Fusion Kitchen · Dinner
Slow-Braised Duck in Coconut Curry
Pondicherry Duck Curry with Coconut and Star Anise
A Pondicherry original from the Tamil-French colonial kitchen, duck legs slow-braised in a coconut milk and star anise curry where the Tamil spice tradition and the French technique of rendering duck fat before braising are both structurally present in a dish that exists nowhere else.
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20 minsPrep
1 hr 20 minsCook
1 hr 40 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
1045Calories
38gProtein
52gFat
108gCarbs
8gSugar
2gFiber
685mgSodium
105mgChol
Goes well with
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Instructions
1
Prep
Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern cutting through fat but not flesh. Season with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper all over. Finely dice 1 large onion, grate 4 garlic cloves and 1.5 thumbs ginger, slice 1 small green chilli, measure curry leaves, star anise, all ground spices, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and coconut milk.
2
Sear
Place duck legs skin-side down in a cold heavy casserole. Turn heat to medium, cook 12–14 minutes without moving, pouring off excess fat every 5 minutes, until skin is deep golden and most fat has rendered. Flip and cook 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3
Saute
Pour off all but 1 tbsp duck fat from the casserole, reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion, cook 6 minutes until golden. Add garlic, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves, and star anise; stir 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
4
Bloom
Add all ground spices and tomato paste, stir 2 minutes until paste darkens. Add chopped tomatoes, cook 3 minutes until slightly reduced. Scrape bottom of casserole to lift any browned bits.
5
Braise
Pour in coconut milk, add 0.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp palm sugar, stir to combine and bring to gentle simmer. Return duck legs skin-side up, cover, and braise over low heat 55–60 minutes until meat is completely tender and pulls from bone.
6
Reduce
Uncover and simmer 5–8 minutes over medium heat until sauce reduces to a thick, glossy coating around the duck. Remove star anise. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
7
Finish and plate
Scatter 10g fresh coriander and 60g sliced red onion over the duck. Serve with 360–440g steamed basmati rice per person and lime wedges on the side.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 2 duck legs (280g / 9.9 oz each)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 200g (7 oz) onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 25g (0.9 oz) fresh ginger
- 1 small green chilli
- 10 curry leaves
- 2 whole star anise
- 1.5 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 0.75 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 200g (7 oz / 1 can) canned chopped tomatoes
- 400ml (1 2/3 cup) coconut milk
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 360g (12.7 oz) basmati rice
- 10g (small handful) fresh coriander
- 1 lime
- 60g (2.1 oz) red onion