Kerala Chicken moilee – light coconut milk-based stew, with chicken, and a simple masala. There are a handful of comfort dishes that I can eat at any point in time. And a coconut milk stew definitely tops it. Be it in Thai curry, Khow Suey, Laksa, or a South Indian curry! I happen to love them all. And the beauty of these curries is that they are warm and comforting in winter. And light and fresh in summer.
Jump to RecipeMuch like pasta and eggs, coconut-based gravies and soups are my go-tos! At any point of the year, I always have frozen coconut to whip up some fresh coconut milk. I have also switched to some packaged ones for convenience, and cocomama is a good option. Or, as I do on multiple occasions, you can make your own. Recipe here.
And I have so many recipes to indulge you in this category –
Lemongrass and coconut noodle bowl
Kerala chicken curry
Prawn coconut curry
Coconut milk biryani
Curried udon noodles
How are moilee and curry different?
Well, Moilee is originally from Kerala, but the version of moilee we know today is an amalgamation of the Keralite version that the Portuguese adapted when they were in Goa. Traditionally made with fish or prawns, it is believed that Kerala moilee was too spicy for the Portuguese. And they added coconut milk to mellow down the spices. Today’s version of Kerala moilee is the one that the Portuguese adapted.
It is simple, light, and a thin curry almost like a soup. This recipe follows chicken but you can swap it for fish or prawns too. Try Goan Caldine curry for the perfect Goan experience.
Ingredients for Kerala chicken moilee – serves 2
- Chicken curry cut – 500g
- Coconut oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 10 + 4-5 more
- Onion – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
- Ginger – 1 tsp, grated
- Tomato – 1/4 cup, finely chopped
- Cinnamon stick – 2 inch
- Star anise – 2-3 petals (don’t overuse since it has a very strong aroma)
- Turmeric – 2 tsp
- Green chilli – 1, de-seeded
- Sugar – 1 tsp, optional
- Coconut milk thin – 300 ml
- Coconut milk thick – 50 ml
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them crackle for a minute.
- Add the finely chopped onion, and cook for 2 minutes until the become transparent. Add the grated ginger and mix well.
- Time to add the aromatics and flavour bombs – add the cinnamon stick, star anise, chopped tomato, turmeric, green chilli, and salt. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, so that the tomatoes are soft.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the thin coconut milk and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for 25 minutes.
- If you want to make the curry slightly sweeter to bring out the flavours of the coconut even more you can add 1 tsp sugar to the curry, halfway through the cook.
- Finish off by adding thick coconut milk, adjust the seasoning as per your taste by adding pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Dish out in a serving bowl.
- Heat the remaining coconut oil in a spoon and heat it over a flame, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and chopped leftover curry leaves. Add this crackling mix to the moilee curry.
Serve with steamed rice or Malabar parotta.
You can also make this into a veg curry by swapping the chicken for a mix of veggies – preferably root vegetables – carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, cauliflower, and peas.
Chicken moilee curry
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken curry cut
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 10 nos Curry leaves
- ½ cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger grated
- ¼ cup Tomato finely chopped
- 2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 2-3 petals Star anise
- 2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 no Green chilli deseeded
- 1 tsp Sugar optional
- 300 ml Coconut milk thin, second milk
- 50 ml Coconut milk thick, first milk
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper or to taste
For the crackling garnish
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 4-5 no curry leaves chopped
Instructions
- Head 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them crackle for a minute. Add the finely chopped onion, and cook for 2 minutes until the become transparent. Add the grated ginger and mix well.
- Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, chopped tomato, turmeric, green chilli, and salt. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, so that the tomatoes are soft.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the thin coconut milk and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for 25 minutes.
- If you want to make the curry slightly sweeter to bring out the flavours of the coconut even more you can add 1 tsp sugar to the curry, halfway through the cook.
- Finish off by adding thick coconut milk, adjust the seasoning as per your taste by adding pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Dish out in a serving bowl.
- Heat the remaining coconut oil in a spoon and heat it over a flame, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and chopped leftover curry leaves. Add this crackling mix to the moilee curry.
- Serve with steamed rice or Malabar parotta.