Andhra Style Chicken Curry (Kodi Kura) is a spicy and flavorful chicken curry from the South Indian state of Andra Pradesh in India. This curry gets its unique flavor from the freshly roasted spice mix. Here is how to make it in the traditional style (gluten-free).
Here are some more South Indian chicken recipes that you might like – Chicken Salna, Chicken Chettinad, Chicken Vindaloo, Coconut Curry Chicken, Malabar Chicken Curry, and Chettinad Pepper Chicken.
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About This Recipe
Andhra Style Chicken Curry (Kodi Kura) is a hot and spicy curry that is super easy to make using minimal ingredients and is loaded with flavors.
Every household in Andhra has its own way of making it.
Some people make it with tomatoes and some, especially in coastal Andhra add coconut milk or ground coconut paste to it. There is a version that uses yogurt in place of tomatoes.
The Andhra chicken curry recipe that I am sharing today is a simple one that I learned from a friend. It has a base of onions and tomatoes and a freshly roasted spice mix is added to it which gives it a very unique taste.
There is no need to marinate the chicken for hours (just 10-15 minutes will do) to make this curry and you can easily scale the recipe if you are making it for a crowd.
Ingredients
To Marinate The Chicken
Marinate chicken with turmeric powder, Guntur red chili powder, salt, and lime juice.
I like to use skinless bone-in chicken cut into 1 and ½-inch chunks to make this curry. Bones give a lot of flavor to the curry and hence are highly recommended.
Having said that, if you are not a bone-in chicken person, you can use boneless chicken pieces too.
Traditionally, Guntur chili powder is used to make this Andhra-style chicken curry. It is a very hot and fiery chili that makes this curry super hot.
If you want mildly hot curry, then replace Guntur chili powder with Kashmiri red chilli powder.
For The Spice Mix
To make the freshly roasted spice mix, you will need whole spices like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, white poppy seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and whole black peppercorns.
If poppy seeds are not available, replace them with cashew nuts or sesame seeds.
For The Curry
Oil – Use any cooking oil that you prefer.
Others – You will also need curry leaves, green chilies, onions, ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree, garam masala powder, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
This Andhra kodi kura curry is supposed to be very hot, but you can adjust the chili as per your taste.
How To Make Andhra Chicken Curry
Marinate The Chicken
Mix 1 pound (500 g) bone-in skinless chicken (cut into 1 and ½ inch chunks) with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon Guntur red chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon lime juice and keep aside.
Make The Masala Powder
Add 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, and 3-4 whole black peppercorns to a small skillet and dry roast on medium flame until they are slightly browned and fragrant (2-3 minutes). Keep stirring continuously while roasting.
Add 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (or 8-10 cashew nuts) and roast for another minute.
Remove the skillet from heat and let the spices cool down.
Transfer them to a grinder and grind to make a fine powder. Set it aside.
Make The Curry
Heat 4 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add 15-20 curry leaves, 2-3 teaspoon chopped green chillies, 1 cup chopped onions, and 1 teaspoon salt, and fry until the onions are translucent (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and fry until onion turns slightly browned (5-6 minutes). Keep stirring frequently.
Add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
Add the ground masala powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and mix well.
Now add ½ cup of tomato puree and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid.
Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is tender (30-35 minutes). Stir a few times while cooking.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the steps until adding water to a pressure cooker. Close the lid and cook on high flame for 2 whistles. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and serve the curry.
To make it in an instant pot, press SAUTE and follow the steps until adding water. Secure the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot. Serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve spicy Andhra Chicken Curry with Steamed Rice or Ghee Rice. It also tastes great with Phulka, Tawa Paratha, or Laccha Paratha.
Storage Suggestions
This delicious chicken curry can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Add some water while reheating.
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Recipe Card
Spicy Andhra Style Chicken Curry Recipe (Kodi Kura)
Ingredients
To Marinate The Chicken
- 1 pound skinless bone-in chicken (500 g, cut into 1 and ½ inch chunks, rinsed, and drained well)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Guntur red chili powder (use Kashmiri red chili powder for milder curry)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For The Masala Powder
- 1 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
- 3-4 whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (or 8-10 cashew nuts)
For The Curry
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 15-20 curry leaves
- 2-3 teaspoons chopped green chilies (or to taste)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ cup canned tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Marinate The Chicken
- Mix chicken, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, and lime juice and keep aside.
Make The Masala Powder
- Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black peppercorns to a small skillet and dry roast on medium flame until they are slightly browned and fragrant (2-3 minutes). Keep stirring continuously while roasting.
- Add poppy seeds and roast for another minute.
- Remove the skillet from heat and let the spices cool down.
- Transfer them to a grinder and grind to make a fine powder. Set it aside.
Make The Curry
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add curry leaves, green chillies, onions, and salt, and fry until the onions are translucent (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger garlic paste and fry until onion turns slightly browned (5-6 minutes). Keep stirring frequently.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add the ground masala powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
- Now add tomato puree and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is tender (30-35 minutes). Stir a few times while cooking.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Sara Syal
Hi! Which garam masala you used? Homemade or store bought?
Neha Mathur
I use homemade garam masala but you can use a good quality store bought one too.
Shai
Wonderful. Didn’t even have poppy seeds, garam masala, coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chillies. Omitted all these and yet it was so delicious. It would definitely have been more fragrant with the addition of the omitted items.
Paul
Excellent recipe! The only thing I did differently was to reduce the Guntur chili powder to 1.5 tsp and the green chili to 1 seeded Serrano. Spicy and tasty!