Mangalorean chicken curry is a traditional chicken curry which is popularly called as kori gasshi in local language thulu. It is a coconut based curry, which is finger liking good when served with kori rotti (dosa creap).  It is an extremely flavorful chicken gravy in which spices are freshly roasted and grounded, then added to curry along with fresh coconut milk. Coconut is an integral part of Mangalorean cuisine and it also happens to be the main ingredient for Kori Gassi along with spices like dry red chilies, black pepper corns, coriander seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Traditionally, Mangalorean chicken curry is spicy. The sweetness of coconut offsets the heat of the red chilies to some extent. This spicy chicken gravy is served with pundi (rice balls), rotti, neer dosa and rice.

Preparation time – 20 min

Cooking time – 30 min

serves – 4

Ingredients –

Chicken – 1 kg

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

For tempering –

Onion – 1 small chopped

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Oil to fry.

To grind –

Coconut – small part of a coconut or grated 1 cup

Onion – 2 no’s chopped roughly

Dry red chilly – 25 no’s

Coriander –  2 tbs

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cumin – 3/4 tsp

Pepper – 3/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – less than 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon – 2 or 3 small pieces

Clove – 4 or 5 no’s

Garlic – 10 to 12 cloves

Ginger – 1/2 inch chopped

Tamarind – 1 marble size ball

Oil to fry

To prepare coconut milk –

Coconut – big part of a coconut or 2 cup grated

Method –

To make or to prepare Mangalore chicken curry –

Heat a pan by adding 1 tsp of oil in it when it is hot add dry chilies in it and fry it in a medium flame until it becomes hot. Remove it and set aside.

Fry all the ingredients one by one separately one by one by adding oil until the ingredients turns to light brown in colour including coconut, fry coconut to light brown by adding oil in a medium/low flame. Soak  tamarind in hot water and keep ready.

Add all the fried ingredients, chopped onion,garlic and ginger in a mixer jar and grind it to a fine paste by adding water and keep ready.

Heat a casserole by adding oil in it when it is hot add chopped onion and curry leaves saute in oil until onion turns translucent. Add washed and drained chicken pieces into it and fry until water in the chicken evaporates fully. Add 1/4 tsp of turmeric into it and combine it with the chicken and add salt to taste.

When water is absorbed in the chicken

Add grounded paste into it and combine it with the chicken. Add tamarind (soaked in hot water and squeeze it to make a pulp remove the waste add only the juice)

Add water to your consistency and bring the curry to boil and boil it in a medium flame by closing the lid of the casserole and cook until chicken is done. (or pressure cook for 1 whistle).

Method –

To make coconut milk –

Roughly chop coconut into medium pieces and add it to mixer jar, run the mixer without adding water to it when it is powdered add a cup of lukewarm water and grind it to a smooth paste.

Strain it with a strainer and collect the milk from it.

Ensure the chicken is cooked /done then add coconut milk into it and

Bring it to boil for 5 min and switch off the flame.

Mangalore style chicken curry is ready to serve. Enjoy this curry with neer dosa, kori rotti or rice.

Notes –

No need to fry onion, ginger and garlic to grind.

Traditionally coconut oil or ghee is preferred  in preparation of this curry. which gives a unique taste and flavor to the curry.

The consistency of the curry must be medium thick in consistency, you can add coconut milk to adjust to your consistency.

The chilly used in the curry is byadgi chili which is not much spicy. Adding coconut milk, the sweetness of coconut offsets the heat of the red chilies.