Kuttanadan Duck Curry/ Kerala Duck Curry with Coconut Milk

Kuttanadan Duck Curry

Today's recipe is a Kerala delicacy made on festive occasions like Christmas. This duck curry is inspired by Kuttanadu style curry, and is made with aromatic spices, black pepper, and coconut milk. Coconut milk enhances the taste of the gravy, adding flavor, creaminess, and a touch of sweetness that goes well with the flavor of the duck. Have you ever tried duck curry with coconut? Duck has a more intense flavor profile than chicken, and warm spices, black pepper, and coconut go well with its flavor.

Kuttanadu is beautiful, a famous tourist destination with houseboats, paddy fields, backwaters, and rivers. Fish and waterfowls like duck and geese are part of the region's diet and they make one of the best duck curries you have ever tasted. The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. It is a delicious accompaniment with appam, or Kerala style laced pancake, bread, idiyappam, or steamed rice.

Duck meat in Kuttanadu duck curry is cooked with skin-on, for flavor and richness. Duck meat has a lot of fat, mostly from its skin, so it is always good to cook with less oil and sear the meat first to release the natural fat. When compared to chicken, the duck has a longer cooking time. It is best to slow cook for about 35-45 minutes for tender cooked meat, or else an easier alternative is to pressure cook or cook in the instant pot. The curry is flavored, with are coconut milk, pearl onions, aromatic whole spices, ginger, and curry leaves. Green chilies, fresh black pepper adds heat to the curry. If you do not like the spicy kick of black pepper, add more green chilly instead. Give this recipe a try, you will surely love it. Happy cooking!

Kuttanadan Duck Curry recipe

Ingredients
Duck- 1 kg
Crushed shallots/pearl onions- 2 cup
Potato- 2 small (optional)
Ginger- 2 inch thick 2 piece
Garlic- 10- 12 pods
Green chilly-5-6
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)
Coriander powder- 2 tbs
Pepper powder- 1 tbs
(add according to your taste)
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Thin coconut milk- 1 1/2 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Vinegar- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-2 springs

Clean the duck and cut it into pieces (you can clean by rubbing the whole duck with rice flour and salt or with turmeric and vinegar paste). Kuttanadu duck curry is made with skin on. But if you do not like it remove the skin and trim off the excess fat.
Mix coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilly powder, and salt with the duck and marinate it for about half an hour.

Finely chop or crush shallots with a mortar and pestle and keep aside.
In the same way, crush garlic, ginger, green chilly, and two springs of curry leaves and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter, add a few curry leaves and crushed shallots. Saute till golden brown. Next, add the crushed garlic, ginger, crushed curry leaves, and green chilies and saute till the raw flavor disappears. Add the marinated duck and keep on turning and mixing till the meat changes color for about three to four minutes. Cover and cook on medium flame. Water and fat will start oozing, and the duck will get cooked. If you wish, you can transfer into the pressure cooker and cook for two whistles. When the duck is half cooked, add potatoes and thin coconut milk, pepper powder, and garam masala. Cook and allow the gravy to thicken, and finally, add thick coconut milk. Simmer for another two minutes and switch off the flame. Serve with appam, bread, or rice.