Kundapur Chicken Masala

Authentic Kundapur Chicken Curry (with Esskay Masala)

Chicken Cleaning – Clean 1 kg chicken with water. Please make sure to keep it dry and remove all excess water after cleaning.

Marination: In a large bowl, mix together:

• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• 5 tbsp Esskay Kundapur Chicken Curry Masala Powder
• 2½ big onions, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• Add the cleaned chicken pieces and coat them well in this mix.
• Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Tamarind mix:

• Soak a small piece of tamarind in 10 tbsp warm water.
• Squeeze and strain to extract the pulp.
• Add 2 tbsp tamarind water to the curry and cook for 3 minutes.

Coconut Milk Preparation

• Take 1½ coconuts, grated.
• Add 1 glass of water to the grated coconut and grind well.
• Strain through a thin cloth or fine sieve — this is your thick coconut milk. Keep it aside.
• Now, add 1½ glasses of water to the same grated coconut residue, grind again, and strain once more—this is your thin coconut milk.
• Keep both the thick and thin milk separately for use during cooking.

Cooking:

• Cook on a low flame at the start.
• Heat 5 tbsp coconut oil or ghee in a wide, deep pan.
• Add 2 crushed garlic pods and 2½ chopped onions.
• Sauté until the onions turn light golden.
• Add 2 tbsp of Esskay Masala and stir for a few seconds (don’t let it burn).
• Immediately add the marinated chicken and cook on a low flame for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
• Pour in some thin coconut milk (1.25 glasses) and cook for another 15 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Finishing:

• Pour in thick coconut milk and simmer on a medium-high flame just until the curry starts bubbling.
• Stir continuously to prevent the milk from curdling.
• Turn off the heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Dish Color & Consistency – The curry should have a rich red-orange color. – If you’ve added extra coconut milk and the color or spice has lightened, adjust by adding 1 teaspoon of Esskay masala powder. Mix well and simmer briefly to bring back the right flavor and consistency.

Serve best with neer dosa, idiyappam, or steamed rice—and that’s coastal heaven on a plate.