Nattu kozhi kulambu, traditional country style chicken curry recipe made authentic way. This spicy nattu kozhi kulambu is made with shallots, crushed ginger and garlic, whole spices, roasted coconut and masala made from scratch. I have shared three ways of nattu kozhi kulambu which we repeatedly make in our home every weekend just like this chicken kuzhambu. Learn how to make nattu kozhi kulambu with coconut, without coconut, in an open pot (authentic way) and in pressure cooker.
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu
Authentic Nattu kozhi kulambu recipe. This is made using local ingredients and fresh ground spices which take this chicken kulambu to a whole new level. We prefer using nattu kozhi instead of broiler chicken for kuzhambu. Every weekend hubby used to get a kilo of country chicken. At home we used to make three version of kulambu repeatedly every weekend using nattu kozhi. I have shared all those three recipes together in this blog post for easy reference. So you can pick whichever you like as per your need and preference. And also check my ultimate chicken biryani which you can try this weekened.
Table of Contents
What is Naatu Kozhi?
Country Chicken or Nattu Kozhi means chicken breed native to India. There are many variety of breeds which are raised for their eggs and meat like Aseel, Kadaknath. While broiler chicken is widely and well known chicken variety used all over India. The meat in Nattu kozhi is little tough and not as tender as regular broiler chicken. So it takes double the time to cook country chicken so it is best to use a pressure cooker to cook nattu kozhi.
About Nattu Kozhi Kulambu
Nattu kozhi also known as country chicken and the curry | gravy made using that is called as kulambu or kuzhambu in and around South of India. It is more popular around Tamilnadu.
The recipe to make nattu kozhi is very similar to out classic chicken kulambu but the cooking time may vary. The recipe calls for basic ingredients like onions, tomatoes, green chillies, spice powders, whole spices, coconut and coriander leaves.
In this tamil recipe of nattu kozhi kulambu I have shared three ways of making the most delicious nattu kozhi kulambu. Each ingredient which I used in this recipes makes this curry taste so exotic. Specially the shallots, tamarind, gingelly oil and fresh roasted spices.
Similar Recipes,
Watch Nattu Kozhi Kulambu Video
Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu Ingredients
Country Chicken(Nattu Kozhi) - Country Chicken or Nattu Kozhi means chicken breed native to India. The meat in Nattu kozhi is little tough and not as tender as regular broiler chicken. So it takes double the time to cook country chicken so it is best to use a pressure cooker to cook nattu kozhi.
Shallots or Onion - I used peeled shallots for making a version of kuzhambu. Onions can be easily used.
Ginger & Garlic- use fresh ginger and garlic for flavour.
Tomatoes - tomatoes adds the tang which the curry needs.
Spice powders - as usual a mix of chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala are the spices.
Whole spices - fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves are fried in oil to release their wonderful aroma.
Coconut - coconut is ground with poppy seeds to thicken the kulambu. There is one more version of kulambu shared which has no coconut used. Also coconut is roasted and ground with spices in the second recipe.
Tamarind - I prefer to use a little tamarind in nattu kozhi kuzhambu for a delicious balance of taste.
Gingelly Oil - for making authentic nattu kozhi kulambu gingelly oil also known as India sesame oil | nala ennai for making the curry.
3 Recipes for Nattu Kozhi Kulambu
Open Pot Method - This method is much more authentic recipe made in village side of Tamilnadu. The curry is cooked in gingelly oil. It has tamarind, fresh coconut paste and freshly roasted masala for the traditional aroma.
Pressure Cooker Method - This is the most easy and fast method of cooking this kuzhambu. Since country chicken is tough, it is best to cook in pressure cooker. We also call this as varutharacha kozhi kulambu. It has roasted coconut paste used which makes the colour more dark brown.
Kozhi Kulambu without Coconut - This version has more onions, tomatoes which forms the base of the curry. The onion and tomato is sauted and ground into a paste which creates the thickness to the curry.
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (Open Pot Method)
Making Fresh Masala
1)This chicken kuzhambu is made village style (authentic recipe). You start by make a freshly roasted masala. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add in whole spices fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and cumin seeds. Toast the spices in oil for few seconds. Add in peeled whole shallots (sambar onion). Saute for 1 minute.
