Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares top 6 delicious coconut curries for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians: Fish to green moong

Hindustan Times

7 days ago

In a March 1 blog on his website, chef Sanjeev Kapoor spoke about the versatility of coconut in creating rich, creamy curries that balance bold spices with velvety textures. He shared recipes of coconut-infused curries suitable for vegetarians, seafood lovers, and meat enthusiasts, emphasising coconut's ability to enhance flavours and soften spice heat. Also read | Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares 5 delicious ways to sneak protein into your daily diet: Moong dal to vegan omelette with tofu Chef Sajeev Kapoor said coconut-infused curries are an exciting way to explore new flavours and textures in your cooking. (YouTube/ Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana)
Chef Kapoor said, 'Coconut-infused curries are an exciting way to explore new flavours and textures in your cooking. Whether you're preparing a light, tangy seafood dish, a hearty vegetarian delight, or a rich, indulgent curry, the versatility of coconut makes it an essential ingredient. The natural sweetness and creaminess of coconut elevate these dishes, providing the perfect balance to the spices and heat that make curries so irresistible. So, the next time you're planning your meal, reach for some coconut and discover the wonderful world of coconut-infused curries. You won't be disappointed.'
He shared his recipe for coconut fish curry, which combines fresh fish with coconut, tamarind, and spices for a vibrant, velvety dish. Chef Kapoor's green moong in coconut gravy is a vegetarian curry with green moong beans, coconut, and spices like cumin and turmeric. He also posted his recipe for kadla curry, a Kerala dish with Bengal gram, coconut, and spices like black pepper and garam masala, paired with rice or flatbread.
Chef Kapoor also shared recipes for creamy coconut prawn curry (Prawns in a rich coconut milk gravy with ginger, garlic, and curry leaves, served with steamed rice), chicken Chettinad (A fiery south Indian curry with coconut balancing intense spices like cinnamon and cloves) and chingri malai curry (A Bengali prawn curry with coconut milk, cardamom, and mustard seeds for a luxurious, silky dish).
Coconut prawn curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
12 surmai darnes
1 cup scraped coconut
1 medium onion
1 inch piece ginger
3 garlic cloves
4 tbsps oil
8-10 black peppercorns
6 dried red chillies
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
½ tsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
⦿ Method
1. Chop onion, ginger and garlic. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non-stick pan, add onion, ginger and garlic and sauté lightly.
2. Add black peppercorns, 4 dried red chillies and coconut. Sauté lightly. Set aside to cool.
3. Heat 2 cups water in another non-stick pan. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, tamarind pulp and mix. Let it simmer.
4. Grind the sautéed ingredients with a little water to a fine paste.
5. Put the fish pieces in the spiced water and let it cook. Add ground paste and cook till fish is done.
6. Remove the fish pieces and place in a bowl. Strain the gravy, pressing the masala to extract maximum flavour. Pour gravy over the fish pieces.
7. Heat remaining oil in a non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds, remaining red chillies and curry leaves. When the seeds splutter pour this tempering over the fish and serve hot with steamed rice.
Green moong in coconut gravy recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
2 cups sprouted green gram, peeled
1 cup fresh coconut slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
8-10 cashewnuts
1 green chilli, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
3 dried red chillies
½ teaspoon rice
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
½ teaspoon asafoetida
⦿ Method
Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add sprouts, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander, cashewnuts, and green chilli. Mix well, cover, and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add turmeric powder and salt, stir, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a non-stick pan. Add coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds, letting them splutter.
Add broken dried red chillies and rice, sauté well.
In a grinder jar, combine coconut slices, tamarind paste, sautéed ingredients, and ½ cup water. Grind into a fine paste.
Add the ground paste to the sprouts with a little water. Stir and cook on low heat for a minute.
Heat remaining coconut oil in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds, let them splutter, then add curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour this tempering over the sprouts, cover immediately, and cook for a minute.
Uncover, mix well, cover again, and simmer for a minute.
Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chopped coriander.
Kadla curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
1 cup brown Bengal gram (kadla), soaked overnight
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
4 dried red chillies
20-24 curry leaves
1 large onion, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves
½ cup scraped fresh coconut
1 large onion, chopped
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander sprig for garnish
⦿ Method
