Kolhapuri chicken is the most popular regional non vegetarian dish in Maharashtra, India. It is called "tambda rassa" in the local vernacular and is accompanied by a white chicken curry known as "pandhra rassa".
The authentic flavor of this dish is hot and fiery because of the use of lavangi mirchi and/or Sankeshwari red chillies. The red hot chillies impart a distinct flavor and red color to the gravy. Another important ingredient is the Kolhapuri chutney or ghati masala.
Ready made masala packs of K-Pra & Pravin brand are available. I did not have the ready packs so decided to make it from scratch. Added advantage is that the masala made is fresh and one can change the quantity of spice mix according to your taste.
Ingredients:
Chicken drumsticks - 2.5 lbs
Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric powder (Halad)
Lime juice
Onions - 2 medium finely chopped
Paprika powder - 1 tbsp
Bay leaf (Tejpaan) - 1
- For masala paste -
Sesame seeds (Til) - 1 tbsp
Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) - 1 tbsp
Big Cardamon - 2
Small Cardamom - 4
Mace (Javitri) - 1
Cinnamon (Dalchini) - 1 medium piece
Cloves - 4
Star Anise - 1
Peppercorn - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Caraway (Shahjeera) - 1 tsp
Stone flower (Dagad phool) - 1 tsp
Acacia (Nagkeshar) - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Mohri) - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds (Badi-sheb) - 1 tsp
Dry coconut - 3/4 cup shredded
Ginger - 2 inch piece chopped
Garlic - 8 cloves chopped
Dry red chillies (whole) - 10
Green chillies - 2 optional
Onion - 1 medium sliced
Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
Nutmeg powder (Jaiphal) - 1 pinch. This spice is optional and not shown in pic below.
Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) - 1 tbsp
Big Cardamon - 2
Small Cardamom - 4
Mace (Javitri) - 1
Cinnamon (Dalchini) - 1 medium piece
Cloves - 4
Star Anise - 1
Peppercorn - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Caraway (Shahjeera) - 1 tsp
Stone flower (Dagad phool) - 1 tsp
Acacia (Nagkeshar) - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Mohri) - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds (Badi-sheb) - 1 tsp
Dry coconut - 3/4 cup shredded
Ginger - 2 inch piece chopped
Garlic - 8 cloves chopped
Dry red chillies (whole) - 10
Green chillies - 2 optional
Onion - 1 medium sliced
Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
Nutmeg powder (Jaiphal) - 1 pinch. This spice is optional and not shown in pic below.
Preparation:
1. Wash the chicken drumsticks in water and drain. Apply turmeric, salt and lime juice to chicken and keep aside.
2. Roast all the above spices (except bay leaf) in frying pan on medium heat until golden brown. Stir continuously to avoid burning and keep aside for cooling. The quantity of various spices, method and degree of roasting will affect the flavor of the dish. There is no one definite technique and variations can be found in different households, but the essence of making this spice blend remains the same.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan and saute the sliced onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies till the onions are translucent and there is no raw smell.
4. Mix the roasted spices and sauted onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies in a blender and grind to a fine paste. Add some water if needed.
5. Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add one bay leaf and the finely chopped onions. Add salt and saute the onions till golden brown.
6. Add the chicken drumsticks and mix well under high heat.
7. Reduce the heat. Now mix the masala paste and 1 tbsp paprika. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
I forgot to add paprika at this stage so used it in step 8. Note the bland color without paprika:
8. Add water. Cover the pan with lid and cook till chicken is done.
Usually authentic red chillies give deep red color to the gravy but I did not have access to the specific ones. So I used paprika which also gives nice red color:
9. Garnish with cilantro.
This was my first attempt at making this dish. The masala paste came out a little coarse...so may be I need a new blender :D, but overall I was happy with the result. This is one recipe which will definitely keep anyone warm on a cold winter day and the aroma is heavenly.
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