Name: Andhra Kodi Kura (Chicken Curry)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 375 g Chicken, curry cut, bone-in; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, finely chopped; 7½ Curry Leaves, a generous handful; 1½ Green Chili Pepper, slit; ¾ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds, khus khus, soaked in warm water; 3 Cashews, soaked in warm water; ½ tbsp Desiccated Coconut, dry coconut powder; ¾ tbsp Red Chilli Powder, Guntur or regular spicy chilli powder (adjust to taste); ½ tbsp Ground Coriander; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Garam Masala; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; ¾ cup Water; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

1 hr 15 mintotal

1 hr hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Make the masala paste: in a small blender, grind the soaked poppy seeds, soaked cashews and desiccated coconut with a splash of water until completely smooth and rich. Set it aside.
Bring the oil to temperature in a heavy-bottomed kadhai or a formidable pressure cooker set on a medium flame.
Add the generous handful of curry leaves and the slit green chillies. Let them splutter for a few seconds so their aroma passes into the fat.
Add the finely chopped onions. Sauté them patiently until they soften right down to a deep, very soft golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes to cook off its raw, harsh taste.
2 min
Add the chicken pieces to the pot. Sear them over high heat for 7-8 minutes. The meat should turn completely opaque and take on a light roasted colour, which keeps it juicy.
7–8 min
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, then the turmeric, the hot red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Cook this down for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse completely and the fat separates cleanly at the edges.
5 min
Pour the cashew, poppy seed and coconut paste into the pan. Stir it in thoroughly and cook it into the chicken for a full 3 minutes.
3 min
Pour in the measured water. Cover tightly and turn the heat down to a medium-low simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is tender to the bone and the gravy has thickened to the consistency you want.
15–20 min
Sprinkle garam masala over the bubbling curry and scatter plenty of freshly chopped coriander. Stir it through, turn off the heat, and serve it piping hot.

How to tell it's done

Exceptionally succulent, highly spiced bone-in chicken segments swimming lazily in an incredibly thick, intimidatingly deep red, robustly flavored, and distinctly nutty gravy suspension.

Getting it right

Tip

The fierce heat of Guntur chilli powder is balanced by the creamy paste of poppy seeds (khus khus) and cashews. That is what makes an Andhra-style chicken curry hot, thick and good.

What to serve it with

An intensely revered daily heavy-hitter across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Operates exclusively at its peak when served piping hot beside an intimidating mound of steamed white rice or heavily layered, flaky Parottas.

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Ingredients