Andhra style chicken curry (kodi kura) in a beautiful and spicy sauce made with dried chillies, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and dried coconut.
This superb chicken curry recipe takes a little preparation but comes together in a little over an hour, and it is well worth the effort.
Kodi Kura Curry
Regular visitors here will know that I adore cooking and eating curry; there are somewhere in the region of 100 Indian curry recipes on my site.
Everything from British curry house classics like lamb saag, dishes that you could consider to be more "authentic" like my Goan chicken Xacuti, and completely made-up curries like my parsnip and chickpea curry.
This recipe falls closer to the "authentic" part of the curry spectrum. Andhra chicken curry (kodi kura) is from Southern India and features a combination of ground dried chillies, fresh green chillies and chilli powder, which makes it a little bit "pokey".
But it's not just a fire fest, it is packed with glorious fragrant spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cardamom.
The sauce/gravy is rich and gloriously thick thanks to the addition of both cashew nuts and white poppy seeds.
Whilst this recipe takes a little over an hour to cook, it is pretty easy, with most of the effort being put into the spice mix... and it is well worth the little effort that it takes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bone in chicken?
Yes, this recipe is often made with bone-in chicken; you will need to cook it for an extra 10 or 15 minutes at stage 13.
Can I use chicken breast?
Whilst it is possible to make this with chicken breast, I would not advise it. The meat will require less time to cook, or it will dry out, which means the flavours have less time to come together.
Why do you use a blender and a pestle and mortar?
The blender gets all of the "heavy lifting" done, but the pestle and mortar pounds and gets the oils from the nuts and seeds flowing. The blender will just cut everything up!
Can I use black poppy seeds?
Yes, white poppy seeds are a little milder and less "nutty", but they will work just fine in this recipe.
Can I use oil instead of ghee?
Yes, if you wish, but avoid anything with a string flavour, with the exception of mustard oil.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this Andhra chicken curry recipe is great to batch cook or make ahead of time. It will sit in the fridge for a couple of days.
Gently reheat in a covered saucepan with an extra splash of water.
Serving Suggestions
I've served my Andhra-style chicken curry with some plain basmati rice in the pictures on this page.
It is my usual rice of choice for a curry, even when I go out or order takeaway, but a nice pilau rice would work equally well.
Of course, flatbreads are never far from the conversation as a side for a curry. I would usually opt for a tandoori-style naan bread, but I think that chapatis work better with this curry.
This curry is pretty spicy, so if you want something a little cooling, add some mint and cucumber raita on the side. The flavours mirror, in some ways, the subtle mint flavours in the curry sauce.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Mini blender and or a pestle and mortar.
- Grater.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Mixing bowl to marinate the chicken.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Andhra Style Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 14oz
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the Andhra Masala Spice Mix:
- 2 tablespoon White Poppy Seeds
- 50 g Cashew Nuts
- 2 tablespoon Dried Coconut Flakes
- 35 mm Cinnamon Bark 1½"
- 2 Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Green Cardamom Pods
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 4-5 tablespoon Water
For the Curry:
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 24 Curry Leaves
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb sized piece
- 2 Small-Medium Tomatoes 250g
- 2-3 Green Chilli Peppers
- 75 ml Water ⅓ Cup
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 12-18 Fresh Mint Leaves
Instructions
- Cut each chicken thigh into 3 or 4 pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and salt over the chicken, massage them into the chicken and then set aside.
- Toss all of the ingredients for the spice mix (except the water) into a 25cm or 10" frying pan and toast them for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat.
- Transfer the toasted spices into a mini-blender or pestle and mortar, add the water and blend to a thick paste.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 3-5mm (⅛-¼") dice.
- Peel the garlic cloves and mash them into a paste.
- Peel the ginger and then grate it.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes.
- Remove the stems from the green chilli peppers, discard them, then chop the chillies in half lengthways.
- Return the pan to a medium-high heat, add the ghee, and when it has melted, toss in the diced onion and chillies. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the curry leaves, the garlic and ginger, then cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the tomatoes and spice mix and cook for 4-5 minutes, again stirring regularly.
- Pour in the water and add the marinated chicken, making sure to scrape the bowl, transferring everything to the curry. Give everything a stir, reduce the heat to low, add a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- Just before the chicken has had its cooking time, finely chop the mint, then remove the lid from the curry, add the garam masala and chopped mint, then simmer for a final 3-4 minutes.
- I like to serve this curry with lots of fresh coriander for garnish.
