CHICKEN KUZHAMBU (Muniyandi Vilas Style) ~ Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu ~ நாட்டு கோழி குழம்பு

 NAATU KOZHI KUZHAMBU / NATTU KOZHI KUZHAMBU RECIPE / NAATU KOLI KULAMBU / CHICKEN KUZHAMBU RECIPE / SOUTH INDIAN CHICKEN KUZHAMBU RECIPE / KUZHAMBU RECIPES / CHICKEN RECIPES / NON VEGETARIAN GRAVY RECIPES / MADURAI MUNIYANDI VILAS KUZHAMBU RECIPE / NATU KOZHI KUZHAMBU RECIPE / BIRYANI SIDE DISH RECIPE / SIDE DISH RECIPES / KULAMBU RECIPES / RESTAURANT STYLE CHICKEN KUZHAMBU RECIPE / CORNISH HEN KUZHAMBU RECIPES / CORNISH GAME HENS / COUNTRY STYLE CHICKEN KUZHAMBU RECIPE / GRAVY RECIPES / IDLI DOSA SIDE DISH RECIPES / BREAKFAST SIDE DISH RECIPES / NAIDU STYLE CHICKEN KULAMBU RECIPES / COCONUT BASED CHICKEN GRAVY

Madurai region in Tamil Nadu is known for its popular Vilambu Naidus cooking style who mostly dominate that area. No one can deny drooling over those Madurai Sri Muniyandi Vilas traditional menus…. Naatu Kozhi kuzhambu, Varutha kari, Samba arisi biryani. These items are typical homestyle traditional touch non-veg curries and gravies, served at the vilas which mostly known as a local mess. All these items are prepared with homegrown poultry, fresh veggies, fresh ground masala, tempered with sesame oil and traditonal spices. Here is my version of one such Naidu style Naatu Kozhi Kuzhambu which we enjoyed with mutton biryani. Enjoy!

Ingredients-1
 Dry Red Chili  6 small or 5 long variety
 Coriander seeds  2 Tablespoons
 Raw rice  1 teaspoon
 Black pepper corn  1 teaspoon
 Cumin seeds  1 teaspoon
 Fennel seeds  1/2 teaspoon
 Poppy seeds  1 teaspoon
 Split roasted gram/ pottukadalai  1 teaspoon
 Cinnamon stick  1/2 inch piece
 Cloves  3
 Cardamom  2 (green)
 Dry Coconut flakes / Copra thengai  1 teaspoon

 

Ingredients-2
 Onion  2 cups (finely chopped or 15 sambar onions / pearl onions)
 Tomato  1 cup  (chopped)
 Green Chili  1 (finely chopped)
 Garlic  5 cloves  (crushed)
 Ginger  2 inch piece (crushed)
 Cornish Hen  1 whole chicken  (or use 1 & 1/2 pound regular cut chicken)
 Turmeric powder  1/2 teaspoon
 Fresh Ground coconut paste  1 Tablespoons (diluted with water)
 Bay Leaf  2 (small)
 Dry Red Chili  2  (for tempering)
 Mustard Seeds  1/2 teaspoon
 Sesame oil / Nalennai  4 Tablespoon
 Salt  1 & 1/2 teaspoon  (or to taste) (preferably kosher or kallu uppu)
 Coriander leaves  2 tablespoons (chopped for garnishing)
 Curry Leaves  10

What are Rock Cornish Game Hen??? First of all its not a game bird but a typical chicken that is slaughtered at a young age and therefore they look smaller in size. Though the bird is called a “hen,” it can be either male or female, the meat is less..but tender and taste good for gravy preparations. This is the closest to our typical home grown Naatu Kozhi (Country Chicken). Tyson is only brand I’ve seen so far which sells in small packs as shown. Sams club have these but looks little bigger when compared to local produce markets.

For Colour, flavour and gravy — I’ve used 2 red chilies as that’s a lot for my taste, if you prefer extra spicy throw in a couple of chilies which also adds colour. Rice and Split roasted gram adds body to the dish, its literally thicken the gravy. Dry coconut or copra gives that oily flavour to the gravy. If using regular desiccated or fresh grated.. please do dry fry them over the tawa till slightly browned. This releases that coconut oil in them and add tons of flavour. Fresh ground coconut at the last stage is added for consistency, adjust with water if you prefer thin gravy. Tempering dry red chili and mustard seeds in sesame oil adds traditional touch to the dish…its also ok to use regular oil.

