Vegan

Madurai Chicken Curry (Kuzhambu South Indian Coconut Pepper Curry)

Madurai chicken curry is a rich, spicy South Indian curry with a tomato base featuring flavors of fennel, pepper, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger. You can adjust the spice as you like and try this incredible sauce with your protein of choice! Gluten-free with Nutfree and Soyfree options

Madurai Chicken Curry in the pan after cooking

Why You’ll Love Madurai Chicken Curry
More South Indian Curries
Madurai Chicken Curry – Kuzhambu South Indian Coconut Pepper Curry Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
???? Tips
How to Make Madurai Chicken Curry
Frequently Asked Questions

I lived and worked in Bangalore(Bengaluru) for a while, which gave me the opportunity to try various South Indian curries. I hadn’t gone vegan yet, so I tried a bunch of the chicken curries, and I was just so surprised by the various flavors. There were so many different flavors and textures, depending on what Southern region the curry came from!

That time and those curries are full of fond memories, so I have been making vegan versions of those amazing sauces and curries. But I have barely scratched the surface of Southern Indian flavors. Each state and region with a whole cuisine in itself with many sauces and ingredients to explore!

close-up of Madurai Chicken Curry in the pan after cooking

This curry is just one interpretation of this Madurai style chicken curry, or kuzhambu, which is from the cuisine of the city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. This sauce is absolutely delicious with the flavor combination of whole spices. I paired it with tofu, which you toss in some of the spices and bake and add into the curry, but you can use any other protein of choice, as well. You can make this with white beans or chickpeas, chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu, or use roasted veggies for soy-free variations.

Whatever protein you choose, you really need to try the sauce! It can get a little spicy, because, there is quite a bit of black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder in it. You can tone it down by reducing the black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder to preference.

Madurai Chicken Curry in the pan with a piece of flatbread in it

Why You’ll Love Madurai Chicken Curry

rich curry with a flavorful tomato broth and notes of fennel, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger
flexible! Replace the tofu with plant-based protein of choice, if you like.
one ground spice mix seasons the tofu and the sauce
gluten-free and nut-free with several soy-free options

hand scooping up Madurai Chicken Curry with a piece of flatbread

More South Indian Curries

Baked Eggplant Curry
Avial: Veggie Coconut Curry
Andhra Green Chili Chickpeas
Kerala White Bean Stew
Tofu Pepper Fry

Continue reading: Madurai Chicken Curry (Kuzhambu South Indian Coconut Pepper Curry)

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Vegan

Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry) gluten-free, nut-free

Explore regional Indian cuisine with me and Try this fantastic Malvani Chikin curry! Western Indian spicy caramelized onion, toasted coconut and kashmiri chili sauce with crisp tofu! This sauce is flavor packed and has its own malvani masala spice blend! 1-pan meal meal that’s delicious served over rice or with flatbread or naan.

malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

Malvani cuisine originates from the western coastal region in India. It has overlap with Maharashtrian(cuisine of state of maharashtra in India) as well as Goan cuisines and includes a lot of fish and local meat dishes. The flavors are very specific to the cuisine, with its own spice mixes (malvani masala or malvani garam masala) and cooking techniques.

I’ve been exploring amazing regional flavors from various parts of India and brining you vegan versions, simplified or inspired dishes and today we are making vegan malvani chicken curry! For the sauce base, we use a blended roasted onion and coconut mixture, which is called vatan, making our own malvani spice blend with some spices, and using crisped up tofu in place of the meat. You can use other protein such as chickpea tofu, vegan chickin or beans as well. Traditionally, you don’t add any cream to this curry, but you can add some(it will also balance out the heat), add in some cashew cream or other non-dairy cream right at the end.

close-up of malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

The sauce and spice mix includes a lot of Kashmiri chili powder (I know right, you need some!) and black pepper, so it can get pretty hot. You can reduce these spices to suit your heat preferences, if needed.

Like I mentioned above, we make the flavorful Malvani masala spice blend from scratch. It is so delicious! If you have access to Malvani garam masala, I recommend using it in this recipe instead of the spice mix that I’m making below, to reduce active time. Just mix it with two teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder and use. You can use this fragrant spicy blend over roasted veggies or with beans. It’s flavorful and can be used in many ways!

Key features of Malvani Curry

Malvani masala: this spice blend and the curry are known for the deep red color. It can be made with milder chilies with deeper color like byadagi chilies and Kashmiri chilies. I am using Kashmiri chili powder for a quicker version

Vatan: the sauce made with blended caramelized onion and toasted coconut makes the base of the curry. It adds a delicious sweet toasty flavor and some texture.

Slow long cooking: the longer cooking time helps the flavors meld and the colors to show up. The sauce when well cooked will get a glaze of the deep red color and a settled flavor. Before that state, the coconut might be a stronger flavor and the sauce might be lighter.