves, pepper, and the gingelly oil are the driving agents for this recipe. So, play with these ingredients in any recipe to bring out the spicier rich flavor. This Madurai chicken curry recipe is perfect for winter and spring seasons. And works as a remedy for cold and cough.
It's raining outside, Rasam, Rice with this curry made our day perfect. Sometimes we like to have 'light' yet spicier food, this recipe is perfect for these occasions.
This Madurai chicken curry tastes spicy and hot with full of bold flavors. The flavor of fried peppercorns and the curry leaves boost up the flavor and the taste of this dish.
Most of the ingredients are generally available here in the United States. But getting fresh curry leaves are available in the Indian grocery stores. Can never imagine the Indian curry without curry leaves. But if it is not available, I would say to skip this ingredient. I could not find any nearer substitute for curry leaves. They are unique and I did not even compromised with the dried curry leaves.
If you are planning to serve for the party, you can make ahead of the entire curry. And reheat and serve when needed. You may also refrigerate the leftover in an airtight container. It stays good for about 4 days if stored properly. You may freeze to store Madurai chicken curry for the longer time.
Another favorite recipe of my family is Prawn sukka, which I also make regularly in my kitchen.
If you are here, you might also interested in Easy Prawn Stir Fry.
How to make Madurai chicken curry:
Prepping for the curry:
Wash and clean chicken, marinate with salt, turmeric powder about 20 mins. I went with boneless chicken thighs. But chicken pieces with the bones are always the best choice. The bone essence gets infused the gravy makes this curry an absolute heaven.
Grind ginger and garlic to a smooth paste. Instead, you may also use the readymade ginger garlic paste.
Making the Gravy:
In a pan, add cooking oil, cinnamon, and cloves. Fry them until it becomes golden brown.
In the medium flame, add chopped onion. Saute until it becomes pink and translucent.
Then add ginger garlic paste, saute for a min.
Then add chopped tomatoes and saute them until it becomes mushy.
Now add cayenne pepper/chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder.
Add 1 cup of water and salt (remind that we have already added the salt while marinating).
The Curry Seasoning:
In another small frying pan, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Fry until the cumin seeds crackle and aromatic. Keep aside.
When the chicken is cooked, add the above-fried mixture. And continue to cook until Madurai chicken curry reaches the desired consistency.
Serve it hot with rice, flatbreads, rotis or South Indian breakfast dishes like Idli or Dosa.
Other curries you may like,
Printable recipe card
Madurai Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
For the curry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste grated
- 11/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
For cooking
- 2 cup tomato roughly chopped
- 1 lbs chicken thighs
- 11/2 tsp salt
For seasoing
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil or other cooking oil
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 8 curry Leaves
Instructions
For the curry
- In medium flame, heat a pan. Add vegetable oil, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir them until they turn to golden brown.
- Add onion and saute until it becomes pink and translucent.
- Then add ginger garlic paste, saute for 1 min.
- Then add red chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder.
- Stir for a minute without burning the spices.
For the cooking
- Then add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle little salt to make the tomato to cook evenly.
- Saute till tomato becomes mushy.
- Add chicken pieces and salt. Cover with a lid and cook in low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
- The chicken leaves out water, and gets cooked.
- Open the lid and cook in medium heat until the gravy leaves out oil on the sides.
For the seasoning
- In another small frying pan, add a teaspoon of sesame oil, cumin seeds, black pepper, and curry leaves. Stir fry until cumin splutters.
- Add this sizzling seasoning to the chicken, and cook for 2 minutes or until the spices gets blend with the chicken.
- Saute them further till arrives at the desired consistency.
- Serve it hot with rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions:
Serve along with rice, It also best suitable for naan, paratha, South Indian parotta.
Can also be served as appetizers for the Party.
Tips and Variations for Madurai Chicken Curry Recipe:
The same recipe can be used to make mutton curry or prawn curry.
Make it with a bone-in whole chicken, you will definitely find this more delicious. If you are using a whole chicken, then cut it into the small chicken before cooking it.
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Priya Suresh
Very tempting,super flavourful chicken curry, love to have some with a bowl of rasam rice.
Saranya Balaji
looks so spicy and love to have now...
Navaneetham Krishnan
Indian spices, oh they are heavenly and much needed for most of my dishes too. This curry is nicely flavored with the peppery taste, one I would not miss out on.
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That reads like a perfect chicken curry in my book. Deliciousawesome!!! Bookmarking.
Unknown
Looks like a good recipe . when do you add onions?
beena
Really tempting flavorful chicken recipe
Hemant Singh Jadaun
Awesome recipe, Delicious taste. I've tried yesterday.
Sujatha Muralidhar
Thank you Hemant, Glad to hear!