 

 

For Masala Powder  –  Dry roast all the ingredients from table-1 (Dry red chili + coriander seeds + raw rice + black pepper corns + cumin seeds + fennel seeds + poppy seeds + split roasted gram + cinnamon + cloves + cardamon + coconut flakes ) until slightly brown. Switch off and cool completely. Grind to powder and keep aside.

For Kuzhambu –  Heat sesame oil and toast bay leaf, curry leaves and splutter mustard. Now add chopped onions, green chilis, crushed ginger and garlic. Fry them for 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Now add the tomatoes and cook for a minute, add the cut chicken pieces, cover with a lid and cook further for 3 minutes. When the meat turns all white, add the turmeric powder, our special ground masala powder and saute. Fry till the masala browns well, add salt and keep frying (definitely requires some scraping as the masala will be become very sticky at this point). Now add 1 cup of water and ground coconut paste, cover with lid, bring the flame to low. Let it simmer for another 15  to 20 minutes, the oil should separate as the kuzhambu boils. Garnish with coriander and finish the dish. Traditionally served Seeraga samba arisi biryani , boiled egg and thayir pachadi or poured over stacked parottas.

Notes

  • Serves 4-5 adults approx
  • Chicken with bones takes longer to cook, make sure your meat is fully cooked through. Give atleast 15 minutes to cook fully.
  • Cornish hens are available in all super markets – walmart / sams club / kroger has it.
  • Try making it with sesame oil, it does contribute to the taste.
  • I’ve added 6 small / gundu milagai which is kind of spicy for us but you may adjust according to your preference.
  • Increase the coconut paste by 1 tablespoon to make more thick and to get extra gravy.
  • Copra thenga gives a traditional touch, do not skip it!
Chicken Kuzhambu Muniyandi Vilas Style

Comments

62 responses to “CHICKEN KUZHAMBU (Muniyandi Vilas Style) ~ Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu ~ நாட்டு கோழி குழம்பு”

  1. Priyadharshini Avatar
    Priyadharshini

    Hi
    Thanks for this recipe.
    I tried this recipe today with quail, it came very well. I recommend to use curry leaves at the end for Garnishing. Cut the curry leaves into pieces and garnish at last. It gives a great flavor.

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Hey Priya, thank you so much ma. Quail sounds even better and you are right about the garnish. Thanks again for trying and for writing us a feedback.

  2. Deepthi Avatar
    Deepthi

    Can we have it with idli or poori?

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Why not? it goes well with idli, dosa, poori,chapathi,idiyappam…we even top it over plain white rice or side for pulao or biryani too! Try it!

  3. Sugan Avatar
    Sugan

    Waw and nice recipe Mullai…I tried it and it came really awesome and so tasty. Basically I am from Kongu side and we do our authentic Kozhi Kuzhambu which is so popular but your dish takes over all and taste so yum and fit to rice, roti and dosa…
    Thank you for sharing and keep gng!!

    1. Mullai Avatar

      This is my fav too, we often make it home especially sunday lunch…. thanks a bunch!

  4. martina Avatar
    martina

    we tried this recipe and is amazing and perfect with parotta. thank u so much for publishing it.

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Thanks Martina, yes it does go well parotta… i too love the combination!

  5. Shri Avatar
    Shri

    Tried this recipe and it was really nice and it was good combo for the Dosa.

  6. Preeti Avatar
    Preeti

    Very good recipe! My husband especially loved it! Can’t wait to try out more recipes on ur site

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Thank you Preethi! Please do like us on Facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/spiceindiaonline and share a picture of tried and tested recipes. Thank you again.

  7. Viji Avatar
    Viji

    Wow. really very nice

  8. Pavithra Avatar
    Pavithra

    Hi Mulai,

    Will this measurements is enough for half KG chicken? or should I double it?

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Pavithra, if you are preparing for more than 4 & if its like the main side dish then you may have to double… orelse just use the same masala, add extra chili & Coriander powder along with few chicken pieces and adjust consistency with coconut paste/milk. (1 pound or 1/2 kg should be perfect for a family of 4)Thanks

  9. […] Adapted from spiceindiaonline […]

  10. chntamilan Avatar
    chntamilan

    Tried this recipe today, It came out well and tastes yummy. Everyone liked it. Thanks Mullai.

