Spicy chicken simmered in a coconut gravy – this dish comes from Western coast of India. Packed with freshly homemade spice mix and lots of coconut, this dish is one for keeps. Served with cumin – pomegranate rice!
Meals that are easy yet delicious and nourishing always takes the cake at my place. Sometimes life gets in the way and on top of zillions of unfinished tasks, cooking an elaborate dinner feels like a chore in itself. Behold!That’s when recipes like these come into play! Last few days since weather dipped in low 40’s, all I have been wanting to eat is warm comforting spicy meals. Not really spicy but comforting. Though I can never have enough spicy food!
This chicken dish is my new favorite chicken dish now. Seriously. It’s packed with tons of flavors and you won’t believe when I tell you that it took only 2tsps of olive oil TOTAL to cook this awesome dish. The magic happens when you roast a mix of spices and grind them. Spices here are the stars of the show but I am sure you will already have most of the stuff in your pantry apart from may be chicken and coconut.
It takes start to finish 1 hour to come together and if you are really fast then you can cook rice on the side and be done with the entire meal in an hour. If you are planning to make it during a weekday, you can make both the spice mixes a night before and that will make the cooking much easier. Trust me!
Changing course a bit here but have you been to Sam’s club lately?!! This weekend we were surprised to notice that most of the food magazines they had were talking about Christmas already. Hey fellas we still got Thanksgiving to go first was what I wanted to tell everyone! Well we both love Christmas so it was an icing on the cake.
Coming back to this dish, I want to tell you to make this but do make this pomegranate rice with it. Pomegranate in the rice helps to sober down the heat a bit but if you are not into spiciness at all, no worries. Just use very less red chillies and green chillies and you will be good.
And I am done with both the seasons of Orange is the new black and waiting for 3rd season!! Any suggestions on what to watch next? I started watching weeds for a bit thinking it might be good since it’s was made by the creator of OITNB but I wasn’t impressed. What about you??Got any good fall show suggestions?
Seriously this chicken malvani with cumin-pomegranate rice = Best meal ever.
- Dry Spice Mix For Chicken Malvani
- 1 large bay leaf or 3-4 small bay leaves, dry
- ¼ whole nutmeg
- 6-7 cloves
- 3-4 dry red chillies (If you want less spicy, lower the amount)
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1-2 green chillies
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- ½ cup freshly grated coconut (found in frozen sections) or dry shredded coconut
- ¾th inch of ginger
- For the gravy for chicken malvani
- 1 pound chicken breasts, chopped in small pieces
- 1-2 cups water
- 2 tsp olive oil or ghee
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- Juice of ½ lime
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Cilantro for garnishing
- 1 tsp oil
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼-1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
- Dry Mix
- Dry roast all the above ingredients on a skillet for 3-5 minutes at medium heat. Grind to form a spice mix. Keep aside.
- Grind all the ingredients and keep aside.
- In a deep pot, add oil. Once hot, add chopped onions and the wet spice mix. Saute for few minutes until raw smell goes away. Add 3 tsp of dry spice mix and stir around. Add 1 cup water and bring it to a boil. Add salt, lime juice and pinch of sugar. Stir it around and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add ½ cup water if the gravy looks to thick. Add chicken pieces and cook covered on lowest setting for 12-17 minutes or until chicken gets cooked through that is there is no pink left inside the chicken. If gravy looks too thick, add more water but remember chicken will loose some water too so add little water at a time only.
- Once done, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Cumin-Pomegranate Rice
- In a pot, add oil. To it add cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add onions and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add washed rice along with 2.5 cups water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil. Cover and let it cook on medium gas until cooked through. Add pomegranate seeds and stir around.
- Serve chicken malvani with cumin-pomegranate rice.
Dry spice mix and wet spice mix can be made a day in advance.
You can even make the gravy in advance and just before dinner, add the chicken pieces and cook.
More Indian Recipes:
Absolutely stunning… surprised to see the addition of pomegranates in this coastal dish.
Thanks Ishita! Hope you try this!
I’m not a huge spicy person, but this looks so good I will definitely give it a try. Wonderful recipe
Thanks!! Yes you can easily tame down the spiciness as per your taste!
Chicken looks amazing, though I’d need to back down the spices a bit. I get you on Weeds. I watched it, but it wasn’t as good as other series. Other shows to binge on if you haven’t already…Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Game of Thrones would be my top choices…and Outlander is a new one… takes a bit of time to get into while they set up the storyline, but it’s also very well made…great actors…beautiful setting…interesting plot.
Girl thanks for an amazing list!! Getting my TV game on!!
The pomegranate rice makes such a stunning pairing for your chicken. Absolutely beautiful dish! All the spices- I’d love for you to come cook this for me 🙂
Sure girl!! Let me know if you visit US anytime soon!
Hi Ami, what a perfect meal, the chicken sounds fabulous and the rice is such a great accompaniment.
Thanks Cheri!
I’m craving for the pomegranate rice Ami! yum! I bet the chicken was delicious, love all the spices that you have added. I think the veggie version [since I am a vegetarian] of this would taste equally great! 😀
Yes Manali, actually potatoes should taste really good in place of chicken in this gravy for vegetarian option!!
Intriguing recipe. I’m especially interested in that cumin/pomegranate rice. Looks so good!!
Haha it was really good Laura!
Love easy meals that are full of flavor! This chicken dish looks like a great weeknight meal and and sounds fabulous with all the wonderful spices!
It is indeed Kelly!!
This looks mouth-watering! I seriously love a spicy chicken dish with sauce and good flavorful basmati rice. Yum!
Monica now all I can think of is eating this again!!
Please pass on the plate here.. 😀 Oh the Pomegranate Rice is to die for… Chicken malvani looks delicious.. YUMMMY!
Haha come over !!
This chicken looks amazing with all those spices! The pomegranate seeds are beautiful in the rice. Pinning!
Thanks for pinning Girl!!
I’ve never heard of this dish before, but it sounds fabulous! i especially love the pomegranate rice…definitely a way to make rice more exciting!
The combo of spicy chicken and pomegranate rice is the bomb!! Joanne let me know if you try.
oh this looks divine.
Thanks Hena!!
Chicken Malvani, the name itself suggests the recipe is going to be a rich and spicy one. Chicken recipe with Pomogranate rice never heard of such combination earlier. Pics look great and makes the recipe in whole to be drool worthy.