Indian · Chettinad · main

Kozhi Varuval with Kalpasi (Dry-Fried Chicken, Chettinad)

Kozhi Varuval with Kalpasi (Dry-Fried Chicken, Chettinad) reads warm spice 6.3, richness 5.0 and citrus 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Chettinad main, about 1 hr 31 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 7.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Warm Spice 6.3 · Richness 5.0 · Citrus 4.5 · Sourness 4.3 · Umami 4.3 · Nutty 4.1 · Salinity 3.8 · Floral 3.5 · Sweetness 3.2 · Allium 2.7 · Heat 2.6 · Fruity 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Earthy 2.0 · Bitterness 1.3

What's in it (18)

• chicken — 1000 g
• turmeric — 5 g
• salt — 10 g
• lemon juice — 15 g
• sesame oil — 54 g
• kalpasi — 2 g
• freshly ground star anise — 100 g
• cinnamon — 2 g
• cloves — 12 g
• cardamom pods — 300 g
• fennel seeds — 5 g
• onions — 300 g
• ginger-garlic paste — 15 g
• curry leaves — 2 g
• dried guntur red chillies — 40 g
• coconut — 27 g
• coriander seeds — 15 g
• tomatoes — 250 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 31 min (1 hr active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 165.8 kcal, 10.9 g protein, 8.7 g fat, 14.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Rub the chicken with the turmeric, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the lemon juice and leave it 30 minutes.
2. Dry-roast the dried chillies, copra and coriander seeds in a heavy pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the coconut is biscuit-brown and smells toasted, then grind them with 60 ml water to a thick paste.
3. Heat the gingelly oil in a wide pan. Gingelly oil, not ghee and not a neutral oil, is the fat of this region and it carries a faint sesame bitterness that the dish is built around. Add the kalpasi, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and fennel and let them bloom 40 to 50 seconds. Kalpasi smells of damp stone and old wood as it opens; that smell, with the star anise, is the Chettinad signature and neither belongs in a north Indian pan.
4. Add the onions and curry leaves and fry 12 to 14 minutes over medium heat until the onions are deep brown at the edges.
5. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes, then the ground chilli-coconut paste and fry 5 minutes, until the oil separates and beads at the sides.
6. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the salt and cook 5 minutes until they break down completely.
7. Add the chicken, turn it in the masala, cover and cook 20 minutes on low, then uncover and fry a further 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat until the masala is dark, clinging and almost dry. Rest 5 minutes before serving with dosa or rice.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Mandi (Smoked Pit-Style Lamb and Rice) — Yemeni
• Chickpea and Spinach Curry — Indian
• Skillet Chickpea and Spinach Curry — Indian
• Chickpea Coconut Curry with Kale — Indian
• Vegetable Massaman Curry with Tofu — Thai

Keep reading: what warm spice, richness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.