Natukodi Kura

Name: Natukodi Kura
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Cuisine: Rayalaseema
Ingredients: 500 grams country chicken, cut into pieces; 2 tablespoons oil; 2 medium onions, finely chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, chopped; 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon red chili powder; 1 teaspoon coriander powder; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped; 1 cup water; salt to taste

The most celebrated dish of Rayalaseema — free-range country chicken (natu kodi) slow-cooked in a masala of enormous quantities of dried red Guntur chillies, freshly ground coconut, poppy seeds, onion, and ginger-garlic, fried in oil until the masala is deeply caramelised before the chicken pieces are added and cooked dry, the fat rendering from the bird into the spice paste. Country chicken has a firmer, more flavourful flesh than commercial broiler and can withstand the long, aggressive cooking; the finished dish is nearly dry with a deeply concentrated, incendiary red masala clinging to each piece. The pride of Rayalaseema cooking and the single dish visitors must eat before anything else.

Cuisines

Rayalaseema

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 15 min Cook: 45 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

500 grams	country chicken, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons	oil
2 medium	onions, finely chopped
2 medium	tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon	ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon	turmeric powder
1 teaspoon	red chili powder
1 teaspoon	coriander powder
1 teaspoon	garam masala
1 teaspoon	fennel seeds
2 tablespoons	fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup	water
—	salt to taste

Instructions

1 Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
2 Add fennel seeds and let them splutter.
3 Add chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
4 Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
5 Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and mushy.
6 Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well.
7 Add the country chicken pieces and mix until they are well coated with the spices.
8 Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9 Add water and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender.
10 Sprinkle garam masala and mix well.
11 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips

For enhanced flavor, marinate the chicken with turmeric, chili powder, and salt for 30 minutes before cooking.