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.
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.
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.
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.
Grind the mixture to a very smooth paste. Add enough water while grinding to get a smooth 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.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and turmeric and fry till the tomatoes are nicely cooked and juiced down.
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?
After 40 minutes, Remove the pan from the heat and serve hot with rice.
Spicy Kongunad kozhi Kuzhambu / 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.
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 4 persons 1x
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
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 cup shallots
- 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 kg chicken with bone
Instructions
Raw Masala Paste
- Grind everything as smooth as possible. You can add enough water while grinding to get the desired texture.
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.
- Take the empty pan and set on heat again. De-glaze the pan by adding 1/2 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.
- Grind the mixture to a very smooth paste. Add enough water while grinding to get a smooth paste.
For the gravy
- Heat oil in a pan and add in 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the shallots. Fry till nice and translucent.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and turmeric and fry till the tomatoes are nicely cooked and juiced down.
- 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.
- After 40 minutes, Remove the pan from the heat and serve hot with rice.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: South Indian
Dear Kannamma Akka
There are two reasons why your blog is the best. First is your acumen in understanding what makes a recipe work. Second is your sincerity in explaining that exact same thing to everyone. Keep up the great work.
I have tried this recipe and many many more recipes from your blog and they have all come out with excellent results for me.
Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so much. Means a lot.
Yummy one authentic taste of my hometown 😋 thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Hello Ms.Suguna, It’s been more than 5 years since I started following your recipes. I have learnt cooking and become a pro now 😂. Thanks for the immaculate precision with minutes and quantity that you advise in your recipes, which has made a world of difference to people like me. This recipe was out of the world and very rich with ingredients, just like any other recipe of yours.
Thanks for your service 🙏
Thank you so much. Means a lot.
Hello Kannamma/Suguna, Very authentic chicken Kulambu. I feel at hone looking at your recipes.. as my childhood favourite is pulusu vada and you have it on your list 😍
Keep posting more
Regards,
Sangeetha
Thank You 🙂
Thankyou for this recipe…it came out really well
Thank you!
I tried this recipe today.. it is tasted so good without any coconut .. easy to do as well. Thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Hi, Tried this recipe today. Wow. I couldn’t believe myself. I cooked chicken gravy for the first time. The result was mind blowing. Only because of your fool proof recipe I was able to make it. Thank you.
Thank you.
This recipe has got me so many accolades each time I make this for guests… I think this recipe is absolutely the best of all ur collections… Thanks so much for this marvel… Lots of love to u kannama
Thank you so much!
It was really good. Thanks Kannama, During these difficult times, going through your website to cook a new variety is an energy booster.
Thank you.
Hi Sugna,
the recipe was an instant hit with my family. It was delicious n yummy.
Thank you for sharing the recipe, i did alter ur recipe by using cashews nuts, mint n cilantro n finally coconut paste.
I may be able to guess as to you why you add the salt at the end…
Colligative properties in Chemistry. Basically adding a solute (salt) to a solvent (liquid- curry) raises its boiling point, so if you added the salt earlier in the process, it would take longer to come to the boil.
In the same way, if you’re cooking something and you realise the oil is too hot and it’s going to burn the spices, you add salt. It stops the oil from reaching its boiling point too quickly and thereby burning the spices.
Some correct me if I’m wrong.
Hello mam, whats the proportion for 2kg chicken
hi, is your poppyseeds roasted ?
No. Its not roasted.
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!
Thank you so much. Glad you liked it.
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?
Hi, I tried this yesterday. It came out excellent. we all loved it. This reminded me of my grandmother. Thanks for sharing.
What is the proportion for 1kg chicken?
I doubled everything it came out good.
Although 6 teaspoons of poppy seeds made me sleep like a baby lol
What is the proportion for 1kg chicken
Your receipes are too good .mutton ball receipe was an excellent one
Thank you!
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….
Thank you! Hope you all liked it!
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.
Thank you!
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
Thank you so much. Glad that you liked the recipe!
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
Thanks so much Sheeba!
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.
Thank you so much!