2)Take the roasted onion and whole spices in a blender and make it into a fine puree. Set aside till use.
Making Coconut Paste
3)Now in the same blender jar, take coconut and poppy seeds. Grind them to a smooth paste. Set this aside, we need this in the end of the kuzhambu.
Making Base for the Kuzhambu
4)Heat gingelly oil in a large pot. Traditionally gingelly oil (Indian sesame oil) is used for the kuzhambu. But you can use coconut oil or any preferred oil.
Add in peeled chopped shallots, a handful of curry leaves in the oil and saute for couple of minutes.
5)Once the onions are sauted. Add in ginger garlic paste. I took equal amount of ginger and garlic and crushed in a blender. Add in chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3minutes till it get soft.
6)Add in turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
7)Mix the onion and tomato till it gets soft.
Cooking Nattu Kozhi
8)Add in cleaned nattu kozhi in the pot. Stir fry with the masala for few minutes. Add in water enough to cover the chicken.
9)Add some tamarind extract. Bring this to a full boil. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low medium heat for 1 hour to 1:30 hour till the chicken is completely cooked.
Making Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu
10)Once the chicken is cooked and fall apart the bone. Add in the freshly ground masala and the coconut paste.
11)Mix this really well and let it cook on low heat (simmering) for 10 minutes till a layer of oil floats on top.
12)Finally add a handful of coriander leaves and mix well. Nattu Kozhi kuzhambu is ready to serve.
Pressure Cooker Method
Flavourful kozhi kulambu made with freshly roasted spices like coriander seeds, dry red chillies, coconut which is ground into a smooth paste and mixed into the cooked chicken gravy. The curry gets its dark brown colour from the roasted coconut which looks appetizing.
Cooking Nattu Kozhi in Pressure Cooker
1)For Cooking Chicken
- 1 kg Nattu kozhi / Country chicken
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- Salt to taste
Take nattu kozhi in a pressure cooker. Add in chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt over pressure cooker. Pour little water and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistle till chicken is cooked.
Roasting Spices
- 1 tsp Oil
- 5 Dry Red Chillies
- 3 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 cup Fresh Coconut
2)Heat oil in a kadai. Add in coriander seeds and dry red chillies and toast for 2 minutes till light golden.
3)Once spices is toasted and fragrant. Add in grated coconut and toast till golden brown.
4)Take the roasted spices and the coconut in a blender. Add little water and make it into a fine puree.
5) Heat oil in a kadai. Add in whole spices in hot oil and let them sizzle. Add in ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell leaves.
Whole Spices Used
- 4 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 4 Cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
Making Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu Base
6)Add in sliced onions into the whole spices. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 3 large Onion sliced thinly
- 4 large Tomatoes chopped finely
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
- 2 Potato peeled and cubed
- Salt to taste
7)Add in chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.
8)Add in Spice powders and mix well with the onion tomatoes till raw smell leaves.
9)Add in cubed potatoes and mix well with onion tomato masala. Even though potatoes is optional but it adds nice taste to the kuzhambu.
Adding Cooked Chicken
10)Add in the cooked chicken along with the cooking liquid and mix well with the onion tomato masala.
11)Add in the roasted coconut masala and mix well, Simmer for 10 minutes till a thin layer of oil floats on top.
12)Nattu kozhi kulambu with roasted coconut masala is ready.
13)Serve nattu kozhi kulambu is ready to serve.
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (without Coconut)
I mostly make chicken kulambu with coconut. But when I am planning to serve this kuzhambu with roti or chapato, I prefer making it without coconut and uses simple onions and tomato masala base. I ground half of the onions and tomatoes to a smooth paste add added it back into the kulambu for thickness.
Ingredients Used
- 4 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 large Onion sliced thinly
- 3 large Tomatoes sliced thinly
- 4 tbsp Chicken Kuzhambu Masala
- 1 kg Chicken
- Water as needed
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
For Grinding
- 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 4 inch Ginger (peeled and chopped)
- 15 Garlic
How to Make Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (without coconut)
Fresh masala
1)Grind ginger, garlic, fennel seeds, cinnamon to a coarse puree without adding any water. Set aside till needed.
