Mangalorean Chicken Curry Recipe | Kori Gassi | Mangalore Chicken Gassi Recipe

Kori gassi or Mangalorean chicken curry is a delectable dish from the coastal area of Mangalore in southern Karnataka. The traditional chicken gassi recipe combines succulent pieces of chicken in a delicious thick spicy curry with the flavours of creamy coconut milk, golden brown onions, a kori gassi masala paste made of roasted spices, and tangy tamarind. 

In Kannada or in the Tulu language, kori means chicken and gassi is curry.
 

Kori gassi, or chicken gassi, or chicken kori rotti, is a signature dish of the Bunt community of Mangalore. This creamy, delicately spiced, and intensely flavourful dish — with its coconut-based red curry — is utterly delicious, not to say addictive.

Mangalorean cuisine is justly famous for its sophisticated use of ground masala in a variety of dishes, ranging from poultry to seafood. It excels in bringing out the best flavours of roasted spices and this culinary skill is clearly seen in this Mangalorean chicken curry recipe.
 

This fiery red kori gassi recipe marries the mild sweetness of coconut with a variety of spices and aromatics to create a dish with great depths of flavour.

Among the kori gassi ingredients, it is the Karnataka byadgi chillies that give this kori gassi recipe its characteristic fiery orange colour. The chilli itself is not very hot, but it adds a lovely dark colour and enticing aroma to the dish. You can add 10 to 12 chillies if you want a spicy curry. If you don’t have byadgi chillies, you can use the mild colour-imparting Kashmiri chillies.
 

Our tried and tested recipe shows you how to prepare kori gassi Mangalorean style without any hassle. Don’t let the long list of kori gassi ingredients and spices daunt you. Once you have lined up all the ingredients, the process is quite straightforward. Coconut milk is widely available in the market, so you can make Mangalorean chicken gassi quite easily, without too much time and bother.

Tips for making the best Mangalorean chicken curry recipe:

Make sure not to “over-roast” the ingredients for the kori gassi masala paste, especially the dried red byadgi chillies, or the taste of the masala mixture will not be balanced. The spices should be lightly coloured and not dark brown. Roast all the spices and aromatics on low heat and continuously stir them so that do not burn but colour evenly.
 

Since this Mangalorean chicken curry is luscious and rich with a silky texture, ensure that you grind the masala paste to a very smooth paste using just a little water on a grinding stone (preferable) or an electric grinder. We find that the texture achieved on a grinding stone is superior to an electric grinder, though there is a trade-off of time and effort.

Garnish with fresh curry leaves just before taking the dish off the heat (though we know of cooks who also garnish their Mangalorean chicken gassi with coriander leaves, and fried onions).
 

You can use the same kori gassi recipe to cook mutton, lamb, prawn, and even vegetables, instead of chicken, but do adjust the cooking times for the main ingredient.

Kori gassi is traditionally eaten with an exceptional crispy flatbread made of rice flour called kori rotti. This is a crunchy and slightly chewy wafer-like bread and juxtaposes nicely with the curry. The conventional way of eating kori gassi with kori rotti involves pouring a liberal amount of chicken gassi over pieces of the rotti and allowing it to absorb the curry for a few minutes. The best way to enjoy this experience of kori rotti with Mangalorean chicken gassi is to utilize your hands. No cutlery permitted!
 

Kori gassi is also eaten with pundi, Mangalorean steamed rice dumplings or balls that are customarily made with brown rice that has been soaked for several hours.
 

Mangalorean chicken curry also works deliciously with neer dosa, aapam, idiappam (string hoppers), idli, parotta, and plain rice.  You can also pair it with north Indian breads like lachcha paratha and phulka or chapati.

For a full Mangalorean Sunday meal, make this chicken gassi recipe along with Mangalore prawn curry, Ivy gourd with cashew nuts, kingfish steamed in banana leaves Mangalore style, and daaliso saar (lentil dish).
 

Learn how to make homemade Mangalorean style chicken curry with step by step cooking instructions and all ingredients on Yummefy. Try the best Chicken Gassi - Mangalorean Chicken Curry recipe.

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