Kannamma Cooks

Collection of Tamil Nadu Recipes , Tamil Cuisine, Kongunad Recipes. Easy Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian dishes with step by step pictures.

Spicy Kongunad kozhi Kuzhambu-Kulambu / Chicken Curry/Kurma

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Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Spicy Kongunad kozhi Kuzhambu-Kulambu / Chicken Curry/Kurma.

Easy recipe for South Indian Tamilnadu Kongunad style kozhi kuzhambu curry without coconut.-A sunday special. Serve with Rice or Roti/Chapati. With step by step pictures. Spicy Chicken kurma /Murg Korma.

The first time I ate chicken – kozhi Kuzhambu as a kid was at my aunt/my dad’s sisters place as my parents are vegetarian. We would visit my aunt once a month usually on Sundays. Sundays meant meat for lunch. Those days, in most of the homes in South India, meat was consumed only on Sundays. The men folk of the house would generally go and get the meat in the morning. The ladies of the house would start the ritual of grinding the masalas on the stone mortar just after breakfast. I would eagerly wait for lunch time as the whole house would start smelling like flavor town. This kozhi Kuzhambu curry takes me back to my childhood. Food is nothing but memories. This is my Aunt Sarasu Athamas Kozhi Kuzhambu recipe.

In the below picture, Sarasu athama can be seen decorating snack boxes for the grooms folks during my wedding at mid night. She was so tired that she could no longer sit that day. She is now 80. I pray to god to keep her in good health. Come with me and I will show you how to go to flavor town.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Here is the video of the recipe:

This kozhi Kuzhambu recipe has one raw masala paste and one fried masala paste. So lets make them. Shall we?

Kozhi Kuzhambu Raw Masala Paste
You will need the following things for the raw masala paste. Grind everything as smooth as possible. You can add enough water while grinding to get the desired texture.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-spice-paste

Kozhi Kuzhambu Fried Masala Paste

Heat oil in a pan and add in pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, coriander seeds and dry red chillies. Briefly roast for a minute in medium flame. Add in the onions and saute until the onions are slightly brown. Remove off heat. Empty the mixture in the pan to a bowl and let it cool slightly.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-masala |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Take the empty pan and set on heat again. Do you see those brown bits sticking to the pan? Those are flavor bombs. De-glaze the pan by adding 1/2 cup of water and allowing it to boil for a couple of minutes. Scrape the pan while boiling to remove off all the caramelized bits. Add it to the fried mixture.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-deglaze |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Grind the mixture to a very smooth paste. Add enough water while grinding to get a smooth paste.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-ground-paste

Now lets start building the flavors. We need to peel and finely chop about half a cup of shallots. Heat oil in a pan and add in 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the shallots. Fry till nice and translucent.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-shallot |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Add in the chopped tomatoes and turmeric and fry till the tomatoes are nicely cooked and juiced down.

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-tomato |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in both the ground masala paste (raw and fried). Add 2 cups of water or as necessary. Add in the chicken pieces with the bone. Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer on a low flame for 40 minutes. Oh yes. 40 minutes. Stir the curry every 10 minutes once so it doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan. Finally add in the salt. My aunt almost always added the salt only at the end for this curry. So I do the same. Now, don’t ask me why?

Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-chicken |kannammacooks.com #korma #kurma #gravy #murg #curry #spicy #pepper #kuzhambu #kuzhambu #kozhi

After 40 minutes, Remove the pan from the heat and serve hot with rice.
Tamilnadu-kongunadu-kozhi-kuzhambu-chicken-curry-gravy-for-rice-sunday-special

4.7 from 27 reviews
Spicy Kongunad kozhi Kuzhambu / Chicken Curry/Kurma
 
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Easy recipe for South Indian Tamilnadu Kongunad style kozhi kuzhambu curry without coconut.-A sunday special. Serve with Rice or Roti/Chapati. With step by step pictures. Spicy Chicken kurma /Murg Korma.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
Raw Masala Paste:
  • 1 pod Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 2 Cloves
  • 3 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
  • 1 small piece 1 inch Ginger
Fried Paste
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Pepper
  • ½ tablespoon Cumin seeds
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 3 dry red chillies
  • 2 medium Onion, chopped
For the Gravy
  • 3 tablespoon Oil
  • ½ cup shallots
  • 3 sprigs curry leaves
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1.5 teaspoon salt
  • ½ kg chicken with bone
Instructions
Raw Masala Paste
  1. Grind everything as smooth as possible. You can add enough water while grinding to get the desired texture.
Fried Masala Paste
  1. Heat oil in a pan and add in pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, coriander seeds and dry red chillies. Briefly roast for a minute in medium flame. Add in the onions and saute until the onions are slightly brown. Remove off heat.
  2. Take the empty pan and set on heat again. De-glaze the pan by adding ½ cup of water and allowing it to boil for couple of minutes. Scrape the pan while boiling to remove off all the caramelized bits. Add it to the fried mixture.
  3. Grind the mixture to a very smooth paste. Add enough water while grinding to get a smooth paste.
For the gravy
  1. Heat oil in a pan and add in 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the shallots. Fry till nice and translucent.
  2. Add in the chopped tomatoes and turmeric and fry till the tomatoes are nicely cooked and juiced down.
  3. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in both the ground masala paste. Add 2 cups of water or as necessary. Add in the chicken pieces with the bone. Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer on a low flame for 40 minutes. Oh yes. 40 minutes. Stir the curry every 10 minutes once so it doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan. Finally add in the salt.
  4. After 40 minutes, Remove the pan from the heat and serve hot with rice.

