Name: Andhra Kodi Vepudu
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Boneless Chicken, cut into small, bite-sized pieces; 1 Onion, finely chopped; ¾ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste, divided (marination and cooking); 1½ Green Chili Pepper, slit; 10 Curry Leaves, generous amount needed; ½ tbsp Coriander Seeds, for dry roasting; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds, for dry roasting; 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers, for dry roasting; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil; ½ tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped for garnish

1 hr 25 mintotal

55 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and dry red chillies in a small pan until highly aromatic. Cool and grind them into a coarse masala powder.
Heat oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Add slit green chillies and half of the curry leaves, letting them crackle.
Add finely chopped onions and fry on medium-high heat until they turn a deep golden brown. Stir in the remaining ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.
1 min
Add the marinated chicken pieces. Toss continuously on high heat for 5-7 minutes. The chicken will turn opaque and release its juices.
5–7 min
Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let it cook in its own juices for 10 minutes until tender. Do not add water.
10 min
Remove the lid. Add the freshly ground masala powder, salt, and garam masala. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Keep tossing and roasting the chicken (Vepudu) for another 5-6 minutes until the masala dries up, turns dark, and coats the chicken completely.
5–6 min
Turn off the heat, garnish with fresh coriander and the remaining fresh curry leaves. Serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

Succulent, bite-sized chicken pieces enveloped in a fiercely spicy, dark, and dry caramelized crust of onions and fresh roasted spices.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

279kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein29.4 g43%
Carbohydrate8.5 g12%
Fat14 g45%

Sugars: 2.8 g
Saturated fat: 2.3 g
Fibre: 1.9 g
Sodium: 644 mg
Potassium: 579 mg
Calcium: 40 mg
Iron: 1.5 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

The magic of Vepudu (fry) is achieving that dark, dry, caramelized exterior. Do not rush the final open-pan roasting step; this is where the deep flavors develop.

What to serve it with

An explosive side dish that pairs perfectly with cooling Curd Rice or plain Dal and hot rice.

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Khatti dal sours red lentils with tamarind, the everyday Hyderabadi dal.

1 hr 5 minvegan

Hyderabadi Murgh Dalcha

Hyderabadi murgh dalcha is a tangy chana dal and chicken stew with bottle gourd, tamarind and warm spices.

3 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer Gravy

Chilli paneer gravy is the Indo-Chinese dish in its saucy form, thickened with cornflour rather than served dry.

30 minvegetarian

Jain Bhindi Sambhariya

Bhindi sambhariya stuffs okra with a Gujarati filling of gram flour and coconut before cooking it whole.

1 hr 35 minvegetarian

Jain Chana Dal Fry

Jain chana dal fry is a no-onion no-garlic Bengal gram dal with tomato, cumin and ghee while the grains stay distinct.

2 hr 50 minvegetarian

Jain Cheese Butter Masala

Cheese butter masala swaps cheese for paneer in the usual buttery tomato gravy, made without onion or garlic.

40 minvegetarian

Ingredients