Kori Gassi | Bunt-Style Chicken Curry | Kori-Rotti Curry

Kori Gassi and Kori rotti are a match made in the heaven named Mangalore. If Kori-Gassi were an art media, then kori-rotti is the canvas on which the artist brought out its vibrant flavour and aroma. And the artist of this creation is the Bunt-community of Mangalore. The Bunts are known for their spicy, flavour-laden preparations. Remember the story of the Chicken Ghee Roast?

The Kori Gassi

The Kori Gassi is a piquant chicken curry cooked in a spicy masala paste and coconut milk. Kori means Chicken and Gassi means Curry in Tulu, the local language of Mangalore and the mother-tongue of the Bunt community.

As with most Mangalorean masala blends, the kumti/byadgi chillies play a prime role in this dish. Be generous in the usage of these chillies. I have also added a few Ramnads to take the heat up a notch. Don’t be afraid to do this as the creamy sweetness of the coconut milk will cut through the heat. The addition of tamarind and tomatoes provides the necessary tart undertone to the curry.

The Process

The drill of making this Kori gassi consists of dry-roasting the chillies and the spices until they are aromatic. Ensure that you do not burn them, especially the fenugreek seeds, which will give a bitter taste to the dish. Grated coconut is fried in ghee with some onion and turmeric until it turns aromatic and then all these ingredients are ground to a fine paste.

This is followed by cooking the chicken in the masala and thin coconut milk along with the tomato paste. Thick coconut milk is added towards the end and finally the kori gassi is tempered with the fried onions. Do note that, since this is a coconut-rich dish, we wouldn’t go wrong in using coconut oil, keeping the flavour-quotient homogeneous. But, the usage of ghee in this dish, lifts the flavour up a notch.

The Motivation

Sunday morning, I happened to find a pack of the Kori-rotti nestled in the “Mangalorean essentials” in my pantry and I knew I had to make the Kori Gassi that day to satiate my cravings. But alas! I had exhausted my stock of the red fruit and supermarkets are closed on sundays/ public holidays in Germany.

Although, the Gassi could still be made without the tomatoes, I didn’t want to lose out on the tartness (yes, I could have increased the quantity of tamarind). But, I hade a tube of tomato paste in the fridge and I thought of giving it a try. And it did not absolutely disappoint me. The concentrated flavour of the tomato paste, actually lifted the flavour of the dish as well as the colour, a notch.

This is yet, another example of the incredible and unimagined outcomes of being bold with ingredients and experimenting in the kitchen. The possibilities are endless. Never limit yourselves or stop yourself from trying out a recipe because you don’t have the suitable ingredients. Look for the nearest possible alternatives or substitutes. Use recipes not as a set template but as a reference for you to leave your own mark on the dish. remember?

The Perfect Match

Well, this Kori Gassi can be enjoyed with rice and other rice based preparations like sanna, paan-poley, sheviyo etc. But, it teams best with the Kori-rotti! The Kori-rotti is a crispy rice crepe, made locally in Mangalore and available outside Mangalore in stores selling Mangalorean products.

These crispy sheets are broken into bite sized slivers and drenched with the Gassi to soften them. I could just go on gulping down these kori gassi soaked rice crepes. It is an absolute joy!

The kori rotti is enjoyed best when the kori gassi is neither too thin/watery nor too thick. It has to be runny, just enough to coat the kori rotti. I hope you enjoy my version of this Mangalorean classic!

Kori Gassi / Kori-Rotti Curry

Jason Alfred Castelino @ www.oneplateplease.com

A Mangalorean classic Bunt-style piquant Chicken curry

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Bunt Cuisine, Mangalorean

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

for the Masala:

• 15 pcs Dry red Chillies, Long (I used Byadgi)
• 5 pcs Dry red Chillies, Short (I used Ramnad)
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns
• 1½ tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 4 pcs Cloves
• 1 inch Cinnamon
• 1 pod Garlic flakes (about 10-12 flakes)
• 1 tsp Poppy seeds
• ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 pc Onion, medium sized (roughly chopped)
• 1 cup Coconut, frreshly grated
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 pc Tamarind (lime sized)

for the Curry:

• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 pc Onion, medium sized (thinly sliced)
• 1 kg Chicken, on the bone, cut to medium large pieces, washed and drained
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste (can substitute with 2 finely chopped tomatoes)
• 400 ml Coconut milk, thin
• Salt, as acquired
• 400 ml Coconut milk, thick

for the Tempering:

• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 pc Onion, medium sized (sliced)

Instructions

 

making the Masala:

• Heat a frying pan and dry roast the dry red chillies, followed by the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and garlic flakes until they turn aromatic. Ensure not to burn them
• Right at the very end, add the poppy seeds and fenugreek seeds and roast for a few seconds only (If you roast the fenugreek for a longer time, you will end up with a bitter curry).
• Take them out onto a plate and allow to cool
• In the same pan, heat the ghee and fry the onion on medium heat till it turns translucent
• Add the grated coconut, mix well and fry till it browns a bit and turns aromatic
• Add the turmeric powder and tamarind and give a good mix
• Take it out to the plate with the roasted spices and allow to cool
• Once cooled, grind all the roasted ingredients with sufficient water to a fine-smooth paste
• Take the masala out to a bowl and reserve the masala water from the mixie.

making the Gassi/Curry:

• In a large enough pot, heat the ghee and fry the sliced onion on medium heat till translucent
• Add the chicken pieces and gently sear them on high heat
• Add the masala and the tomato paste/ chopped tomatoes and give a good mix
• Add the thin coconut milk and the reserved masala water from the mixie (see notes)
• Add salt, mix well and bring it to a boil
• Reduce the heat to medium, cover the lid and let the chicken cook till it is almost done
• Check the salt and add more if needed
• Add the thick coconut milk and give it a quick stir and bring it to a boil and take it off the heat

Tempering the Gassi:

• Heat ghee in a pan and fry the onion on medium heat
• Keep stirring and flipping the onion slices so that they brown evenly
• Once the onion slices are browned, add this to the gassi, give a quick stir and immediately close the lid for the flavour to infuse

Serving suggestion:

• Serve the Gassi hot with the crispy Kori-rotti/ red-boiled rice/ sannas/ paan-poley or other rice based preparations

Notes

• Adjust the quantity of the chillies, to suit your heat quotient.
• Try the dish with the dried chillies at your disposal. you need a good blend of colour-heat
• For best results, the Gassi/curry needs to be neither too thin/watery, nor too thick. Use the reserved masala water in the necessary quantity only

Keyword Kori Gassi, Kori rotti, Spicy Chicken Curry