Chicken Kori Rotti | Mangalorean Chicken Curry
on Nov 25, 2015, Updated May 21, 2021
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Here is the best of Mangalore that is going to fill your tummy and heart! This Chicken Kori Rotti/ Mangalorean Chicken Curry is also known as Kori Gassi. It is creamy, spicy and the perfect curry for dinner. The roasted spices used in it bring out the best flavors that are really hard to resist!
I’m on a roll guys! Giving you one curry after another, so tell me when you get bored. And if you haven’t tried Mangalorean food yet, you are right in time! I won’t blame you because I hadn’t either, till I met Denver. And now I’m hooked. The first time I had kori rotti or kori gassi with rotti, I was expecting a light, coconutty curry, but man, this one’s so spicy and addictive.
And it’s unique. Because unlike everything else which is either had with rice or chapatis, there’s a special crispy rice rotti that the curry is spooned over. It’s messy messy business. And Denver and I literally pull our sleeves up and dig in. You take the rotti, crush it lightly on your plate and then pour all the curry over it. Let it sit for a minute (if you can wait that long) till you have both crispy bits and soggy bits and start eating. With your hands. No spoons allowed.
I can eat Mangalorean food EVERY day. The ghee roast is obviously sensational and I make a mean ghee roast (recipe coming up soon) and then there’s the fish fry which has the most amazing marinade and the sukkas which I sadly, haven’t mastered yet. So if any of you are Mangalorean and have a great chicken sukka recipe that you are willing to share, I’d be eternally grateful.
Denver gets so excited every time I make this. Like this morning, we had some with dosas (rice and lentil crepes) for breakfast. He ate more than his usual share, stopped when he was reaching for another dosa, looked at me and made the cutest puppy dog face. Because he couldn’t stop eating!
The best part about Mangalorean food is the masala or mixture that’s made with ground spices. And chances are, you probably have everything you need in stock already. I love how the kitchen smells when I’m roasting these spices, and the proportions work beautifully.
Top Tips to make the best Mangalorean Kori Rotti / Kori Gassi with Rotti
- Spices: Roasting the dry spices helps bring out their oil and aroma. Make sure to dry roast them on a low flame while stirring regularly to prevent them from burning.
- Turmeric: I love using a piece of whole dried turmeric in the masala for a powerful colour and mixture, but if you don’t have access to it, substitute with 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Chicken: Buy pre-cut ‘curry cut chicken’. The optimum size is 1.5 inches. Bigger pieces will take longer to cook. Bone in curry cut chicken ensures that the chicken remains juicy and doesn’t dry out while cooking
- Rotti: I’ve only ever used store-bought rotti that’s available at Mangalore stores. The process of making your own rottis is skilled with a lot of technique required.
If you don’t have access to Rotti, try this with rice. You’ll be missing out on the experience but you can’t miss this chicken kori rotti! I’m already looking forward to dinner, because there’s leftovers 😉
Try this with Mangalorean Fish Fry
More Recipes from Coastal India:
Watch the Video
Chicken Kori Rotti | Mangalorean Chicken Curry
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 kg Chicken, Curry Cut
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Masala
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 2 Onion, Large , sliced
- 3/4 cup Coconut, Grated
- 1 piece Tamarind, Lime sized ball
- 1/2 inch Turmeric, whole (See Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds, Whole Dhaniya seeds
- 1 teaspoon Peppercorns, Kali Mirch
- 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek, Methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin, Jeera seeds
- 1 pod Garlic , peeled (See Note 2)
- 8 Salem Gundu Dry Red Chillies, small round red (spicy variety)
- 12 Kashmiri Dry Red Chillies, wrinkeld red (more colour, less spice)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups Water
Curry
- 3/4 cup Coconut Milk, thin (See Note 3)
- 1/2 cup Coconut Milk, thick
- Salt to taste
- Curry Leaves, optional
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Start the prep with the chicken marinade. Combine chicken pieces, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside and allow to marinate.
Masala
- In a pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and add one sliced onion, grated coconut, tamarind and turmeric. Fry for 8-10 minutes till the coconut and onions start turning slightly brown and toasty.
- In another pan, dry roast coriander, pepper, fenugreek, cumin, garlic and both types of chilies, till you get a slightly sweetish, spicy smell. This should take about 5 minutes. Be careful to roast on a low flame so as not to burn the spices.
- Once cooled, grind both, the coconut mixture and the spice mixture together, with about 1 cup of water into a smooth paste. Add more water if necessary.
Curry
- In a large pot, pour the ground masala or mixture, add thin coconut milk and the remaining sliced onions. Bring this to a boil and add the chicken pieces and salt.
- Simmer the curry till chicken is cooked (this takes about 35-40 mins). Mix in the thick coconut milk. Stir once and switch off the flame. Top with a tablespoon of ghee and serve hot with rottis, rice and mangaloreanfish fry.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have whole turmeric, substitute with 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
- If you are using pre-peeled garlic, use 10 – 12 cloves
- Most packaged coconut milk is first pressing or thick coconut milk. To make thin coconut milk from it, add half water and half coconut milk for one cup thin coconut milk.
Was totally awesome!
Tried this recipe and came up very well.
I couldnt source the kori rotti , then explored the home made kori rotti recipe and it came well and perfect combination and full meal 🙂
Here is the home made Kori rotti recipe
https://youtu.be/ewoEXJ_9_h0
Yummy!
Turned out just perfect! Do give it a shot:)
Tried this recipe today and it came out very well. My husband appreciated me for the for the first time for cooking. Thanks to u.
Kori Rotti is my absolute Fav! I kept having it almost every month when I was introduced to it. Due to the pandemic, my favorite restaurant where they serve Kori Roti was served closed down and I was extremely sad.
I tried multiple recipes and restaurants but none had that authentic taste. Until I saw this recipe, followed it to the T.
My mind was blown and my taste buds were out of control. The flavors complement each other so well, especially with the chicken and when eaten with the rotti it’s just the right amount of spicy, creamy, and coconutty.
Roasting all the ingredients from scratch instead of using powered made a world of a difference.
Love how you’ve described your experience Candice! Thanks for leaving a comment
Hi Richa! Love all your recipes! I’m planning to make this curry today:)
I had a doubt, it says a lime sized ball of tamarind, does it not have to be soaked in warm water?
Or Incase I’m using the ready to use paste, how much should I add?
Hey, you don’t need to soak the tamarind. If you are using paste, use 1 teaspoon
Kori rotti is my favorite food and I do not like taking chances by trying different recipes. But this recipe is perfect. It’s beyond delicious. Love love love it.
It’s really awesome .. Though I am from Bengal.. but always had a fond of making cuisine from different parts of the world … really heard this name from one of my friend and was looking for a easy one.. Thanks for this easy peasy recipe. I loved it
We love experimenting with different cuisines too! Glad you liked this kori rotti recipe, Ahana! Stick around for more from us!
Good easy recipe.thanks Richa for posting this
Btw when do we add the optional curry leaves?
Hey Sash! You can dry roast them along with the spices.