Kothu Kozhi / Kothu Chicken Kari / Spicy Shredded Chicken Masala

My perippa(uncle) used to get this kothu kozhi along with some crispy fried parota when we were little. Since this chicken dish doesn’t have any bones in them, we as a kid loved it. We were used to spicy dishes even as a kid. This taste so good with those parota and salna. Thinking of that makes my mouthwater even now. Later on as we grew up we started eating fried masala chicken with parota and started sucking up the bones. Eventually we forgot about this dish. 

Few month back, hubby bought this for me and it reminded me of my childhood days immediately. I just wanted to make this recipe and post it here to share with you all. Last week i asked hubby to get some chicken for me to make this dish. When i was sitting with the chicken and thinking about the recipe, i remembered the recipe which my collegue gave me long before. He told me that whenever you make kothu kozhi or any dry dish, specially any street food recipes like chukka mutton or chicken masala, he used to just sprinkle some roasted powdered gram dal towards the end. That just binds the whole stuff together and make it more tasty. I followed that step and amazingly this tasted so yum, just like the ones which i had when i was little. 

So here is the recipe for you, dont get scared by the long list of ingredients. It is so worth it.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 1 hour
Serves – 3 to 4


Ingredients:

Chicken – 1/2 kg with bone
Fennel Seeds / Sombu / Saunf – 1 tblspn
Onion – 1 large sliced thinly
Green chilli – 2 slit
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tblspn
Tomato – 2 large sliced thinly
Chilli powder- 1 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder / Malli podi – 1 tblspn
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi – 1 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeera podi – 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp or to taste
Oil – 1/4 cup
Roasted Gram dal / Pori kadalai / Pottu kadalai – 3 tblspn powdered
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tblspn or to taste
Coriander leaves – a handful


For Grinding:
Onion – 1 large chopped
Tomato – 1 large chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tblspn
Chilli powder- 1 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder / Malli podi – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi – 1 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeera podi – 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp or to taste
Fennel Seeds / Saunf / Sombu – 1 tsp
Salt to taste


Method:


Take all the grinding ingredients in a blender and make into a fine puree. 

Take chicken, grounded masala in a pressure cooker and cook it for 5 to 6 whistle. Now switch off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself. 

Open the pressure cooker and separate the chicken pieces and the leftover masala. Keep the masala aside till use.

Now debone the chicken pieces and set the shredded chicken aside till use.

Heat oil in a large kadai. Add in fennel seeds, onions, green chilli, curry leaves to that and saute for a couple of mins.

Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min till raw smell goes away.

Add in salt, the spice powders and mix well.

Now throw  in some tomatoes and saute for 5 mins or till it turns mushy.

Now add in the leftover masala and mix well.

Throw in the shredded chicken pieces along with a splash of water.

Cover the pan with a lid and Cook this whole thing for 10 mins on low flame.

Now sprinkle in some roasted gram dal powder and mix that well.

Increase the heat to a high and cook everything for a good 5 mins stirring constantly.

Now squeeze in some lemon juice and throw in the coriander leaves.

Serve this with roti, rice, dosa, idli or with any bread of your choice.


Pictorial:

Take all your ingredients

For best result, use chicken with bone

Grind the masala

grind them to a smooth paste

Take chicken in a pressure cooker

Add in ground up masala

Pressure cook

Cook till the chicken is done

Now separate the chicken pieces and the masala

Debone the chicken pieces

Now saute some fennel seeds in oil

Add in onions, curry leaves and chillies

Saute them for a min

Add in ginger garlic paste

Add in some salt

And the remaining spice powders

Throw in some tomatoes

Cook till it gets mushy

Add in the leftover masala

add the cooked shredded chicken pieces

Pour a splash of water

Cover the pan

Now the flavours all have united

Sprinkle in some powdered roasted gram flour

Mix them well

Squeeze in some lemon juice

add in some coriander leaves

Serve