Mangalorean chicken sukka is a dry or semi-dry, highly flavourful dish of chicken cooked in a masala of aromatics - onions, garlic, and ginger – in ghee with ground dry-roasted whole spices and golden roasted coconut.
This delectable chicken sukka recipe is from the Mangalore–Udupi area, along the Konkan coast in south-western India. It is called kori sukka or kori ajadina in the local Tulu language and simply means dry chicken dish. Chicken sukka Mangalore style has a very thick almost non-existent gravy and a dry consistency.
The Mangalore chicken sukka recipe is immensely popular, and all the communities in Mangalore and Udupi—Hindu, Protestant, Catholic—have their own versions, varying in the level of spiciness. The spiciest Mangalorean chicken sukka version is reportedly made by the Hindu Bunt community, famous for their delicious spicy food. And, of course, each household has its own special recipe and method of preparing chicken sukka.
Kori ajadina or chicken sukka also has many regional variations, extending along the Malabar coast—in Goa, Karnataka, and the chicken sukka Maharastrian style from Kohlapur.
This signature Mangalorean dish of chicken in a spicy dry coconut-based masala is served at special occasions like weddings and festivals.
If one was to make a list of Mangalore famous dishes, this would be amongst the top.
Mangalorean cuisine is famous for its distinct flavours, and especially the role of coconut. Grated roasted coconut gives this Mangalorean chicken sukka recipe a distinct coastal touch and balances all the flavours well.
Follow our delicious chicken sukka recipe step by step and learn how to make chicken sukka perfectly.
Making this Mangalorean culinary delicacy involves dry roasting the spices, grinding them, roasting the grated coconut till golden, and then cooking the chicken in this spicy mixture.
Dry roasting the spices and grinding them produces a wonderful aroma and authentic taste, and hence is preferable to using store-bought spice powders. The preparatory work takes some time and effort, but the final dish is worth it.
Take care not to char or burn the spices when dry roasting.
To save time, keep all the ingredients at hand before beginning to cook.
For best results, use desi murghi, a free-range chicken native to India, or regular free-range chicken. Clean and cut the chicken into 8 pieces along with the bone. Keep the bones for extra flavour.
Mangalorean chicken sukka is usually made with a minimum of water. It is a dry dish and the chicken cooks in its own juices.
Use ghee and lots of curry leaves for the traditional authentic taste.
Serve chicken sukka Mangalore style hot with neer dosa, the traditional accompaniment to this dish. This is a popular non-veg combination in the South Canara region.
Chicken sukka is also great with steamed rice, Mangalore-style idli, and flat breads like roti, chapati, and parotta.
For a delicious Mangalorean-style feast, serve both dry chicken (chicken sukka or kori ajadina) and chicken gravy (kori gassi) along with rotti (crisp, paper-thin rice-flour wafers).
You can also serve shrimp ajadina (dry shrimp/prawn), Mangalore prawn curry, and bhuthai gassi (sardines in Mangalorean gravy), or vary your meal with chana ghashi | masala chana.
This recipe can also be used for Mangalorean mutton sukka recipe or crab sukka for equally wonderful and yummy dishes.
The same masala and the same ingredients can be used to make vegetarian dishes featuring paneer, mushroom, or boiled kabuli chana and potatoes, instead of chicken, with the same mouth-watering results.
Get the best Mangalorean chicken Sukka (Kori Sukka) recipe with a step by step video along with all ingredients and cooking method below.
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Serves: 4 as part of a larger meal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes