Madurai Chicken Curry Recipe is a popular dish from southern India. Madurai is famous for hot and spicy food, with unique flavor and taste.
This chicken curry is excellent to serve with rice, ghee rice, fried rice, appam, idli, dosa, or chapati. To make a highlight, this is a fantastic 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 goes 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 the 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.
About this recipe
The curry leaves, pepper, and gingelly oil are the driving agents for this recipe. So, play with these ingredients in any recipe to bring out the spicier, richer flavor. This Madurai chicken curry recipe is perfect for the winter and spring seasons.
It's raining outside, Rasam. Rice with this curry made our day perfect. Sometimes, we like to have 'light' yet spicier food, and this recipe is ideal for these occasions.
This Madurai chicken curry tastes spicy and hot and full of bold flavors. The flavor of fried peppercorns and the curry leaves boost this dish's flavor and taste.
Most of the ingredients are generally available here in the United States. But fresh curry leaves are available in the Indian grocery stores. I can never imagine Indian curry without curry leaves. But if it is unavailable, I would skip this ingredient. I could not find any nearer substitute for curry leaves. They are unique, and I did not compromise with the dried curry leaves.
If you plan to serve the party, you can make it ahead of the curry, reheat, and help when needed. You may also refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container. It stays good for about 4 days if stored properly. You may freeze to store Madurai chicken curry for a 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 and marinate with salt and turmeric powder for about 20 mins. I went with boneless chicken thighs. But chicken pieces with bones are always the best choice. The bone essence infuses the gravy, making 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 they become golden brown.
In a medium flame, add chopped onion. Saute until it becomes pink and translucent.
Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Then add chopped tomatoes and saute them until it becomes mushy.
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:
Add a tablespoon of cooking oil, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and curry leaves in another small frying pan. Fry until the cumin seeds crackle and are aromatic. Keep aside.
When the chicken is cooked, add the above-fried mixture. 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 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste grated
- 11/2 teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
For cooking
- 2 cup tomato roughly chopped
- 1 lbs chicken thighs
- 11/2 teaspoon salt
For seasoing
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil or other cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon whole black pepper
- 1 teaspoon 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 is also best suited for naan, paratha, and South Indian parotta.
It can also be served as appetizer 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; this is more delicious. If you use a whole chicken, cut it into a 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.
minnie@thelady8home
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!
Kushigalu
THis chicken curry looks so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
dana
So much flavor and it's so aromatic! Thanks for another beautiful recipe.
Rosemary
I'm all about curry dishes and this one is new to me. Looks enough to make and your delicious photos have me salivating. Saving this one!!
Kristen
This was one of the best chicken curries I've made. I'll definitely be making it again!
Colleen
This chicken curry turned out perfect and delicious. We loved the spices and that there's no dairy. Thank you!