Kori Rotti Recipe Mangalorean Spicy Chicken Curry

Kori means Chicken in Tulu, and Rotti means Rice crisps or wafers. Mangalore and Udupi region of Karnataka is very famous for its specialty dishes like chicken sukka, ghee roast, kori rotti, and a variety of seafood recipes such as rava fry, tawa fry, masala fry, pulimunchi, etc. Brahmin food (pure vegetarian) is also very popular and is considered comfort food. This region’s famous street-side foods are churmuri (charmburo), batata ambade, goli baje, bajjis (veg. pakoras or fritters).

I can put together a book if I start writing about Mangalorean communities, places to visit, history and importance of places of worship, coastline and beaches, food to eat, etc. Mangalore region is beautiful, and I am making a special post about Mangalore and its neighboring towns soon. STAY TUNED. OK, Let me stop here and come back straight to the recipe.

Traditionally coconut is ground with water in a blender, and both thick & thin coconut milk is extracted separately. These are then used in the recipe at two stages - thin coconut milk for the initial cooking, and thick coconut milk is added at the very end. I have not done all of that today. So you see a little variation in texture but no compromise on taste. You should try this version to believe it. I bet this will be the most frequently used method to make chicken gassi or kori rotti in the future. Since the steps are simplified, even bachelor or beginner cooks can easily make this recipe.

Kori rotti is a unique dish, and this is different from all other Indian curry or gravy, which are served with steamed rice, roti, or chapati. I have shown the traditional method of plating the dish, as taught to me by others. You start by crushing the rotti or crispy rice wafers onto the plate. Then, pour the piping hot gravy as much as you like and mix. You will see how hot the gravy is in the video 🙂 Start eating with your fingers/hand, please. If you are not a person who likes to eat with hands, then you will not get the complete experience of kori rotti 🙂 Right Mangaloreans?

In each bite, you get some soggy bits of rotti and some that are still crispy. With the explosion of delicious flavors of the gravy combined with the contrasting texture of the rotti in each bite, you will not be able to stop eating it. And if you have a bottle of beer or your favorite drink as an accompaniment, I don’t think I have to tell anything more. There better be a large pot of kori gassi and rotti. Chicken gassi can also be served with idiyappam, undi (pundi), idli, or neer dosa.

Ingredients for Kori Rotti or Mangalorean Style Spicy Chicken Curry or Kori Gassi

2 tablespoon Oil 3 medium Onions, sliced 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped Tamarind, small ball 1 tablespoon Black peppercorns 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds or Jeera ⅛ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds or Methi 10 Dry red chilies 2 sprigs Curry leaves ¼ cup Coconut, chopped or grated 2 cups Coconut, grated 1 tablespoon Oil 5 Chicken thighs or drumsticks (350 to 500g, Optional: marinate the chicken in salt, with a pinch of turmeric powder for 30 minutes) 3 Green chilies, slit Salt, to taste ½ tablespoon Garam masala powder

How to make Kori Rotti or Mangalorean Style Spicy Chicken Curry or Kori Gassi

In a pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoon oil. To this, add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and saute on a medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden in color. Use ⅔ portion of this mixture while grinding the masala, and we will use the remaining ⅓ portion directly in the gravy. In another pan on medium heat, add black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and saute ion medium flame for 2 minutes. To this, add tamarind, red chilies, curry leaves, chopped coconut, and saute until the coconut becomes golden in color. In a blender, add the roasted spices and ⅔ portion of sauteed onion mixture reserved in step 1, coconut, and 1 cup of water and grind it to a thick, smooth paste. Keep this aside. Check out the video here. In a large pan on medium flame, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. To this, add marinated chicken in a single layer. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook on another side. Add ground masala, green chilies, salt to taste, ⅓ portion of onion mixture from step I, 2 to 4 cups of water for the desired consistency—cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium flame. Give the gassi a good stir about halfway through the cooking time, around the 10-minute mark. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Finally, add garam masala powder and mix. Cook uncovered for 1 minute and switch off the flame. Finger licking kori gassi is ready. Serve hot and enjoy.