1. Put the brown Bengal gram in a pressure cooker, add 3 cups water, mix, cover and cook under pressure till 5-6 whistles are released. Switch the heat off and allow the pressure to reduce completely.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow pan. Add coriander seeds, red chillies, 10-12 curry leaves, and sliced onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic, and coconut and sauté till lightly coloured and fragrant. Switch the heat off and allow to cool slightly.
3. Transfer the mixture into a mixer jar and add 1 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.
4. Heat remaining oil in a deep non-stick pan. Add the chopped onions and remaining curry leaves and sauté till lightly coloured.
5. Add cooked gram mixture along with the water in which it was cooked.
6. Add the ground paste, red chilli powder, and salt and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes or till the curry thickens slightly.
7. Serve hot garnished with coriander.
Creamy coconut prawn curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
2 cups coconut milk
15-20 large prawns, cleaned, deveined and washed
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
A pinch + ½ tsp red chilli powder
2½ tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 dried red chillies
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
10-15 curry leaves
2-3 green chillies, slit
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
Fried curry leaves for garnish
Steamed rice to serve
⦿ Method
1. Take prawns in a bowl. Add salt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¼ tsp red chilli powder and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 mins.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add dried red chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add onion and mix well. Cook till it turns translucent. Add tomatoes and mix.
4. Add salt, mix, cover and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Add remaining red chilli powder and remaining turmeric powder and mix well. Add prawns and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk, curry leaves, slit green chillies, crushed black peppercorns and tamarind pulp and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Switch the heat off, transfer the mixture into a serving bowl, garnish with fried curry leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Chicken Chettinad recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
750 chicken, skinned and cut into 12 pieces on the bone
5 tablespoons oil
5-6 dried red chillies
½ cup scraped fresh coconut
1½ teaspoons poppy seeds (khas khas)
¾ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 star anise
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
¾ inch ginger, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8-9 curry leaves
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh coriander sprigs for garnish
⦿ Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan, add dried red chillies, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and fennel seeds and sauté till fragrant. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer this in a mixer jar, add 1 cup water, ginger, garlic and grind to a fine paste.
2. Heat remaining oil in a thick bottom pan, add onion and sauté till golden. Add curry leaves and ground paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sauté for further 2-3 minutes.
4. Add chicken, mix well and sauté for 5 minutes on high heat. Add 2 cups of water, mix, cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes.
5. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Switch the heat off and add lemon juice and mix. Transfer in a serving bowl, serve hot with coriander sprigs.
Chingri malai curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor
⦿ Ingredients
8-10 large prawns, peeled with head intact, deveined, and cleaned
¾ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
4-5 tbsps mustard oil
1-2 tbsps ghee
2 bay leaves
3-4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
3-4 green cardamoms
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup ground paste (1 large onion, 1 large tomato, 1 inch ginger)
½ tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies + for garnish
½ tsp cumin powder
1 cup coconut milk + for garnish
Salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
Melted ghee for drizzling
Bengali garam masala for sprinkling + for garnish
Fried cashew nuts for sprinkling + for garnish
Fried raisins for sprinkling + for garnish
Steamed rice to serve
Lemon wedges to serve
⦿ Method
1. Take prawns in a large bowl, add ½ turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tbsps mustard oil in a non-stick shallow pan, let it smoke. Add the prawns and sauté on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
3. Heat remaining mustard oil and ghee in a kadai.
4. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cumin seeds, and sauté for a few seconds. Add ground paste, mix and cook till the oil separates. Add remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, break the ends of the green chillies, and add into the mixture, add cumin powder, and mix well.
5. Add coconut milk, mix and cook till the fat separates. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Add ½ cup water, mix and bring it to a boil.
6. Stir in the prawns, cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Switch the heat off, drizzle melted ghee, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, fried cashew nuts, fried raisins and drizzle some coconut milk. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.
7. Transfer the gravy into a serving bowl, garnish with fried cashew nuts, fried raisins, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, drizzle coconut milk, and garnish with green chilli. Serve hot with steamed rice and lemon wedges.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.