kongu-chic-curry

Suguna Vinodh

I'm Suguna Vinodh aka Kannamma. I love south Indian food and I am passionate about baking. My Favorite things include my Wusthof knife, Coffee, Ilayaraja, Tamil and beaches. I love Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.

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Comments

  1. This was amazing!! I made it two days ago and my fiancé and I ate it two nights in a row for dinner. It was even better the second day. Also, you’re such a wonderful writer. I hope you decide to write a book (cookbook or otherwise!) someday!

    Reply

  2. Hi Suguna Akka,
    Can we grind the raw masala and before adding water to it, can we add the fried masala and add water at once and grind all together as a single paste?

    Reply

  6. Tomorrow is potluck and I follow your receipts at home.. and wife loves it.. as she is a kanadiga…
    Mom always says being a best cook is an art.. and I am happy that I inherit that from her…
    I shall have this cooked for the team.. hope they love it….

    Reply

  7. Really a scooper dooper style of making chicken curry. I was changed to this style and am doing dis same for nearly 1 yr.. it’s better to avoid coconut paste rather that v can do these style of cooking chicken was soo juicy to taste it. It was awsum that I had come out all dishes.

    Reply

  8. Yummiest chicken I’ve ever made! Tried this for the first time and it was an instant hit! Relished it sooooo much! Thanks for the best ever recipie I ‘ve come across

    Reply

  9. Hi Suguna,

    I really started liking most of ur recipes as it’s simple and tasty as well.
    Thanks for changing me to kongunadu style

    Thanks

    Sheeba Paul

    Reply

  10. Hi, Super recipe, My mother makes it this way. Raw paste especially . When I started cooking many of my friends/relatives were frying ginger garlic etc. so I also fried them. I think I will now try it raw. Thanks for posting this.

    Reply

  12. Hi
    How many pods in the garlic bulb? Since in the US we get big garlics I want to make sure its proportional.

    Reply

  13. How did I missed to try this Kulambu, so long time. Today it came out super duper good!! Hugs to you, for sharing this wonderful recipe!! Thanks Again!
    Keep up your work with more recipes!!

    Reply

  14. Akka
    mostly I following your recipes only
    All are damn good
    Akka pls pls pls
    Post more mutton recipes
    Bcz my husband loves mutton so much
    Pls akka

    Reply

  15. Hi Suguna, tried the recipe. Turned out very well. The reason for adding salt in the end is to avoid overcooking the chicken coz we use raw spice mix…. salt will help cook the ingredients faster.

    Reply

  16. Hi,

    I made this today. It turned out to be little bit spicier than expected. So had to add few cups of coconut milk at the end. It was awesome! My kids had more than 4-6 dosas with this curry!
    One question – did you use chicken with skin or skinless?

    Reply

    • I mostly use chicken with skin less. Really glad that the kids liked it. Please do adjust the spice levels according to what your family likes. If you have kids at home, its better to go easy on the chillies as they might be overwhelmed with the spice.

      Reply

  17. Hi,

    I tried this recipe today. but unfortunately it little bitter taste and managed to add coconut milk. not sure what could be the reason?

    Reply

  18. This recipe is an awesome hit in my home. We are far away from home in US (we are from your Coimbatore same as you). My husband terribly misses his mothers chicken curry. This recipe is close to his mothers curry. We really cherished the dish. It really came well at the very first shot. Thanks for posting up awesome Tamilnadu style recipes. It helps us here “a lot”. 🙂

    Reply

  19. I jus want to get converted into NVian seein all your chicken kuzhambu posts!!! What can be best chicken veg substitute u think.. Please don tell nothing… 😀

    Reply

  22. Hi! Made this for a lunch today. It was surprisingly easy to make, and had a very good aroma while cooking. I tempered the spice a bit as I had guests with kids. Next time plan to give the full blast!
    The gravy had a good consistency even without adding coconut, and the taste was also very good, though my friend and I thought it needed a bit of pulippu, so plan to add some imli water to it next time. Or would you suggest adding more tomatoes? This is my first recipe from your blog, but I loved your presentation and clear steps, so plan to try more recipes from here 🙂

    Reply

  24. Hi Suguna, I have been following your blog albeit silently for some time now. Being a novice cook, I was afraid to try out anything. However yesterday tried the curry. It was easy with step step guide aided by photos. Turned out the well, however the spice level was low and a bit bland. Likely due to the dried chili that I used. I love the way you incorporate stories into each recipe which gives a very personal touch and a story behind them. Love the way you present your recipes. Thank you for the recipe and amazing blog.