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Thank you so much!

  11. Chandra Rajesh Avatar
    Chandra Rajesh

    hello, i tried this chicken kuzhambu. It turned out awesome. Thanks a lot mullai mam

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Thank U Chandra!

  12. priya Avatar

    nice can you post more chicken receipies

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Thanks Priya.

  13. Narmadha Avatar
    Narmadha

    I made this chicken kolumbu today, and to tell you it came out so well. The taste is really superb.. My neighbors and my family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  14. Kalai Arasi Avatar
    Kalai Arasi

    Hi Mullai. Mind blowing recipes. Will try.

  15. Rajini Avatar
    Rajini

    I did my under graduation in Erode where the original muniyandi vilas was started..And the place still stands as a food heaven in my memory.This recipe is an exact replica..Since my husband is a eggetarian I tried the same recipe with egg and potaotes ,turned out into a great dis.Thank you for the perfect recipe..

  16. Gai3 Avatar
    Gai3

    Looks so yummy..can’t wait to try them.. Would you have the recipe for the Seeraga samba arisi biryani? That looks delicious.

  17. bumble Avatar
    bumble

    Hi Mullai
    I made this dish.
    It was very good. Enjoyed it.
    Thank you for the nice recipe.

  18. Bala Avatar

    I tried this 2 times now, and it came super! Thanks a lot for the instructions, I enjoy cooking because of your website. My roommate was very impressed with when I cooked this.

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Good to know, roommate must be really lucky! Thanks for your feedback and happy cooking!

  19. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    Hi, I take over the kitchen on the weekend (Sunday) as my family loves the change in the tastes. Not used to cooking with sesame oil and hence was a bit apprehensive. On a scale of 0 to 5 we have rated this @ 3.5. Coming from Tamil Nadu with roots from Madurai/Salem and away from India for the last 35 years your recipe sure brought back fond memories. Thanks. Sam

  20. Senthilkumar Avatar
    Senthilkumar

    I tried this yesterday, came out well, but the color of the gravy did not match the one shown here. It was dark brown. Any reason behind it, mullai?

    1. Mullai Avatar

      Senthil,
      It depends, if you saute your masala for longer the color turns intense or dark brown. Tomato, turmeric, red chilies, coconut…all play a part. So adding little extra of these can also have effect on colour. Even mine doesn’t turn the same colour everytime, with few more trials you will learn to adjust the proportions to make it your way. Thanks.

  21. Swathi Avatar
    Swathi

    Hi Mullai,
    Thanks for the recipe…it was super hit at my home…

  22. Tamiln Avatar
    Tamiln

    Thanks Mullai. Chicken kolambu came out very good. I did add more rice and pottu-kadalai as my wife likes kolambu to be like gravy. We tried it with Idly and it was tasty. Thanks.
    -Praba

  23. Shuba Avatar
    Shuba

    absolutely loved your recipe..this is soo different from how I usually make chicken curries. came across your site when i searched for Chicken Kozhambu as my husband has been asking me to make it since long time! i used close to 2lbs of chicken and 2 cups of water for the same measurement and came out great. I usually dont follow the recipe measurements while making indian recipes but somehow your confident ‘ingredients table’ made me follow and it was awesome..will checkout your other recipes too!! thanks!

  24. siva Avatar
    siva

    Thank you very much for this recipe.

  25. suja Avatar
    suja

    Hi Mullai, Tried this recipe. Result was very good. Everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing -Suja

  26. Deepa Avatar
    Deepa

    Hi Mullai, I have referred to your recipes earlier. And I was looking for a standard version of Muniyandivilas recipe for a long time. I tried it on sunday and it was excellent. My husband and brother had a nice treat relishing this kuzhambu. Thanks for posting this recipe.

    Regards,
    Deepa

  27. Rajkumar.K Avatar

    Nice photo.I am going to try this recipe today. while reading itself,i am eager to eat. Thanks for giving such a good recipe to us

  28. jiapatel1703 Avatar
    jiapatel1703

    Hi Mullai…Superb receipes…I myself am so so fond of cooking…My mom too is a gr8 cook, and guess wat my mom exactly makes the same kinda chicken…wow!! I was just goin thru ur dishes to find sumthing unusual and came across this…a super hit with my family…We love u a lot…u gave us all da yummy dishes on earth..tc…keep writing in!!

