Chicken Masala Fry Recipe | How To Make Andhra Chicken Fry

A regional variation of chicken masala fry, Andhra chicken fry or kodi vepudu, is a tangy and spicy preparation from the south-eastern coast of India. This Yummefy-ed chicken masala fry recipe has all the complex flavour notes of a signature Indian preparation and makes for a great dish on the table especially if you are entertaining guests and want to showcase the diversity of Indian food. The robust flavours of this delicious chicken preparation can be enjoyed with steaming hot rice or fresh chapatis.

Chicken Masala Fry Ingredients

Some planning and preparation can ensure your Andhra chicken fry tastes great, on par with the best regional versions. To start with, you will need skinless chicken cut into medium size pieces. For marinating the chicken, you need garlic and ginger pastes, green chilli paste, turmeric powder, salt, lightly beaten yogurt, red chilli powder, and nutmeg or jaiphal. For the curry masala paste, the ingredients you require are grated coconut, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, and poppy seeds which have been soaked overnight and drained.
 

▲ Garnish chicken masala fry with fresh green coriander leaves and dig in!
 

You will also need some more cinnamon, cloves, crushed green cardamom pod, black cardamom pod, bay leaf, star anise or chakra phool, cashew nuts, finely chopped onions, deseeded and finely chopped green chillies, salt, fresh curry leaves, ghee, and chopped coriander leaves. The list of ingredients is long, but doesn’t require much prep work, and makes for a cracker of a chicken masala fry. You can read the complete recipe here.

What is Kodi Vepudu?

Kodi means Chicken and Vepudu means to fry. Kodi Vepudu thus translates to chicken fry. It is one of the most common dishes served across restaurants in the state of Andhra Pradesh and is commonly made in the homes of the people there.
 

▲ Add marinade ingredients in a glass bowl and the add chicken and mix to coat well

What foods does Telugu cuisine comprise of?

Telugu cuisine is the cuisine of the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is known for hot, tangy, and spicy food, and is considered one of the strongest, hottest cuisines in India.

The three regions of this area - Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana — all have diverse cuisines. Telangana state, which is semi-arid has millet-based rotis as a staple, while the people of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions mostly eat rice. Ragi is a popular millet consumed in Rayalaseema. The curries are called koora. The food in this region is considered to be the spiciest in the world.
 

▲ Sauté the chicken till lightly browned on both sides
 

Or look at all our Chicken Recipes right here!

▲ Add the prepared curry masala paste to the chicken

How to make chicken masala well?

The magic is in the marination and the curry masala. Marinating the chicken ensures the dish is flavour-packed and that the chicken absorbs the flavours of the spices and the aromatics. The two things that need to be kept in mind while marinating chicken is that it should be coated well for even flavours, and that the marination should be done in a non-reactive glass bowl. The non-reactive glass bowl ensures any acidic ingredients in the marinade don’t react with the metal and alter the taste of the final dish.
 

▲ Continue cooking till the masala reduces and thickens
 

Curry Masala: The curry masala which needs to be prepared for the dish should be fragrant and aromatic. The fresh coconut lends just a bit of natural sweetness and that’s what I prefer though often dried coconut is used in place of fresh coconut. This is a personal choice so I would suggest trying both and seeing which one you prefer. The poppy seeds on the other hand provide a deep nuttiness to the Andhra chicken fry. Ensure that you use only the most fresh and aromatic spices for a good preparation of the curry masala kodi vepudu. The coconut should be grated for it to blend well with the other spices. The masala should be of chutney-like consistency after you blend it.
 

▲ Toss in fresh curry leaves and stir to mix
 

In the next step of making chicken masala fry, ensure the cashew nuts are only sautéed till golden. If you don't keep a watch on the kadhai or wok, the cashew nuts can burn. Some chicken masala fry recipes use cashew nut powder to make this dish rich, but I feel fried whole cashews add a nice textural touch.

The marinated chicken needs to be fried till it attains a nice, light-brown colour on both sides before being braised in the curry masala and water. The curry leaves and ghee are added towards the end of the cooking process for the flavour and aroma of both these ingredients to shine through as the top notes.
 

▲ Bring the chicken hot to the table. Serve with rice or chapati.

Tips and tricks to make chicken fry

Though this chicken masala fry is a semi-dry preparation, you may make it with a thick gravy by adding a bit more water. Though this is not something I recommend as it dilutes the flavours of the dish.

I prefer using neutral tasting oils to make Andhra chicken fry you can use sesame oil for a nutty flavour.
 

▲ Garnish the Chicken Masala Fry with fresh green coriander leaves before serving
 

If you can't handle spicy dishes, you can reduce the heat in dish by adjusting the quantity of red chilli powder and the green chillies to your liking. Or if you like your chicken hot, increase the green chillies to 4 and do not deseed.

This recipe is a crowd pleaser and one where you can easily double all the ingredients to make it for a bigger gathering.

Serving suggestions for Chicken Masala Fry

Garnish the Andhra chicken fry with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis or steamed rice. You could serve accompaniments such as appalams (papads) and raita with this meal. Or even accompany it with a dal tadka.
 

▲ Serve the Chicken Masala Fry with rice and ask your lucky guests to dig in.

Variations of our Masala Fried Chicken Recipe

If you like mutton you can substitute it for chicken for making a variation of this dish. The robust flavours of the marinade and curry paste work well with mutton. Some variations of the dish recommend adding dry coconut instead of fresh as mentioned above. I recommend that you try both versions – with fresh coconut and dried coconut – and see which one you prefer. Use any leftovers to make parotta wraps or use it in our chicken frankie recipe with added fresh greens for lunch the next day.
 

▲ Grab a piece and eat it hot. We know you will love it.
 

Learn how to make a delicious Andhra Chicken Masala Fry at home by following our easy step by step photos or follow the detailed chicken masala fry video which handholds you through the process. Find the easiest way to make this recipe, its simple ingredients, and top tricks to make it right here.