    Reply

    • Thats so nice Santhi. Thanks for taking time to write to me. Really glad you liked it. I think you might be using byadagi or kashmiri chillies that are not very spicy.

      Reply

  25. Came out so good even my MIL appreciated it ! It is described in a simple manner and with the addition of pictures, makes it conveniently easy to follow for beginners like me, even though big recipes usually daunt me

    Reply

  27. Hi,
    Thank u for all ur wonderful recipes.
    Got the perfect idli!!
    Admired ur concept behind d cooking.
    Made the spicy kozhi kulambu as said.
    Came out well.
    Each and every word written here is learner friendly.
    Keep on going…

    Reply

  28. Hello Kannamma
    You fill a void to women who have no aunts or mothers around to pass down such precious recipes. Thank you for enabling me in cooking my family such a beautiful meal.
    Lots of hugs and kisses to you and to aunt Sarasu. Bless u all

    Reply

  29. This turned out awesome! Didn’t have the curry leaves, but the chicken curry was flavourful and tasty nevertheless. It loved by all my dinner guests! (They were squabbling over who will take the leftovers for lunch the next day even before they finished their meal. Fortunately, I had made enough to fill 4 lunchboxes.) 🙂
    Was great to know the story behind the dish as well. Regards to your Aunt Sarasu athama. I will think of you both each time I make this dish!

    Reply

  30. Dear Chef
    Being from a Punjabi household living in Delhi, my maximum exposure to any Tamil Nadu or South Indian cuisine has been the humble Idly/Vada/Dosa-Sambhar or at max the Uttapam. With our Kitchens being dominated by Rajma-chawals, Chhole-Bhature,Dal Makhnis,Paneer Bhurjis and Stuffed Parathas, I’ve always fancied South Indian non-veg cuisine. And when I stumbled upon your lovely blog, I decided to give it a try. Brought it all ingredients and carefully followed the instructions & the resultant dish was superb. On the upper floors of our building a couple of families from Tiruvottiyor(Chennai) live. Believe me chef Suguna,when I was making the dish, the neighboring lady from Chennai knocked on the door and asked who is cooking as the dish has such wonderful lovely aroma of curry leaves and masala paste. She tasted it and was shocked to know a Punjabi guy has made it. On her recommendation, remade it with coconut paste. Everybody loved it and we had it with Puffy Bhaturas.

    Thanks for the lovely & real tasty recipe.
    Manmeet

    P.S: It is so heart-warming and jovial to see the pic of your loved ones you relate the recipe to. Makes so much of a difference, its like paying a respect and tribute.Very-very well written post.Long live your Aunt Sarasu Athama.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Manmeet. Your message really made my day. I am so happy that you tried out my family’s recipe. Thank you and I will show this to my sarasu athama when I meet her!

      Reply

  31. Made this last week and we all loved it. Followed the recipe to the T without any alterations and came out nice just as in the picture. However I was wondering whether would it taste still nice with bonelss chicken thighs as my son is not to keen on bone-in chicken. Please advise thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • That’s so nice Satyams. The flavor from the bone is what makes the curry so tasty. It wont be very flavorful if its boneless. You can try removing the bones and add the meat alone once the curry is done if that might help!

      Reply

  32. Cooked this recipe today. I am new to cooking and I was translating the ingredient names to Tamil to find the right spice. I could have asked my wife to be sure, but I wanted it to be a surprise dish for the dinner. After the prep and during the cooking I sensed I got something wrong. When my wife came home, I found out I got all of it right except for the fennel, for some reason I matched it to the “OMUM”.

    Regardless the dish came out good, it is rich, has this strong and zippy taste from the “OMUM”. I will make this again with the right ingredient 🙂

    Reply

  34. Hai
    I made this chicken kulambu recipe today afternoon lunch. My hubby liked it very much, and I too love it. I did the same recipient as it is but added salt while added the chicken itself. Thankyou for a nice recipie.

    Reply

  35. Salt dehydrates anything it’s added to which is probably why your aunt added it at the end. Thank you for the recipe! It reminds me of the traditional Christmas breakfasts of Dosa and Chicken Kozhambu we used to have growing up in India.

