Chicken Madras
Madras Curry is a spicy and delicious curry that is said to originate from South India, from the previously known city of Madras, currently known as Chennai. The curry can be vegetarian or meat based, our family preference is to use chicken. I normally serve this dish over plain boiled rice (I tend to colour the rice served with this dish by adding a touch of turmeric or food colouring and a pinch of madras powder to the boiling rice in order to give it a golden yellow colour and some extra flavour).
Ingredients
Ingredients for Madras Spice Powder
- 2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp. whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds rai
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds sonf
- 2 one inch pieces cinnamon
- 1 tsp. whole black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. whole cloves
- 4 whole green cardamom
- 2 whole dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp. dried curry leaves you can dry fresh curry leaves on a pan over low heat until they begin to shrivel)
- 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade
- 500 gm boneless chicken breast cubed
- 1 tsp. madras powder
- 1/4 tsp. ginger paste
- 1/4 tsp. garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Other Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped finely
- 1/4 tsp. garlic
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste/puree
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tsp. madras powder
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 green chilli chopped
- coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- First, prepare the Madras Spice Powder. Dry roast all the whole spices in a pan on low heat until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Allow them to cool. Then add the powdered spices (turmeric, chilli powder and ginger powder). Put everything into a grinder and grind to a find powder. This recipe makes 5-6 tbsp. of spice. For the Chicken Madras you will need about 1 tbsp., so store the remaining powder in an airtight container and use when needed.Marinate the chicken cubes in the chicken marinade ingredients for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you begin so that it comes to room temperature.Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan, then add the chicken cubes and fry on high heat for just 2-3 minutes to brown and seal the chicken pieces and retain their moisture. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pan, so if necessary fry them in batches. Remove into a bowl, cover and set aside.Add remaining oil into the pan, allow it to heat and then add the chopped onion. Fry until golden, then add the ginger and garlic pastes followed by the tomato paste/puree and finely chopped tomatoes and salt. Reduce the heat and cook the tomato mixture until all the tomatoes are mushy and oil begins to get released from the sides. Add the chopped chilli, madras powder and the chicken cubes. Stir them in to coat them with the sauce and infuse flavour. Add a quarter cup of water, mix well and then turn down the heat to low. Allow the chicken to simmer and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender. You can add a bit more water if needed.Finally add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Stir them in and simmer for another 5 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust for salt/spice if needed. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit covered for 10 minutes before garnishing with chopped coriander and serve over rice or with naan/parathas.Enjoy!
chicken madras recipe was
chicken madras recipe was awesome,, liked it 😉 thanks for te superb recipe sis 🙂
what is the alternative to
what is the alternative to using tomato paste? Can I use tomato ketchup instead? will it bring a lot of difference to taste?
Tomato paste is completely
Tomato paste is completely different from ketchup and the two work very differently in a recipe. Tomato paste is also known as tomato puree and is easily available all over the world. Best to use that and not ketchup for this recipe.
Okay, thank you. I’ll get the
Okay, thank you. I’ll get the paste then.
What is madras powder?
What is madras powder?
Please read the recipe fully,
Please read the recipe fully, the madras powder recipe is included right at the top.
Is it necessary to use
Is it necessary to use coconut milk
Yes for this recipe the
Yes for this recipe the coconut milk makes the dish better.
Hey im making this dish right
Hey im making this dish right now. Can i use fresh cream or yogurt instead of coconut milk. Its not very much liked at my home.
Hi, yes you can use fresh
Hi, yes you can use fresh cream in place of the coconut milk.
Assalaamualaikum…i made
Assalaamualaikum…i made madras chickn tday it is really very yummy…bt my question is wen will i use up all d madras pwdr wich i prepared….plz suggest sum more recipes to use it in…thnks
W/Salaam, thank you! You can
W/Salaam, thank you! You can store it for the next time you make madras chicken. It keeps well for months if stored in an airtight container. 🙂
Absolutely brilliant recipe.
Absolutely brilliant recipe. Best I’ve ever made. I make it without coconut milk, but with extra water and it’s still wonderful. Thank you 🙂