Koli Curry
A Kodava chicken curry built on freshly roasted coconut and spices, soured with kachampuli for a deep, tangy, homely gravy.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 320 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy kadai
- •Grinder
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 9 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 27 g
- calories
- 320 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dry-roast grated coconut, coriander seeds, dried red chillies and black pepper until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool and grind with a little water into a smooth paste.
- 2
Heat oil in a kadai (deep curved pan). Fry chopped onions until golden.
- 3
Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute until the raw smell goes away.
- 4
Add the chicken pieces, turmeric and salt. Fry over high heat for 5 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the ground coconut-spice paste. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- 6
Pour in water to make a medium gravy. Bring the liquid to a boil.
- 7
Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- 8
Stir in kachampuli (sour fruit vinegar) and curry leaves. Simmer uncovered for a final 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.
Chef's tips
Toast the coconut and spices until truly golden-brown to build a deep flavour. Add the kachampuli near the end so its sharp tang stays bright.
Ingredient substitutions
- kachampuli → tamarind pulp mixed with a little vinegar
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water if needed.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding kachampuli too early, which weakens its sharp, fruity sourness over long cooking.
Serving suggestions
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