Making onion tomato masala
2)Heat oil in a kadai. Add in sliced onions and cook till light golden brown. This will take around 8 to 10 minutes.
3)Add in the crushed ginger, garlic and whole spices. Saute for 2 minute till raw smell leaves from this.
4)Add in sliced tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften and get mushy.
5)Now remove half of the sauted onion and tomato masala and grind to a puree. Don't need to add water when grinding. The mixture can be slightly coarse.
6)Add the ground onion tomato masala back into the sauted onion tomato mixture. Add in the chicken kuzhambu masala powder. I used store bought chicken kuzhambu masala.
Chef's Note : If you don't have kuzhambu masala powder, you can add 1 tbsp chilli powder, 3 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp garam masala powder.
Cooking chicken
7)Mix the spice powder with the onion tomato masala. Add in chicken and coat well with the masala.
8)I transferred the mixture into a pressure cooker, poured in some water for the gravy. Pressure cook the Nattu kozhi for 5 whistle. Let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker, add in coriander leaves and serve.
Chef's Note: If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook it in the kadai itself. It will take around 1 hour to 1.30 hours for the Nattu kozhi to get cooked.
9)Serve nattu kozhi kuzhambu with rice, roti, parotta.
Expert Tips
- In this same recipe you can use regular chicken instead of country chicken. Regular chicken will take around 30 minutes to cook. If cooking in pressure cooker, give 2 whistle.
- When grinding coconut you can add few cashews for rich taste. Some times I added roasted gram dal with coconut for thickness.
- Instead of shallots you can use onions.
- Make sure you use gingelly oil for authentic taste. You can use coconut oil instead of gingelly oil.
FAQ
What is Naatu Kozhi?
Country Chicken or Nattu Kozhi means chicken breed native to India. There are many variety of breeds which are raised for their eggs and meat like Aseel, Kadaknath. While broiler chicken is widely and well known chicken variety used all over India.
How to boil nattu koli?
The meat in Nattu kozhi is little tough and not as tender as regular broiler chicken. So it takes double the time to cook country chicken so it is best to use a pressure cooker to cook nattu kozhi. You can directly cook it in a pot, it will take around 1 to 2 hours.
Is country chicken good for health?
country chicken is high in protein and lower in fat which is good for health.
What is the English name of Nattu Kozhi?
Nattu kozhi is also known as Country chicken.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu | Authentic Country Chicken Curry ( Village Style )
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- Blender
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (in an open pot)
- 1 kg Country Chicken / Nattu Kozhi
- ½ cup Sesame Oil Gingelly Oil
- 20 no Shallots | Sambar Onion peeled and chopped
- 2 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 3 large Tomatoes chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 3 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
- 4 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped finely
For Freshly Roasted masala
- 1 tbsp Whole Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
- 3 no Cloves
- 3 no Cardamom
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 10 no Shallots | Sambar Onion peeled
- 1 tsp Oil
For Coconut Paste
- 1 cup Fresh Coconut
- 2 tbsp Poppy Seeds
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (in a pressure cooker)
For Cooking Chicken
- 1 kg Nattu kozhi | Country chicken
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- Salt to taste
Roasting Spices
- 1 tsp Oil
- 5 no Dry Red Chillies
- 3 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 cup Fresh Coconut
Whole Spices
- 4 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- 4 no Cardamom
- 4 no Cloves
- 1 stick Cinnamon
For Kulambu Base
- 3 large Onions sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 4 large Tomatoes chopped finely
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
- 2 large Potato peeled and cubed
- Salt to taste
Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu (without Coconut)
- 4 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 large Onion sliced thinly
- 3 large Tomatoes sliced thinly
- 4 tbsp Chicken Kuzhambu Masala
- 1 kg Country Chicken | Nattu Kozhi
- 2 cups Water
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsp Coriander leaves for garnishing
For Grinding
- 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 4 inch Ginger peeled and chopped
- 15 cloves Garlic peeled
Instructions
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (in an open pot)
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai. Add in the whole spices listed for roasting and toast them for a minute. Add in peeled shallots and saute for couple of minutes. Once roasted take them in a blender and make it into a smooth puree. Set aside till use. Take coconut and poppy seeds in a blender and make into a fine puree.Set this aside till use. Take a large kadai. Heat gingelly oil in it. Add in chopped shallots, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple of mins. Now add in tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes till they turn mushy. Add in salt, add the spice powders and saute for a min. Add the nattu kozhi (country chicken) in and mix well with the masala. Pour in water, tamarind pulp and bring it to a boil Cover the pan and simmer it for 1 hour till the chicken is cooked.
