Naatu kozhi kuzhambu | Chicken kuzhambu | Country Chicken gravy recipe

Naatu kozhi kuzhambu(Country chicken gravy) is a tasty treat my MIL makes if someone sneezes at home. In our villages, they still believe this gravy to be a cold and cough treating food and an energy booster! Who could say no to this yummy medicinal treat ??!!

Eat seasonal food. Enjoy every season 🙂 Welcome Winter 🙂

This gravy is in our menu on every winter sunday. Goes well with rice, idly, dosa, chapathi, parota and biriyani.

Do check out my earlier posts: Naatu kozhi Soup(Click) & Naatu kozhi Biriyani(Click)…

Preparation

1.Wash chicken and soak it in water mixed with salt and lemon drops for 10 mins. Rinse it again, drain water and keep the chicken ready.

2.Peel Small onions and chop them. Wash and chop tomatoes and coriander leaves too.3.In a pressure cooker, add oil and once hot add cinnamon stick. Add curry leaves and chopped onion. Once onions become translucent, add ginger-garlic paste.
4.Once raw smell leaves, add chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves. Saute well until oil separates.5.Add curry powder/kuzhambu podi(see notes below for alternate) and turmeric powder. Saute for 1 minute.6.Add cleaned chicken pieces and stir well for 2 mins until the masala coats the chicken. Add water till immersing level.7.Add salt and pressure cook for 8 whistles or 10 mins in high flame whichever is quicker.8.In mixie or ammi, grind coconut pieces, cinnamon stick(pattai), cloves(krambu), aniseed(sombu), peppercorns(milagu),poppy seeds(kasakasa),roasted chana dal(Pottu kadalai).9.Add water and grind to a paste. Once pressure releases, add coconut paste along with required water and let it boil.10.Keep closed and let it boil for 10 mins. In between, check for salt and add more if required.                                              Naatu kozhi kuzhambu is ready. Dive in !!

Tips/Tricks

• Do not get skinless chicken. Just fire out the feathers(Pongu posukki) and get with skin. Tastes best!
• Small onions can be replaced by normal ones but small onions taste best for this recipe.
• Pressure cooking is not required for broiler chicken. But, country chicken takes time to cook and hence recommended.
• You shall use any curry powder that you use for non-veg recipes. Or just add 1/4tbsp dhaniya powder + 3/4tbsp to 1.5 tbsp plain chilli powder+ 1 pinch Jeera powder .
• Fried chana dal(Pottukadalai) is used just to thicken the gravy. It is optional and you can skip it, if you wish.
• Add water(less or more) according to the consistency you wish the gravy to be.

To see the authentic country chicken curry recipe that involves little more process, have a look at the below video in my Youtube channel: