Koli saaru recipe with step by step photos and short video. Koli Saaru is referred to Chicken Curry in Karnataka . In Kannada saaru means a thin curry , which is usually served along with Ragi mudde and steamed rice.
This Koli saaru / chicken curry recipe has a thin watery like consistency. It is spicy and is full of flavors. This curry is so thin that you can also drink this as a soup / shorba by adding a dollop of butter on it. If you are suffering with cold and running nose then this spicy hot chicken curry as a soup can be very relaxing to kick off the cold.
This is a most popular Gowda style chicken curry from Mysore region. Gowda is a community in Karnataka , they have a strong love for their variety of Non Vegetarian food and their style of Non Vegetarian recipes are quite popular in the region. As I am from Mysore , Karnataka and grown up eating all kind of regional food , I'm much aware of the different regional taste . And this homestyle koli saaru recipe is one of the best koli saaru , that actually salivates your taste buds.
Basically there are 2 types of Koli saaru , one is with Naati Koli / Country Chicken / naatu Kozhi and the other one is with the regular broiler chicken / farm chicken . Though this recipe works good for both kinds of chicken , I exclusively make this recipe only with the regular chicken / broiler chicken. Because for " naati koli saaru " , I follow a different recipe with similar ingredients which is more rustic and flavourful.
In this Koli saaru recipe , I have dry roasted red chili powder and coriander powder , which adds depth of flavors to the curry. Alternatively you can also dry roast red chilies and coriander seeds and use in this recipe. As this recipe is more of a regular kind of curry which we often do at home , I directly dry roast red chili powder and coriander powder as a shortcut method . But in case if I am cooking for any guests or on any special occasion , I prefer dry roasting red chilies and coriander seeds separately as it makes curries more flavorful .
You can easily reduce , double or triple the recipe . Adjust the scaling in the recipe to section for actual measuremnets.
If you are looking for more chicken curry recipes , I would suggest you to check my other recipes
RECIPE CARD FOR KOLI SAARU | CHICKEN CURRY - KARNATAKA STYLE
Koli Saaru | Chicken Curry Karnataka Style
Ingredients
- 750 grams Chicken curry cut
- 1.5 tbsp Cooking oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 + 2 Tsp Salt or as required
- 1.5 liters Water or as required
Green Masala Paste
- 3- 4 no's Onions, Medium size
- 22-25 Garlic Cloves
- 2" inch Ginger
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
Red Masala Paste
- 2- 2.5 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
- 3 Tbsp Coriander Powder
- 2 no's Tomatoes , small to medium size
White Masala Paste
- 1 no Green Cardamom
- 4 no's Cloves
- 1.5 " inch Cinnamon Sticks
- ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds / KusKus / Gasagase
- ⅓ cup coconut , grated
- ½ tsp oil
Instructions
- Wash 700-750 grams of chicken, skin out and curry cut pieces. Set aside and allow water to drip completely.
- Peel skin of 3-4 medium size onions, 1 big garlic pod (about 20 -25 medium size garlic cloves) and 2” inch ginger.
- In a mixer jar / blender garlic, ginger, onions, ½ Tsp of turmeric powder and 2 Tbsp of coriander leaves.
- Blend to a smooth paste without adding any water.
- Take a pressure cooker, add 1.5 Tbsp of cooking oil and 1.5 to 2 Tbsp of butter.
- When butter melts completely, add the above blended onion ginger garlic masala paste.
- Saute for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat till raw smell goes off completely and nice aroma wafts.
- Now add in chicken pieces, 1 tsp salt and ½ Tsp of turmeric powder and mix well.
- Cook on a medium heat till chicken releases water completely, this may take approximately about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Whilst in a non-stick pan, on a medium to low flame dry roast 2.5 Tbsp red chilli powder and 3 Tbsp coriander powder till you get pungent smell of the powders. Be careful not to burn the spices. Once done, turn off the stove and immediately transfer into to the same mixer jar / blender (used earlier).
- Add 2 medium to small tomatoes into the same mixer jar / blender.
- Blend to a smooth paste, a red colour masala paste is ready.
- Now add this red masala into the chicken and mix well.
- Rinse the mixer jar/ blender with ½ cup water and add this into the chicken.
- Let chicken continue to cook on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in the same non-stick pan, heat ½ Tsp of oil.
- Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, poppy seeds (kus kus) and roast for a minute.
- Now add ⅓ cup of fresh grated coconut and roast along with spices for 2-3 minutes on a low heat.
- Transfer all the roasted spices and coconut into the same mixer jar / blender.
- Blend this into a very smooth and fine paste by adding little water gradually.
- Add this coconut masala paste into the cooking chicken and mix well everything.
- Add blender rinsed water about ½ cup and 1750 ml of water. You can adjust water later, if required.
- Now add 2 -2.5 Tsp of salt as per taste.
- Cover the pressure cooker and bring it to 1 whistle. Alternatively, you can also cover a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat or till it comes to rolling boiling.
- Turn off the stove. Allow pressure to release on its own, open lid, stir well and serve.
- Serve Koli saaru with Ragi mudde and steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Instead of red chilli powder if using dry red chillies , then use 6 -8 spicy red chilies and 2 byadgi red chilies. Also 1.5 -2 tbsp of coriander seeds for 3 Tbsp of coriander powder.
- After roasting the spices never keep spices in the same pan , as it may burn the spices due to the heat present in the pan/ griddle.
Step by Step Directions to make Koli Saaru | Chicken Curry - Karnataka Style
Wash 700-750 grams of chicken, skin out and curry cut pieces. Set aside and allow water to drip completely.
Peel skin of 3-4 medium size onions, 1 big garlic pod (about 20 -25 medium size garlic cloves) and 2” inch ginger.
In a mixer jar / blender garlic, ginger, onions, ½ Tsp of turmeric powder and 2 Tbsp of coriander leaves.
Blend to a smooth paste without adding any water.
Take a pressure cooker, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil and 1.5 to 2 Tbsp of butter.
When butter melts completely, add the above blended onion ginger garlic masala paste.
Saute for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat till raw smell goes off completely and nice aroma wafts.
Now add in chicken pieces, 1 tsp salt and ½ Tsp of turmeric powder and mix well.
Cook on a medium heat till chicken releases water completely, this may take approximately about 8 to 10 minutes.
Whilst in a non-stick pan, on a medium to low flame dry roast 2.5 Tbsp red chilli powder and 3 Tbsp coriander powder till you get pungent smell of the powders. Be careful not to burn the spices. Once done, turn off the stove and immediately transfer into to the same mixer jar / blender (used earlier). If you keep the spices on the same pan for longer, it may burn the spices due to the heat in the pan.
Add 2 medium to small tomatoes into the same mixer jar / blender.
Blend to a smooth paste, a red colour masala paste is ready.
Now add this red masala into the chicken and mix well.
Rinse the mixer jar/ blender with ½ cup water and add this into the chicken.
Let chicken continue to cook on medium heat.
Meanwhile, in the same non-stick pan, heat ½ Tsp of oil.
Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, poppy seeds (kus kus) and roast for a minute.
Now add ⅓ cup of fresh grated coconut and roast along with spices for 2-3 minutes on a low heat.
Transfer all the roasted spices and coconut into the same mixer jar / blender.
Blend this into a very smooth and fine paste by adding little water gradually.
Add this coconut masala paste into the cooking chicken and mix well everything.
Add blender rinsed water about ½ cup and 1 to 1.25 liters of water. You can adjust water later, if required.
Now add 2 -2.5 Tsp of salt as per taste.
Cover the pressure cooker and bring it to 1 whistle. Alternatively, you can also cover a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat or till it comes to rolling boiling.
Turn off the stove. Allow pressure to release on its own , open lid , stir well and serve.
Serve Koli saaru with Ragi mudde and steamed rice.
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