- Now add in the roasted whole spice masala, coconut masala and mix well. Cover the pan again and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes till a layer of oil floats on top. Add in chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Serve with rice.
Nattu Kozhi Kulambu (in a pressure cooker)
- Take chicken in a pressure cooker, add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistle. Turn off the heat and let it sit till pressure release on its own. Heat oil in a pan, add coriander seeds and chillies and saute till toasted. Add coconut and saute till it gets golden. Take it in a blender and make it into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a pan, add whole spices and let them sizzle. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a min. Add onions and cook till golden. In goes tomatoes and cook till mushy. Add spice powders and mix well. Open the pressure cooker, pour in the cooked chicken along with all the cooking liquid and mix well. Add ground masala, salt and mix well. Cook till oil separates. Take it off the heat and serve with rice or roti.
Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu (without Coconut)
- Grind the ingredients given in the list to a coarse mixture. Set it aside till use.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add in onions and saute till it turns golden brown. Add in ground spice paste and saute for a while. Now add in tomatoes and saute that till it turns mushy. Take half of this mix in a blender and puree fine. Add it back to the pan, add salt, chicken masala and mix well. Add in chicken and coat with the masala.
- Now take this in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 whistle and simmer for 15 mins if it is country chicken. If regular chicken cook for 2 whistle and simmer for 5 mins. Take it off the heat and let the steam release by itself. Add in lots of coriander leaves and mix well. Serve this with rice or any bread.
Video
Notes
- In this same recipe you can use regular chicken instead of country chicken. Regular chicken will take around 30 minutes to cook. If cooking in pressure cooker, give 2 whistle.
- When grinding coconut you can add few cashews for rich taste. Some times I added roasted gram dal with coconut for thickness.
- Instead of shallots you can use onions.
- Make sure you use gingelly oil for authentic taste. You can use coconut oil instead of gingelly oil.
Nutrition
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Tamilarasi Sasikumar
Mouth Watering Kulambu dear...love it..
GK Arusuvai
Aarthi it looks so perfect. I love the rich colour of the curry!
Saraswathy Balakrishnan
yummo simple yumma dear:)
maha
Birthday wishes 2 ur hubby....
maha
సిరి
Great preparation doing it in large quantities is always tough u made it so easy breezy
Pretend Chef
My jaw dropped when I saw the ingredients list and the step by step tutorial. Not because it seems like a lot but because of the flavors and how delicious it looks. Oh my! Yummy!
Pretend Chef
My jaw dropped when I saw the ingredients list and the step by step tutorial. Not because it seems like a lot but because of the flavors and how delicious it looks. Oh my! Yummy!
Muraligeetham
looks delicious!! can we use broiler chicken instead of country chicken?
Aarthi
@MuraligeethamYES You can
Muraligeetham
Thanks!
Anonymous
are u sure that we must add tamarind water in it.
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes..it gives a lovely tangy taste to it..
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes..it gives a lovely tangy taste to it..
Suresh Kumar
Superb good
run madhavan
I tried this procedure...IT CAME BACK IN AMAZING TASTE...
Ari
Wow with your guidance today prepared a yummy country chicken thanks sis
Jacob Pradeep Norman
The smell was amazing but taste.. not in the same league. The tamarind was overpowering and drowned everything else that was there.
Jacob Pradeep Norman
The small was ammmazing but the taste wans't in the same league.. the tamarind was overpowering and drowned everything else that was there..