After 40 mnts we need to add salt ah ?
YES!
Hi
How many pods in the garlic bulb? Since in the US we get big garlics I want to make sure its proportional.
About 8-9 cloves of garlic
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!!
Thank you!
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
Sure Anis.
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.
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?
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.
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?
The gravy needs to simmer for a longtime so the masalas cook well. The bitterness is due to the masala being raw.
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”. 🙂
Thank you so much Devi!
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… 😀
Haha Manju! Sadly, the texture of chicken can be mimicked with Soya chunks but the flavor….of the meat and the broth, I doubt!
Came out well akka… My son loved it… Im Happy… Thanks…easy to follow by ur step by step pictures…
Thank you so much Kitcha. Really glad that your son liked it. Happy Cooking!
My boy friend is allergic to coconut so I have been looking for a tamil chicken curry recipe without coconut and this sounds delicious and perfect!
Really….This is the first time I am hearing someone allergic to coconut. Sorry about your friend.
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 🙂
Thank you so much Preeti. Really glad that you liked the recipe. You can add more tomatoes according to your liking for more sourness.
Hi , Thanks for sharing the recipe . i tried with Mock chicken. Came out well .
Thank you so much.
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.
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.
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
🙂 Thank You!
good recipe. have tried it and it was gr8…
Thank you kicha!
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…
Thank you Dr.Sharmeela.
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
Sending lots of love Cynthia. Happy Cooking!
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!
That’s so nice to hear Pal! thanks for writing in!
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.
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!
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 🙂
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!
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 🙂
I am sorry you had confusion regarding the ingredients. Will add a glossary section soon!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I made it for lunch. It was yummy…
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.
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.
Thanks for the reply.
Hi Suguna
Can we cook the gravy in pressure cooker.
Sure. Go ahead.
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.
Thank you so much Karthikeyan. Let me know how it turns out.
WOV , it was not a kozhi kuzhambu , it was kozhi Galaata , awesome ! it turned out well
Thank you so much for writing in karthikeyan. Nice to know it turned out to be a kozhi Galaata 🙂
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
I am from kongunad myself now settled in Bangalore. 🙂
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.
Thank you so much Harini. I am glad your family liked it.
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. 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion. Will update the same sv.
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
Thank you so much for writing in. Really glad ma.
Your athamas Kodi kulambu receipe I tried today. It is awesome.
Thank You.
Tried this Kuzambu today for lunch, was a big hit with my family. Thank you for the recipe. Btw, I am from CBE too 🙂
Thank you Sona! CBE is the best!
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.
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.
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…
Hi Suga, The chicken should not usually smell if its fresh. May be you should try changing the place from where you buy.
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….!!
Thank you so much Viji! The chicken not cooking after 40 minutes is kind of strange to me.
I kept the stove totally simmer for all the 40 minutes. Is it wrong?
No Viji, you did the right thing, may be the problem is with the chicken. Old chicken may be.
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
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.
Can we add coconut at the end?
Hi Pushpa, this kurma does not need coconut. But if you like, you can add some coconut milk at the end.
Hello Kannamma,
Would you also have pepper chicken / mushroom dry and gravy style reciepes that you could share pl?
Here you go!
Mushroom Pepper Fry – Kalan Milagu Varuval
http://kannammacooks.com/mushroom-pepper-fry-kalan-milagu-varuval/
Matar Mushroom Masala
http://kannammacooks.com/matar-mushroom-masala/
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.
Thank You!
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 🙂
Thank you soooooo much Pavithra.
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.
Sure. Cashewnut should work equally good Poornima! Let me know how it turns out.
Hi suguna.chicken curry s very tasty n gud fr rice also.photo clicks very nice n clear.thanks fr ur reply.post non veg recipes more n veg curries also.
I am so glad to hear it came out well. Thanks for writing in. Really appreciate it. Sure will post more in the coming days!
🙂
Hi Suguna, Thanks for the recipe. I’ve tried this recipe with lemon juice and coconut paste at the end. It came out really good. Thanks.
Thank you so much. Glad you liked the recipe.