South Indian Coconut & Curry Leaf Marinade

South Indian Coconut & Curry Leaf Marinade

Kitchen Hero: Hamilton Beach Professional Juicer Mixer Grinder

Makes enough for 500g chicken, fish, tofu or paneer

A fresh, aromatic marinade with coconut, curry leaves, green chilli and black pepper, inspired by the flavours of South India.

Ingredients

  • 40g fresh or frozen grated coconut
  • 10 -2 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2cm piece fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
  • 1½ tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 2–3 tbsp water, just enough to blend

Method

  • Add all the ingredients to the Hamilton grinder.
  • Blitz until you have a thick, vibrant paste, adding just enough water to help everything blend smoothly.
  • Coat 500g chicken, fish, tofu or paneer thoroughly with the marinade.
  • Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking. For chicken, tofu or paneer, you can leave it for a few hours in the fridge. For fish, 20–30 minutes is enough.
  • Grill, bake, air-fry or pan-fry until cooked through and lightly charred around the edges.

Batch-cooking tip: The marinade can be made ahead and frozen in portions, ready to defrost when needed for a quick meal.