Mild Coconut Chicken Curry with Peas

Ingredients

• 🍗Chicken Thigh (boneless), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces700 g
• 🥫Coconut Milk (canned), full-fat1 can
• 🫛Peas, frozen150 g
• 🧅Yellow Onion, finely sliced1 onion
• 🧄Garlic, finely minced4 clove
• 🫚Ginger (ground), peeled and finely grated20 g
• 🧄Garlic Paste, optional, for a deeper garlic noteto taste
• 🧂Cumin Seeds2 tsp
• 🧂Coriander (ground)2 tsp
• 🧂Turmeric1 tsp
• 🧂Garam Masala2 tsp
• 🧂Cinnamon Sticks1 stick
• 🧂Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed4 pod
• 🌶️Kashmiri Chilli Powder, optional, for colour onlypinch
• 🥫Tomato Paste1 tbsp
• 💧Water250 ml
• 🍚White Long-Grain Rice, for serving300 g
• 🧈Salted Butter, optional, to finish the rice1 tbsp
• 🧂Table Saltto taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground)to taste
• 🫒Vegetable Oil2 tbsp
• 🌿Cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped10 g

Contains Coconut, Dairy, Garlic, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Cut the chicken

   On a cutting board, trim the Chicken Thigh into bite-size pieces, about the size of a walnut half, so they cook evenly and stay juicy. If any piece is much larger, slice it again now rather than leaving it to lag behind in the curry.

   5 min
2. 2

   Prepare the aromatics

   Thinly slice the Yellow Onion, mince the Garlic Cloves, and peel and finely grate the Ginger on the cutting board so they melt into the sauce instead of sitting in chunky pieces. Keep the cuts small and even; if the garlic or ginger is coarse, the curry will taste harsh instead of soft and rounded.

   7 min
3. 3

   Bloom the spices

   Lightly crush the Cardamom Pods with the flat side of a knife so the shells split and the seeds peek through, then measure the Cumin Seeds, Coriander, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Cinnamon Stick, Black Pepper, and optional Kashmiri Chilli Powder into a small bowl. Breaking the pods now helps them release their perfume fast once they hit the hot oil.

   3 min
4. 4

   Start the rice

   Rinse the White Long-Grain Rice under cold water in a fine sieve until the runoff turns from cloudy to mostly clear, then set it aside to drain. This washes off excess starch so the grains cook up separate rather than gluey.

   4 min
5. 5

   Toast the spices

   Set a large skillet over medium heat and warm the Vegetable Oil until it shimmers, then add the Cumin Seeds, cracked Cardamom Pods, and Cinnamon Stick. Stir for about 60 seconds until the cumin darkens a shade and the spices smell warm and fragrant, then immediately move on before anything scorches; if they start to smoke, pull the skillet off the heat for a moment.

   1 min
6. 6

   Soften the onions

   Add the Yellow Onion with the Table Salt to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the slices turn soft, glossy, and pale gold at the edges. If they start to catch, lower the heat and scrape the base so the sweetness stays in the pan instead of burning.

   5 min
7. 7

   Cook the aromatics

   Stir the Garlic Cloves, Ginger, and optional Garlic Paste into the softened onions and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the paste disappears into the onion and the garlic smells sweet instead of sharp. If the pan seems dry or the garlic starts to brown at once, lower the heat and add a small splash of water to keep it gentle.

   2 min
8. 8

   Toast the spice blend

   Tip the spice mix into the skillet and stir quickly for about 30 seconds so the powders coat the onions evenly and the whole pan turns deeply aromatic. The spices should smell warm and earthy, not dusty; if they threaten to stick, add a spoonful of Water and keep stirring so they don’t scorch.

   1 min
9. 9

   Brown the chicken

   Add the Chicken Thigh to the skillet and stir to coat every piece in the spice base, then let it cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until the outside turns opaque and lightly golden. If the skillet looks crowded and the chicken starts to steam instead of colour, keep cooking and let the moisture evaporate before moving on.

   4 min
10. 10

    Add the sauce

    Stir the Tomato Paste through the chicken for about 30 seconds until it darkens slightly, then pour in the Coconut Milk and Water and scrape the base of the skillet clean with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce come up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and if it looks split or greasy, lower the heat and stir until it turns smooth again.

    3 min
11. 11

    Finish with peas

    Stir in the Peas and simmer the curry over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, just until the chicken is tender through and the peas are bright green and hot. If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with a splash of Water and keep stirring until it falls in a silky ribbon from the spoon.

    4 min
12. 12

    Finish the rice

    Fold the Salted Butter through the drained White Long-Grain Rice in a warm bowl until the grains look glossy and separate, then spoon the curry over the top and scatter over the Fresh Cilantro if you are using it. If the rice has cooled and feels clumpy, fluff it with a fork first so the butter can coat each grain cleanly.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving