This Keralan chicken curry is as close to a genuine one-pot meal as it gets — apart from toasting the spices, everything happens in a single pan. Kerala sits in the south of India, where coconut milk is the traditional base for this kind of curry, but when I first made this, I didn't have any. Greek yoghurt stepped in and worked beautifully — extra creamy, slightly tangy, and a perfectly good substitute. This one pot chicken curry with vegetables is a hearty meal for two or feeds four if you load up the vegetables.

The marinade is the key. Make it the night before, coat the chicken, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The paste — ground toasted spices, turmeric, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, and chilli — does all the heavy lifting while you sleep.

Keralan chicken curry — paste, pan, plate. One pot, overnight marinade, proper flavour.

How to Make Keralan Chicken Curry

Ingredients — serves 2–4

2 chicken drumsticks and 2 chicken thighs, skin on or off

1 large onion, sliced

1 tomato, grated

1 bay leaf

Cauliflower florets

Handful fresh green beans, sliced

Handful frozen peas

3–4 tbsp Greek yoghurt (or coconut milk)

Fresh coriander, to finish

Oil or ghee

Salt to taste

For the marinade paste:

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

½ tsp black peppercorns

2–3 cardamom pods

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

Juice of 1 lemon

2–3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

2 red chillies, chopped (deseeded for less heat, seeds left in for more)

Method

Lightly toast the whole spices — coriander, mustard, cumin, fenugreek, peppercorns, and cardamom — in a dry pan. Allow to cool, then grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Add the ground turmeric, ginger, and lemon juice to form a paste. Stir in the crushed garlic and chopped chilli.

Place the chicken pieces in a zip-lock bag, add the paste, and coat everything thoroughly. Marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, bring the chicken up to room temperature.

Sauté the onion in plenty of oil or ghee in a large uncovered frying pan until softened. Add the chicken and start cooking on a low to medium heat. Add the grated tomato, a little turmeric, and the bay leaf. Keep a small jug of water nearby to top up if things start to dry out.

After 20 minutes add the cauliflower florets. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans, replace the lid, and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still al dente.

Add the peas and stir gently, coating everything in the sauce. Continue cooking with the lid on for a few more minutes. Season to taste.

Add Greek yoghurt, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency and colour — or use coconut milk if you have it. Finish with fresh coriander and serve with naan, chapatis, or rustic bread. A spoonful of Nearly Patak's Mango Chutney alongside is never a bad idea.

If okra's on your shopping list too, my Master the Art of Cooking Fresh Okra Without the Slime covers how to cook it without the sliminess it's known for.

This Keralan chicken curry recipe is part of my Curry Recipes hub and my Chicken Recipes hub — explore both for more ideas from Casa Adora and beyond.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef