This recipe for chicken kurma is something I picked up during our initial years after marriage. I always had home made spice masala powder stashed in the freezer at all times. My days at work used to be really long those years. If I had some friends or family coming for dinner, I would come back home after work and throw in some rice in the cooker and make this kurma in no time. This chicken kurma is effortless. The only thing that takes a few minutes to make is the masala paste. No frying, no sauteing. Add everything in the cooker and cook for 12- 15 minutes and your dinner can be served with absolutely zero stress. Try it out. The whole thing can be put together in less than 30 minutes.
The following is my non-veg masala powder that I use for a lot of dishes. I learned the masala powder recipe from my athama (aunt).
Here is what you will need for the masala powder.
Take a flat pan and add in all the ingredients for the masala spice powder except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus). Fry until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. If you cannot get poppy seeds in a country where you live, just skip it. But poppy seeds does add a lot of flavor to the chicken kurma. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
In the same mixie, add in the onion, garlic and the ginger. Add 1/2 a cup of water and grind to make a smooth paste. Set aside.
Take a pressure pan and add in the chicken pieces. We use chicken pieces with bone for this recipe. Add in the ground masala paste. Add in 150 ml of coconut milk. I used store bought coconut milk. Add in 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the salt.
Add a cup of water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover the pan and cook for 5 whistles or for 12-13 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally.
Open the cooker and garnish the chicken kurma with coriander leaves.
Serve hot!
- 6 dried red chillies
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 clove
- 1½ tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
- 500 grams chicken with bone
- 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 150 ml coconut milk, store bought
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
- Take a flat pan and add in all the ingredients listed under "spice powder" except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus). Fry until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
- In the same mixie, add in the onion, garlic and the ginger. Add ½ a cup of water and grind to make a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Take a pressure pan and add in the chicken pieces. Add in the ground masala paste. Add in the coconut milk. Add in the curry leaves and the salt. Add one cup of water.
- Mix all the ingredients well. Cover the pan and cook for 5 whistles or for 12-13 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally.
- Open the cooker and garnish the chicken kurma with coriander leaves.
Hi Kannamma,
I’m making this for my parents this time and don’t want to use coconut milk because it’s too rich for them. Please could you tell me whether I can use freshly grated coconut instead? If so, how much would you recommend I use? And should I then alter the amount of water I use?
Thanks so much in advance! 🙂
Hi Prakruti,
You can reduce the amount of coconut milk if you want or add freshly ground coconut paste.
The water qty will remain the same.
Thank you.
My husband and I cooked Chicken Kuruma yesterday after work when both of us had to be in a call at 8 30. This recipe along with the pressure cooker chicken biriyani were a life saver and something my husband and I bond over. Looking forward to trying out other recipes.
Thank you so much. Really glad that you liked it!
Hi suguna
Can u suggest the masala powder measurement in tabsp for half kg chicken.
Bcoz I made in bulk.
Kannama ma ka… pls indha masala alavu konjam 1/4 kg or 1/2 kg ku sollunga sista… it would be useful for me to carry this when am moving abroad… this kurma is yummy n aromatic… pls sista… need to arachify this masala. Thank u n love u ka…
The masala goes rancid after 2-3 months. So do not grind in a big batch. You can always grind in a mixie once in two months.
Okie ka 2 or 3 months ku vara madhri solreengala ka … thank u ka
You can refer to this recipe
https://www.kannammacooks.com/curry-powder-curry-masala-powder-curry/
Hi Kannamma,
I’m making this recipe again this evening, this time equipped with a pressure cooker 🙂
I have 600 g of chicken legs (drumsticks), which is 1.2 times the quantity in the recipe. I would like there to be gravy enough for 4 meals. Ordinarily I would have multiplied all ingredients by 1.2, but I’m not sure I should be doing that with turmeric and with the cloves, cinnamon, and fennel. Please could you instruct me about which ingredients I should increase the quantity of, and which not?
Thanks so much, and looking forward to your response.
100 grams difference is just ok. Just increase the salt by a pinch and add one more red chillies. Other things can remain the same.
hi, if i use broiler chicken isnt the pr. cooking time or the pot cooking time very long?
No. its not.
Hi Kannamma, I have Tamil roots and lived a few years in Chennai before moving to Germany for my PhD. Punjabi food is so over-represented in Indian restaurants and grocery stores here that I’ve found it hard to recreate the comfort and deep pleasure of South Indian food. Just came across your website yesterday by accident and a friend and I tried this Chicken Kurma recipe without a pressure cooker and without a blender (we ground the spices, ginger, garlic and onion in a mortar!). The result was beautiful and I cannot thank you enough for your clear and accessible recipes which make so much wonderful South Indian cooking possible for novices like myself. Wishing you all the best. I am sure to become an avid user of your website! ??
Thank you so much Prakruti! Really glad to be of little help. Hope you like the site.
I’m a middle-aged man without a functional pressure cooker(!) – and many other essentials. Eat out a lot. How much regular closed-lid boil time for 1 kg chicken please? I have a pot with a glass lid with a steam-hole in it. Pals are coming over for drinks so I thought I would serve them something South Indian for a change that won’t tax my cooking ability. Will serving it with rice and ordered-in plain dosas be ok? Its cold in Delhi now but I assume that ambient temp. makes no difference to the cook time.
Hi Narayanan, Add a little extra water and simmer for an hour on a pot with its lid closed. Try to stir once a while so it does not burn at the bottom.
Thanks Suguna. Tried that – came out like a charm. The Indo-Aryan bros finished off the last drop of Tamizh gravy!! 😀
Commend on you on a terrific and user-friendly site that makes the glories of our cuisine accessible to all.
PN
Thank you so much P.Narayanan. Really glad that it turned out to be a fantastic party. Happy cooking sir!
Hi Sugana, Today I tried this recipe and it turned out to be excellent and a super hit at home. Thank you so much for such wonderful recipes.
Thank you Sripa. Really glad that you liked it. Happy Cooking!