    Reply

  38. Hi suguna, First of all wishing you a great year ahead.
    Recipe paathathe saapta maathiri irukku, I am karthikeyan, just an another tamilian in mumbai who got detached from home [particularly from veetu periyavanga traditional food] for professional reasons. Glad you shared the recipr, i ll try this on my own on 3.1.2016 with raja sir’s music on background. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  39. Hi Suguna,

    Well chettinad and Bangalore …couldn’t quite make the connection…but great food and a cook with life is something I can connect to…thanks for this recipe..this reignited my taste buds…

    Cheers
    Rajesh

    Reply

  40. Hi suguna….. tried ur kozhi kulambu today. it was so so so tasty and awesome. i usually make with coconut but always wanted to try without it. this recipe came out so very well and i have planned to do it often. thank u for this dish and god bless u and ur family.

    Reply

  41. Hi,

    I really like your recipes and your blog. very neat! I just have one request, it would be super helpful if you wrote the serving size as well. I’m especially not very familiar with non veg cooking and constantly look for how many people it serves. 🙂

    Reply

  42. Hey Kannamama,

    After eating stomach full of chicken kulambu with pepper rasam ( your recipe only) , I am here to pen down my comments- Awesome taste ..Yummy kulambu…Since I forgot to get big seeragam fennel seeds I used cumin seeds to prep that raw paste..I was totally not sure how the flavour wud come 🙁 But it was a hit 🙂

    Thanks much for the recipe:)
    Keep posting loads f recipes lik this !!! Thanks to your athai:)too

    PS:5 stars for both pepper rasam and chicken kulambu

    Reply

  45. Hi,
    With the wife away and the young lady clamouring for Chicken Gravy n Rice, your recipe came in most handy. Followed the recipe to the T ( except the salt) and it came out yummy. I had added the salt while I tossed in the chicken, and but for this variation stayed pretty true to the recipe. Chicken came out tender and well cooked and the aroma was mouth watering.
    I tossed in a few green peas also just to add that lil signature.
    Thanks for sharing this recipe. Evoked memories of my moms cooking too.

    Reply

    • Hi Suresh, Thank you so much for writing in. I am absolutely thrilled that you remembered your mother. Isnt food all about memories? I am really happy that you guys enjoyed the curry.

      Reply

  46. I did this recipe today….it was very good…I have a doubt…even though I wash chicken many times and mix turmeric powder in chicken for more than half an hour…my husbands says he get that raw chicken smell while eating the chicken piece near the bone….don’t know how to get rid of that smell please help…

    Reply

  47. Dear Madam, I made this kuzhambu for lunch, yesterday. The real taste and aroma of the masalas were too good. My husband and son really liked it. My son completed the kuzhambu sadham within 10 minutes. Usually he takes more than half an hour!! He likes rasam and curd rice than kuzhambu sadham generally. Can u give me a suggestion…at the end of 40 minutes, the chicken pieces were not cooked soft and as we add salt in the end its not absorbed well by the chicken. So, I boiled the kuzhambu for even more 15 minutes after that 40 minutes. And, we want recipe of the same kuzhambu as even thicker like a gravy with same taste. What changes shall I make for that?

    My son enjoyed the left over kuzhambu this morning with dosas….and I am going to….!!

    Reply

    • Viji, you may have added too much water at the beginning thats why the chicken seemed to be not as much cooked as you would have liked. Usually, its better to cook the chicken for a while in the masalas before so that the masala is coated and absorbed into the chicken. Later on you could add water for the required consistency

      Reply

    • If the gravy is too acidic, the chicken will not cook even if simmered for a long time. Change the type of tomatoes added or add less of what you have.

      Reply

  49. Hello Kannamma,

    Would you also have pepper chicken / mushroom dry and gravy style reciepes that you could share pl?

    Reply

  50. Hi Suguna,
    Tried your chicken gravy for lunch today,it came out very well.
    Thanks for your aunty too for sharing us with the recipe.

    Reply

  51. Hello there.. I came across your website yesterday & I tried this chicken kulambu recepie.. It came out well & everyone loved it @ my house!! I usually make chicken kulambu with coconut & I thought kulambu without coconut would taste bad… But I am very impressed with your recepie, decided to try more recepies from this site soon! I love the fact that you post your loved ones pic in the site relating them to the recepie you post 🙂

    Reply

  52. Hi suguna.i tried so many chicken curries.bt am nt satisfied.bcoz its only gud fr idli,dosa n chapati only.its nt gud fr rice.in ur recipe u used poppy seeds.bt i cant bring poppy seeds here.so wat we ll use instead of poppy seeds.cashew only s ok fr tat?thanks.

    Reply