Madurai Chicken Curry (Kuzhambu) Vegan

Madurai chicken curry is a rich, spicy South Indian curry with a tomato base featuring flavors of fennel, pepper, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger. You can adjust the spice as you like and try this incredible sauce with your protein of choice! Gluten-free with Nutfree and Soyfree options

I lived and worked in Bangalore(Bengaluru) for a while, which gave me the opportunity to try various South Indian curries. I hadn’t gone vegan yet, so I tried a bunch of the chicken curries, and I was just so surprised by the various flavors. There were so many different flavors and textures, depending on what Southern region the curry came from!

That time and those curries are full of fond memories, so I have been making vegan versions of those amazing sauces and curries. But I have barely scratched the surface of Southern Indian flavors. Each state and region with a whole cuisine in itself with many sauces and ingredients to explore!

This is just one interpretation of this Madurai style chicken curry, or kuzhambu, and the sauce is absolutely delicious. I paired it with tofu, which you toss in some of the spices and bake and add into the curry, but you can use any other protein of choice, as well. You can make this with white beans or chickpeas, chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu, or use roasted veggies for soy-free variations. 

Whatever protein you choose, you really need to try the sauce! It can get a little spicy, because, there is quite a bit of black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder in it. You can tone it down by reducing the black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder to preference. 

Why You’ll Love Madurai Chicken Curry

• rich curry with a flavorful tomato broth and notes of fennel, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger
• flexible! Replace the tofu with plant-based protein of choice, if you like.
• one ground spice mix seasons the tofu and the sauce
• gluten-free and nut-free with several soy-free options

Ingredients and Substitutions

• dried spices – This mix seasons both the tofu and the curry sauce. You’ll need black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, Kashmiri chili powder, crushed fennel seeds, and coconut. You’ll also use a little extra Kashmiri chili powder for the tofu.
• tofu – Use firm or extra-firm tofu and be sure to press for at least 15 minutes and tear it into bite-sized pieces.
• ginger garlic paste – Seasons the tofu and the curry sauce.
• oil – To sauté.
• cornstarch – To make the tofu crispy. You can use tapioca starch, if needed.
• onion – Adds umami to the sauce. To substitute, use a mix of zucchini and fennel or celery.
• curry leaves – Adds so much flavor to the sauce! Curry leaves are often used in South Indian cuisine. You can find fresh curry leaves in Indian stores or dried curry leaves online. Fresh curry leaves can be stored in paper lined container refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for months.
• tomato – Adds bulk and umami to the sauce.
• water – Adds moisture. You can use light coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice, if you prefer.
• garnishes – Garnish with cilantro and lime juice.

How to Make Madurai Chicken Curry

Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).

Make the spice mix. 

Mix together all of the spices in a bowl and set aside. If your fennel seeds were whole, you can crush them or you can just chop them up using a knife. Or put all of the spices along with the coconut in a spice grinder and pulse a few times to make a good powder and set aside.

Make the Baked Tofu “Chicken”

Press the tofu, if you haven’t already, then tear into bite-sized pieces and add to a bowl then along with the ginger garlic paste and oil. Toss well to coat. 

In a small bowl mix the cornstarch, salt, Kashmiri chili powder and 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of the spice mix from above. Sprinkle this all over the tofu mixture, tossing well to coat.

Spread the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until most of the tofu is starting to get slightly crisp on the edges.

To cook the tofu in a skillet instead: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet and cook, flipping occasionally, until it is crispy on most of the edges. This can take anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes. Remove it from the skillet, and use the same pan to make the sauce.

Make the curry. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the curry leaves carefully and mix in. They will splutter for a few seconds. Add in the onion and a good pinch of salt and mix again, cooking until the onion is golden. Add splashes of water in between to help the onions brown evenly and to help conduct the heat evenly, 6 to 9 minutes. 

Stir in the ginger garlic paste or mince and the remaining spice mix, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spices start to smell roasted and the garlic is cooked. 

Mix in the tomato and salt, then cook until the tomatoes are getting mushy. Press and mash some of the larger tomato pieces, then add in the coconut milk or water, mix in, and cover the skillet with a lid. 

Bring to a boil, then simmer for another 2 minutes, then carefully taste and adjust salt, flavor, and thickness. If you want more sauce, you can add in some more coconut milk, non-dairy milk, or water and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, lightly fold in the baked tofu, then switch off the heat and garnish with cilantro and lime juice.

Serve Madurai chicken curry with rice, South Indian parotta, naan, or dosa.