Kozhi Kulambu | Chicken Kuzhambu Recipe

Kozhi Kuzhambu Recipe | Chicken Kulambu Recipe | Chicken Kuzhambu | நாட்டு கோழி குழம்பு |கோழி குழம்பு | Madras Chicken Curry | How to make chicken kulambu

Kozhi Kuzhambu is considered staple at my place, be it biryani or parotta or even simple idli kal dosai… this one stands high on the list. This is one chicken curry which goes well with any kind of dish and easy to make in no time with a pressure cooker.

Highlight of this is the use of naatu kozhi/ cornish hen which gives the best of the chicken flavor to the curry… a must try for all non vegetarians. I have used fennel and copra that adds ton of homely touch to this gravy, so do try and pour in your feedback. This recipe in particular is very spicy dish and please feel free to adjust the red chili powder to suit your preference.

RECIPE VIDEO IN ENGLISH

RECIPE VIDEO IN TAMIL

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Kozhi Kuzhambu | Chicken Kuzhambu Recipe | Chicken Kulambu

Simple homestyle Chicken kzhambu - Kulambu, perfect side for idli / dosai /parotta. Thick version of this can be topped over rice or as a side for biryani!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Author: Mullai Madavan

Ingredients

Saute

• 1/2 Kg Chicken (country style Cornish hen or regular chicken) 1 pound
• 1 cups Onion chopped
• 5 small onions Sambar / pearl onions / shallots
• 1 cup Red ripe juicy tomatoes chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tablespoon Ginger crushed
• 2 each Green chili slit open
• 1 each Bay leaf
• 1 each Dry long Red Chili
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick broken into two
• 3 each Cloves
• 2 each Cardamom
• 1 Black stone flower / Kalpasi Optional
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 10 leaves Curry leaves
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing
• 1.5 cups Water
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 1 teaspoons Red chili powder Refer notes
• 1 tablespoon Kuzhambu Thool (all purpose curry powder) Refer notes
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Salt or to taste (approx)

Blend

• 1/4 cup Fresh grated coconut
• 1 inch Copra Thengai / Dry coconut optional (for restaurant style taste)
• 1 teaspoon Split Roasted gram / Pottukadalai / Dalia optional / alternate version
• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 4 whole Cashewnuts
• 1/4 cup Water

Instructions

• Finely chop the regular onions, chop the tomatoes, slit open the green chili, crush the ginger and garlic.
• 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.
• Clean them thoroughly, discard the skin and rinse in cold water and keep aside.
• Grind a thick paste using coconut, fennel seeds, cashews, poppy seeds and water. ( Split roasted gram is optional, its for thickness and also for preparing country style ) Keep this aside. 
• Heat oil and ghee in a pressure pan. Add bay leaves, dry red chili, cumin, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black stone flower and few curry leaves. Followed by finely chopped onions, green chili, small onion, crushed ginger and garlic. Fry these until golden or for about 6 to  7 minutes over medium flame.  Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until tender. Once done, add the chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chili powder, kuzhambu milagai thool (all purpose curry powder) and salt.
• Fry the masala powder for few minutes with the chicken and add water.
• Now you can either cook the chicken over stove top by covering with a lid or pressure cook. Also coconut paste can be added before pressure cooking or after. Since we are adding less coconut to the base it can be pressure cooked along with chicken. For thicker version of kurma kulambu add the coconut paste after cooking the chicken. 
• Pressure cook up to 2whistles and switch off. Once the pressure releases, garnish with remaining curry land coriander leaves. Serve it with piping hot idlis or top it over rice rice or side for parotta or chapati!

Notes

• Adding some Kashmiri red chili powder gives good color.
• Using plain patta milagai thool will give heat and makes the dish very spicy. Use  less if you prefer less spicy.
• Kuzhambu Milagai Thool - Its an all purpose curry powder for thickness and flavor. You can make this by following this recipe or replace it with 1 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 black pepper powder and 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder.
• Adding less coconut (the above mentioned measure) will give nice red color to the gravy as well as a kuzhambu consistency. Adding more coconut will make it a kurma or thick coconut base gravy with light color.
• Split roasted gram / Pottukadalai is added for village / country style. You may skip if you prefer simple homestyle.
• Copra thanga or dry coconut is also for additional flavor and also for a street style kuzhambu - side dish for parotta.
• What is Rock Cornish hen?? check here Using naatu kozhi gives nice flavor the chicken curry. You may use any type chicken with bones.
• Kozhi kuzhambu goes well with hot idli, kal dosa, chapati, parotta or even side for biryani or pulao.

Kozhi Kuzhambu is considered staple at my palce, be it biryani or parotta or even simple idli kal dosai… this one stands high on the list. This is one chicken curry which goes well with any kind of dish and easy to make in no time with a pressure cooker.

Highlight is the use of naatu kozhi/ cornish hen which gives the best of the chicken flavor to the curry… a must try for all non vegetarians. I have used fennel and copra that adds ton of homely touch to this gravy, so do try and pour in your feedback. This recipe in particular is very spicy dish and please feel free to adjust the red chili powder to suit your preference.

Lets see how to make this Kozhi kuzhambu:

Finely chop the regular onions, chop the tomatoes, slit open the green chili, crush the ginger and garlic.  Grind all the ingredients in Table-2 to a fine thin consistency and keep aside.

Some chicken kuzhambu recipes to try..

1. Muniyandi Villas Kuzhambu

2. Pepper Chicken Kuzhambu

3. Madras Chicken Curry

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.

Cut them on a big chopping block and cut into pieces.

Clean them thoroughly, discard the skin and rinse in cold water and keep aside.

Grind a thick paste using coconut, fennel seeds, cashews, poppy seeds and water. ( Split roasted gram is optional, its for thickness and also for preparing country style ) Keep this aside.

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure pan. Add bay leaves, dry red chili, cumin, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black stone flower and few curry leaves. Followed by finely chopped onions, green chili, small onion, crushed ginger and garlic. Fry these until golden or for about 6 to  7 minutes over medium flame.  Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until tender. Once done, add the chicken pieces along with turmeric powder, red chili powder, kuzhambu milagai thool (all purpose curry powder) and salt.

Fry the masala powder for few minutes with the chicken and add water.

Now you can either cook the chicken over stove top by covering with a lid or pressure cook. Also coconut paste can be added before pressure cooking or after. Since we are adding less coconut to the base it can be pressure cooked along with chicken. For thicker version of kurma kulambu add the coconut paste after cooking the chicken.

Pressure cook up to 2whistles and switch off. Once the pressure releases, garnish with remaining curry land coriander leaves. Serve it with piping hot idlis (my first preference), one best other combo is with layered parotta, top it over any biryani…. dunk ghee chapatis….

Notes

• Adding some Kashmiri red chili powder gives good color.
• Using plain patta milagai thool will give heat and makes the dish very spicy. Use  less if you prefer less spicy.
• Kuzhambu Milagai Thool – Its an all purpose curry powder for thickness and flavor. You can make this by following this recipe or replace it with 1 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 black pepper powder and 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder.
• Adding less coconut (the above mentioned measure) will give nice red color to the gravy as well as a kuzhambu consistency. Adding more coconut will make it a kurma or thick coconut base gravy with light color.
• What is Rock Cornish hen?? check here Using naatu kozhi gives nice flavor the chicken curry. You may use any type chicken with bones.
• Kozhi kuzhambu goes well with hot idli, kal dosa, chapati, parotta or even side for biryani or pulao.