Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti) - 2.0

I had earlier blogged about Kundapur Chicken Curry which was an elaborate version. It is also known as Koli Saaru in some regions owing to its soupy broth since its supplemented by addition of thick coconut milk. Some also address it as Chicken Kundapuri/ Koli Kajipu. Recently, I have worked on making a simpler version of this recipe in order to save time and effort. The results were great and we both liked it. My husband is an ardent Chicken fan and he can eat this curry and savour the flavour for days together. I like to sample and slurp the gravy, thought I must confess I am biased to my vegetables and greens. :)

Few tricks which I incorporated is instead of using Tomato puree, I used Red Tomato paste which is easily available is grocery stores. The Tomato paste is very concentrated and adds a nice tangy bite with the red alluring color. I got my stash of Kundapur Chicken/ Kori Rotti masala from Mangalore as a generous gift from a dear one; if not available use any store bought chicken masala which is bright red and has red chillies as its primary ingredient. Else, you could use the Masala recipe which I had posted earlier. I also used Chicken-on-bone which is the thigh meat and once cooked shredded it in curry broth. To enjoy the curry with all the fiery red hot taste and flavour, I made it ahead of time and let the curry rest. The next day around, the curry taste divine. :)

Konkani Foodie also completes 300 posts with this recipe! All and this for love of good home made food! Thanks to all my readers for making this journey special & for the love which is overwhelming and much appreciated! :)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Chicken (thigh meat on the bone) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg
Kundapur Chicken Masala - 1 cup ground paste or 3 tablespoon masala powder
Onions (sliced) - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 3 oz. ~ approx 90 gms diluted in 1/2 cup warm water
Ginger paste - 2 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs ~ approx. 10-12 leaves
Ghee
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder - 1 tablespoon or as per taste
Coconut Milk (thick) - 2 cups

Rotti - 8 servings
Garnish (optional) - Coriander leaves which is finely chopped

Method:
1. Chicken - Clean the Chicken thighs and trim the skin if any, remove excess fat. Wash and pat dry. If frozen, thaw the meat and clean with multiple wash and pat dry. Poke deep gashes in the chicken, season with little salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and keep aside.
2. Kundapur Chicken Masala - Get the Kundapur Chicken Masala ready (grind the paste if making from scratch), extract thick Coconut milk and keep aside.
3. Chicken Broth - In a deep bottomed dish (preferably use a stainless steel non-reactive vessel or a stoneware) heat ghee and ensure it coats the bottom of the vessel. Add the Onions and sweat the till they turn translucent and mushy. Lower the flame, once cooked, add Chicken Kundapur Masala, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water. Give a gentle mix, add the Tomato paste diluted in warm water. Add the marinated Chicken pieces and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low flame covered till the chicken gets cooked. This process takes around 20 minutes.
4. Finale - Check if the chicken is fork tender now; if yes, pick each of the thigh piece and shred the meat with a steak knife and transfer back to the curry. Add the coconut milk now, adjust salt and cook for few minutes (3-5 minutes). Turn off flame, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and let the curry rest for at least an hour before serving.
5. Plating - Take a generous helping of Rotti in a plate, add the curry on top. Mix well and chomp chomp! Enjoy the delicious Kundapur Chicken curry.

Step by Step Illustration: How to eat - Kori Rotti
1. Choose best quality Silk Rotti for great taste. These are available in bakeries and select specialty stores in India and abroad.


2. Plate the Rotti and crush lightly.

3. Pour the curry and mix well and enjoy!

Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti)

Kundapur is tiny city perched in the tranquil harmony of a beautiful seashore strip, swaying coconut palms and plenty of greenery, flora and fauna. Its located in Udupi district of Karnataka State, India. Kundapur is known for places of historic significance which includes scenic beaches, ancient temples with splendid architecture and best of all a cuisine which needs no further mention. If you ask any meat eating individual from Mangalore, they would proudly speak for hours together boasting about the few distinct & famous dishes which are part of Kundapur cuisine - Kundapur Chicken Curry, Chicken Ghee Roast, Kane Fry and Ghee Rice. Some also address the dish combination as Kori Rotti; Kori is Chicken and Rotti is the flaky bread eaten with this Chicken gravy.

Kundapur Chicken Curry is the fiery hot, spicy curry loved and adored by many. This humble red hued spicy curry with lot of broth and Ghee Rice get along like house on fire. It is an act of blasphemy to visit Kundapur and not partake in any of the sinfully rich dishes. The popular eating spot in Kundapur is Shetty's Lunch Home which is most sought after place when it comes to these dishes. If it is to be believed, Chicken Ghee Roast & Ghee Rice were all born in the cosy confines of this famous eatery.

I was wondering what makes this dish so special until I got a chance to sample this unique style of cooking Chicken one day at one of our dear one's place. I got the recipe and lot of tips and suggestions on getting the right flavour. Some of my friends informed me that Chicken and the broth are key components which define the flavour and taste of this dish. My MIL also makes the best Kundapur Chicken Curry and her other Non-Veg curries are simply amazing. Some of my friends opined that Farm Chicken (Naati Koli) gives best results. The broth is made by a fiery paste of Onions and Tomatoes seasoned with lots of Curry leaves resulting in a rich red colored paste known as Kundapur Chicken Masala. One could also use ready store bought spice powder of Kundapur Chicken Masala. Infact, some of my aunts and cousins opine that the store bought spice powder easily beats the one we make at home. Curry leaves offer a very nice balance and earthy flavour to this curry. Traditionally, its eaten with Ghee Rice, Kori Rotti, Idli (Khotte) or Rice String Hoppers (Shevai). I do not claim that this is the original recipe. This is my interpretation of this recipe and we both liked the flavour.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:
Chicken (Thigh - Skinless variety) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg.
Onion (chopped) - 2 cups
Tomatoes (chopped) - 1 cup
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 1/2 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 10-15
Coconut milk (thick) - 2 cups

Kundapur Chicken Masala -
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 8-10
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon
Cloves - 2-4
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Fenugreek seeds - 1/3 teaspoon
Toast the Red Chillies and grind them all to a paste with less or little water.

Yield - Around 2-3 tablespoon of spice powder

Method:
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, roast the red chillies and spices for 2 minutes and allow to cool. Grind all of this along with Turmeric powder to a smooth red paste. This is Kundapur Chicken Masala. Wash Chicken thoroughly, defrost if required, wash multiple times till water is clear; pat it dry and chop them into bite sized pieces.
Puree Onion and Tomato separately and keep the paste ready. In a deep stock pot, heat the entire quantity of butter, allow to melt. Add Bay leaves and Curry leaves and saute for a minute or two. Add Ginger and Garlic paste and saute to eliminate the raw flavour. The fragrance and aroma now gets imparted to the oil. Add Onion paste and Tomato paste and sweat them in oil till the raw flavour disappears. Add the Chicken pieces now and gently give a stir. Cook for few minutes. All the Masala paste now, add enough water and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on low flame for 20-30 minutes till the Chicken is cooked. Once done, add thick Coconut milk and allow to simmer on low flame. Do not cook a lot after adding coconut milk. Turn off flame and serve hot. Suggested serving with Kori Rotti, Rice String Hoppers (Shevai), Idli (Khotte) or Ghee Rice.

Note - Do not use white meat of chicken (breast portions) since it remains hard after cooking. Best portions would be red meat - thigh or leg portions. They soften upon cooking and are apt for this curry. I made a big batch, lessen the proportion for smaller quantity.