Aarthi
@Jacob Pradeep NormanI think you must have added lots of tamarind. Next time reduce the amount, you will surely enjoy this curry
karthikeyan
I tried this. It was given me the perfect taste was, I expect.. Thanks Aarthi...
Sujatha Manohar
This is fantastic. Both, the presentation and the process.
I love it.
Sujatha Manohar
Fantastic way to present a yummy gravy. I love it.
Arul
It was just mindblowing.
For a change, I tried cooking today as my wife was very much busy with our kid. I just followed your steps and it came out really awesome.. My life loved it..
Thanks Sis.. 🙂
Anonymous
vegu nadkal kalithu nattu kozhi kulambu. en manaivikku bathil indru en samayal ungal blog kai koduthathu.
kalaiyil 5 manikku elunthu samaithu sapittu vittu etho ungallu en nadri
veetil ulla anaivarum magilchi en magan 4 months sapida kuduthu vaikala valarthanthum avanaukkaga nitchayam saiveyn en manamartha nadri thangayey.
epadikku vikram kudumbathinar
Anonymous
Hi thank u very much for this recipe I am newly married and kulambu came well
Anonymous
Realy it was very nice dish... Thank u fr ur wonderful dish..
Sangeetha Prasanna
Hi mam,
Can I pressure cook the chicken for 1 or 2 whistles before adding it to kadaai? Because country chicken takes much time to become softer.
Aarthi
@Sangeetha Prasannayes it is a good idea
Shami Immanuel
Today I tried this receipe and it was a big hit. Thanks a ton.
Utham
Tried this since all my recipes tasted the same!! This taste is definitely different. Good variation.
Ananthakumari
Excellent taste, doing second time. Thanks Arthi
Nandakumar
I bought country chicken for first time and I cooked myself with lot of care to get the right taste. I used to follow different web sites for same recipe and end up doing the mix of things. This time I tried to stick to this since it looked to me perfect. And YES, Indeed it is. The result is so tasty it came out and even my wife and daughter enjoyed eating very much. I am from Kongu region and I liked this taste very much
vaishu
I want to have this with chapathi.. so i need gravy type.. if i dont add water to it will it get boiled and become gravy type ???
Ammu
can we use normal onions instead of shallots
Aarthi
yes u can use normal onions
Sangeetha Vp
Hello aarthi,
All ur recipes are mouth watering.
Can we avoid coconut in this recipe
Anonymous
Yes.In such case you have to reduce chilly
Venkatesh Dhakshinamoorthy
Hi aarthi, i tried last sunday.. it was awesome.. my sister calling me as a five star hotel chef.. thank u..
Anonymous
Hi can we skip tamarind ??
Aarthi
tamarind adds the sourness in this recipe
morri
We visited my husband's parents this weekend and they gave us a nice, big country chicken. I thought: what better occasion to try out this recipe? It did take some time to prepare, yes, but it's sooo worth it. The curry cooks for a long time, so all the flavours can blend together and they are all nicely balanced. I added less tamarind (1.5 tbsp) and it was just enough. I wouldn't skip tamarind in this recipe. The dish takes some work, but at the end you get a huge pot full of amazing stuff. Everyone loved it, and I didn't even have to make any side dishes, we just had it with rice and some curd.
Murugan B Iyyappan
I suggest to add the roasting & grind before adding chicken so that masala will cook in oil to give soft taste. The receipe is the best for this kind. Thank you.
Anonymous
I tried this recipe. It came out well.. Thanks for neat presentation. Easily understandable.
Nirmal
I have tried 4 dishes so far based on your method and everything turned out awesome. Last night j had 8 idly and 3 dosa with egg curry prepared by your method
Vinny
If you can categorize the list of ingredients that are exactly required for blender and the one to make the curry. It would have been great. Though your description says so, there is no clear list that mentions the items needed for initial frying.
Arul
Yummtummy is always Good for any type of food. Pictorial representation makes us to do easy. Super.
Devika
To be honest, I have actually tried your recipe a couple of times before.... To save on time I fry out all the ingredients and give it one grind... Honestly, it turns out delicious.... The blend of spices in the recipe adds magic to bland chicken.... Thank you