Chicken Kolhapuri

Don't Make These Mistakes

Wear gloves when you handle the soaked chillies.

For a milder curry, deseed the chillies before soaking.

Fry the paste patiently; raw paste tastes harsh.

Making Chicken Kolhapuri

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1. Toast the coconut, coriander seeds, cumin and peppercorns in a dry pan for 3 minutes. Grind with the drained chillies, garlic and a splash of water to a smooth paste.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

2. Heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the onions for 10 minutes until browned.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Add the paste and turmeric and fry for 5 minutes, until the oil rises. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

4. Add the chicken, salt and water. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

5. Stir in the fresh coriander and serve.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Why the Method Works

Most home versions come out either blandly red or so hot nobody can finish it, and the way out is to build the heat from dried chillies rather than powder. Kashmiri chillies add colour with modest heat, and a few hotter ones give the kick. Soaked and ground, they make a paste that tastes of chilli rather than just burning.

Roast the coconut, coriander seeds, cumin and peppercorns in a dry pan until they smell nutty, about 3 minutes, then grind them with the soaked chillies. Taste the paste before cooking, and adjust the number of chillies next time. What you taste raw is roughly what you will get on the plate.

Brown the onion well, then fry the paste in the oil until it darkens and the oil rises. Tomato balances the heat with a little sourness.

Simmer the chicken for 25 minutes, until tender, with just enough water to make a thick, clinging gravy.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat with a splash of water.

If You're Missing Something

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good With

• Chapati
• Steamed rice
• Sliced raw onion
• Plain yoghurt

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Chapati (Roti), Gluten-Free Naan, Idiyappam.

Questions and Answers

Chicken Kolhapuri Nutrition Facts

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high. How the figures are worked out.

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