Chicken Curry Without Coconut Milk

A deeply savoury chicken curry built on onions, tomatoes and warming spices, with no coconut milk in sight. It's lighter and tangier than a creamy curry, and just as satisfying spooned over rice.

Not every curry needs coconut milk — plenty of the best home-style curries are tomato-based, lighter and tangier, and this one is a brilliant everyday example. The secret is patience with the onions and letting the sauce reduce down, which builds all the richness you’d otherwise get from coconut. It’s naturally dairy-free and freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

• 600g chicken thighs — cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions — finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic — crushed
• 1 thumb ginger — grated
• 2 tbsp curry powder or paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 200ml chicken stock
• 1 handful fresh coriander — to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil and cook the onions gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden — this is the flavour base, so don't rush it.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and cumin and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook for a few minutes to colour, then add the tomatoes and stock.
4. Simmer, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (75°C, no pink) and the sauce has thickened.
5. Season, stir through most of the coriander, and serve scattered with the rest.

Serve it with

• Fluffy basmati rice
• Warm naan or chapatis
• A cooling cucumber raita
• Mango chutney

Why this works

Without coconut milk to add body, the richness comes from properly softened, golden onions and a sauce that's simmered uncovered to concentrate. Cooking the spices in oil first 'blooms' them, releasing far more flavour than adding them to liquid later.

Common swaps

• Use chicken breast for a leaner curry (cook a little less).
• Add a tin of chickpeas or some spinach to bulk it out.
• Stir in a spoonful of yogurt or ground almonds at the end for a creamier finish.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Rushing the onions — pale, undercooked onions leave the curry thin on flavour.
• A watery sauce; simmer uncovered to reduce it properly.
• Adding all the spice heat at once — build it up and taste.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; it tastes even better the next day.

Freezing: Freezes brilliantly for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating: Reheat until piping hot throughout, loosening with a splash of water if needed.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.