Chicken Moilee Is the Kerala Coconut Curry Worth Making at Home

Chicken Moilee is one of Kerala’s most elegant curries. Unlike the bold, deeply spiced curries that Kerala is known for, Moilee is deliberately mild, pale golden in colour and built around the natural sweetness of coconut milk rather than the heat of red chillies. It is a light, fragrant stew that uses green chillies, black pepper, turmeric, ginger and curry leaves to build its flavour. The result is a curry that is subtle, deeply comforting and completely unlike anything else in Indian cooking.

The technique that defines a good Moilee is the two-stage addition of coconut milk. Thin coconut milk goes in first and the chicken simmers gently in it until fully cooked. Thick coconut milk is added only at the very end with the heat turned low, just enough to warm it through without boiling. Boiling the thick coconut milk causes it to split and lose its silky finish. Get this right and the gravy is smooth, creamy and deeply fragrant. Serve with appam, idiyappam or steamed rice.

Chicken Moilee Recipe

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 600g Chicken Curry Cut (bone-in pieces)
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Juice of half a lemon

For the curry:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
  • 3 to 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely julienned
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds
  • 200ml thin coconut milk (first dilution)
  • 200ml thick coconut milk (full-fat)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp white vinegar or juice of half a lemon to finish

Steps

  1. Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken pieces with turmeric, black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Toss well to coat and set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves, green chillies, cinnamon stick and cloves. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the sliced onions, ginger and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent. Do not let them brown. A pale, soft onion base is essential for the characteristic golden colour of Moilee.
  4. Add the turmeric and black pepper and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir to coat them well in the onion base. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until the chicken is lightly sealed on the outside.
  6. Pour in the thin coconut milk and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Place the tomato rounds on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius. Stir occasionally and ensure the curry does not come to a hard boil.
  7. Once the chicken is cooked through, taste the gravy and adjust the salt. Turn the heat to its lowest setting. Pour in the thick coconut milk and stir gently to combine. Warm through for 2 to 3 minutes without letting the curry boil. Boiling at this stage will cause the coconut milk to split.
  8. Add the vinegar or lemon juice and stir once. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the Moilee rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the flavours to settle and deepen.
  9. Serve warm with appam, idiyappam or steamed rice.

Tips for Best Results

Do not brown the onions. This is the most important rule in Moilee. Browned onions give the curry a darker colour and a caramelised sweetness that changes its character entirely. The onions should be cooked until completely soft and translucent but still pale. Keep the heat at medium and stir frequently.

Use coconut oil rather than vegetable oil. Coconut oil is not optional in this recipe. Its natural sweetness and aroma are fundamental to the flavour of Moilee and no other oil replicates this. Even a tablespoon of coconut oil makes a significant difference.

Never boil the thick coconut milk. Once the thick coconut milk goes into the pan the heat must stay at its lowest setting. A hard boil causes the fat in the coconut milk to separate from the liquid and the gravy turns grainy rather than silky.

Use bone-in chicken for the best flavour. Bone-in pieces like curry cut release collagen and natural juices into the gravy as they simmer which gives the Moilee a depth and body that boneless pieces cannot replicate.

Let the curry rest before serving. Five minutes off the heat allows the flavours to settle and the gravy to thicken slightly. A rested Moilee always tastes better than one served straight from the pan.

Chicken Moilee is the kind of curry that changes what you expect from Indian cooking. Its restraint is its strength. There are no bold reds or fiery heat. Just the quiet depth of coconut milk, the fragrance of curry leaves and ginger and the gentle warmth of green chillies and black pepper. Once you have made it you will understand why it has endured in Kerala kitchens for generations.

Order Zorabian’s Chicken Curry Cut from shop.zorabian.com and try this recipe at home.

Instagram Facebook Youtube Globe