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5.0 from 9 votes

Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry)

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 that’s delicious served over rice or with flatbread or naan. 

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 190 kcal
Course: Main Course , Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For The Malvani Masala Blend
  • 1 tablespoon kashmiri chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander or coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove or use 1 whole clove
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon poppyseeds , white or black
For the Tofu
  • 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into bite-sized, 3/4” pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Malvani masala blend from above
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon oil
For The Vatan sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 of a green chili such as serrano, or Indian. chopped or omit for less heat
  • 2 tablespoons shredded coconut fresh, frozen, or dried
For the Curry
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 8 curry leaves fresh, frozen, or dried
  • 1 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • remaining malvani masala blend from above or 1 1/2 tablespoons premade Malvani garam masala mixed with 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 cup water or more, if needed
  • cilantro, non dairy cream for garnish

Instructions

Make the Malvani masala blend.
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all of the spice blend ingredients to a spice grinder or blender, and blend until the mixture is a powder. Set aside.
Make the tofu.
  1. Press and tear the tofu, if you haven't already, and add to a bowl. In a small bowl, mix the 1 teaspoon of Malvani spice blend with the garlic, salt, and cornstarch really well, then sprinkle it all over the tofu, tossing well to coat. Now, you can either pan fry or bake the tofu.
  2. To pan fry, add the teaspoon of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, transfer the tofu to the skillet and cook, let sit for 2 mins then flip and repeat stirring occasionally and flipping it around until most of the edges of the tofu are golden, and then remove from the skillet, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. To bake, spread the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and drizzle the teaspoon or so of oil over the tofu pieces. Bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden on most of the edges.
Meanwhile, make the wet sauce (vatan).
  1. Add a teaspoon of oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, mix in the onion and green chili along with a good pinch of salt, and cook until the onion is golden. Add splashes of water to help the onions brown evenly. 6-8 mins. Once the onions are starting to get golden, add in the coconut. Mix well, and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the coconut is golden as well.
  2. Transfer this mixture to a blender, and blend with 1/2 cup or more of water. Blend for at least a minute, then let it sit for 2 minutes, then blend again for a minute until the coconut gets blended into a somewhat smooth mixture.
Make the curry.
  1. Add the oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry leaves and let them sputter for a few seconds, then add the onion and a 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix and cook until the onion is golden, adding splashes of water to help the onions cook evenly, 7 to 9 minutes. Then, add the remaining Malvani spice mix to the onion. Mix well, adding another splash of water, so that the spices don't burn and the spices can coat the onion really well. Cook for about 1/2 a minute, then add the ginger garlic paste, the remaining salt, and the blended onion coconut vatan sauce.
  2. Rinse out the blender with a few tablespoons of water and add to pan. Bring to a good boil, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn’t burn, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the amount of water you used for blending and your stove, etc. Once the sauce has thickened a little bit, mix in the water, and then bring to a boil again.Alternatively, rinse out the blender with the cup of water and mix and bring to a boil, simmer for 3 to 5 mins, stirring occasionally, then proceed .
  3. Fold in the tofu, and toss well, then cover the pan with the lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. This will help the flavors meld really well. You'll be able to see that the sauce is done when there's a little bit of oil floating on top and a lot of the red color from the Kashmiri chili powder is coloring the sauce. There’s a lot of slow roasting and patience for this sauce! Now, taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add in non dairy cream or yogurt if too hot or for creamier sauce . Garnish with cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon and serve with rice, quinoa, naan or roti.

Notes

  • This recipe is naturally gluten-free and nut-free. To make it soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, cooked chickpeas, cooked white beans, seitan, or roasted veggies in place of the tofu.
  • Reduce steps : You can simplify this recipe by not cooking the tofu before adding it to the sauce. Instead, simmer it for a bit longer after adding to the sauce , so that it picks up all of the flavors. Baking or pan frying does give you the best texture, but it’s also an extra step, so you can skip it to save time, if needed.
  • This recipe has a lot of spices in the spice blend, if you're planning to make it from scratch, so if you are missing a spice or two it's fine. Your meal will still turn out absolutely delicious.

Nutrition Information

Calories 190kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Sodium 483mg (20%) Potassium 200mg (6%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 678IU (14%) Vitamin C 46mg (51%) Calcium 179mg (18%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 190

% Daily Value*

Calories 190kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 483mg 20%
Potassium 200mg 4%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 678IU 14%
Vitamin C 46mg 51%
Calcium 179mg 18%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.