  29. sini__gosh Avatar
    sini__gosh

    Mullai , chicken kulambu was very very tasty.My husband just loved it.He told that its just the same as in restaurants. Came thru ur site few days back and whatever am cooking daily , its only after checking out ur site.Thanks a lot ..

  30. Harish Kumar Avatar
    Harish Kumar

    My friend made this Kuzhambu….it was very very tasty… We all loved it… marked this reciepe for next time 🙂

    1. Mullai Avatar
      Mullai

      Thanks Harish, nalla sapdunga!!!!

  31. kakisha Avatar
    kakisha

    Hi Mullai

    We had arranged for a “Men’s Potluck” on newyear eve. My husband tried this recipe and It was sooooooooooooo tasty and was a super hit. Tasted exactly the same as from restaurants. Many many thanks. Keep rocking.

    Kakisha

    1. Mullai Avatar
      Mullai

      Kakisha, Mens Potluck sounds interesting… Romba nandri!!

  32. kriti jayaram Avatar
    kriti jayaram

    hi,

    i tried this recipe and my husband told it was awesome (i m a pure veg… trying to cook NV with ur recipes)!!!!!!!!! i am so happy that i never even wanted to taste it to fix things as long as it resembled ur picture, i felt it should be fine.
    great one!!!!!!!!

  33. Dhakshayani Avatar
    Dhakshayani

    Dear Mullai,
    I tried this recipe yesterday and it really came out well and yummy. It tasted the same like the Muniyadi vilas chicken kuzhambhu back in India. Thanks for the recipe.
    Dhakshayani

  34. Visitor s Avatar
    Visitor s

    wow awesome mouthwatering recipe
    plz keep posting like this recipes
    thank you soo much
    i’m so excited to prepare this dish

  35. alspriya Avatar
    alspriya

    Hi Mullai,

    Could you please let me know whether all the ingredients to make the masala powder be added to the pan at the same time or should be added one after another in a specific order to prevent burning?

    Thanks,
    Priya

  36. Aswini Avatar
    Aswini

    Mullai,

    All your recepies are great. have tried many comes out great. Hats off to you!

  37. nithyagopi123 Avatar
    nithyagopi123

    photos looks too good….mouth watering recipe…today i tried .it cameout very well…i thought that name only like that before preparing your dish…after prepared this dish… i am saying this is a actual muniyandivilas chicken kozhambu…thanks millai…..your name also good…

  38. Thamizh Avatar
    Thamizh

    Tried this recipe on sunday.. jus avoided coconut in the recipe all thro’ out as couple of my family members have BP n sugar.. so increased the split roasted gram to double the amount.. was wondering if the outcome would be fine or not due to the slight alteration i did.. it was splendid.. Thanks!!

  39. umakarthik Avatar
    umakarthik

    Thanks…Came out really good.

  40. ayesha1 Avatar
    ayesha1

    Tried this & come out very good.

    Is sesame oil – Idhayam Gingely oil?

    Thanks

  41. geetha ramesh Avatar
    geetha ramesh

    Your dishes are very easy and super. u r using day day to using grocessaries, really very good and thanks for ur each and every receipe. whether all this receipes will be availale in the net always or anything will be deleted. kindly know me.

  42. kamatchi murugan Avatar
    kamatchi murugan

    hi mullai, very good presentation I will try this recipe
    Thanks

  43. bhuvi Avatar
    bhuvi

    Very nice presentation

    Lovely!

  44. gowrijayaraj Avatar
    gowrijayaraj

    hi,
    tempting presentation…I tried this recipe yesterday,it came out extremely well..
    thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.

  45. Nithya Avatar
    Nithya

    Hi Mullai,

          Nice receipe pick to be posted.

    Will try it soon.. 

  46. vishnulavanya Avatar
    vishnulavanya

    hi mullai,

    Nice presentation. I tried many of ur recipes all came out very good. what is sesame oil? can i use normal vegetable oil? i have another question. i have tried ur thai fried rice recipe can i use redcurry paste instead of roasted chilli paste?

  47. venila Avatar
    venila

    chicken kozhambu looks delicious and tempting.Well presented.photolooks too good.

  48. ayirpp Avatar
    ayirpp

    What a beautiful presentation.going 2 try this tommorrow.
    thanks for the recipe.