I really do love this dish. The star of the kolhapuri chicken is mace, which is the skin of nutmeg. It has such a beautiful aroma which takes over the dish. The dried chilies provide a slow but intense heat which makes you come back again and again for more! And last but not least, the toasted coconut. It brings the dish together with a sweet and nutty mouthfeel. It’s subtle and strong all at the same time! Chef Atul Kochhar’s Mixed Vegetables were an inspiration! So you can definitely just substitute steamed veggies for chicken!
Kolhapuri Chicken
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Indian, MaharashtrianDifficulty: EZ2
servings15
minutes15
minutes450
kcalIngredients
1 white onion
4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
2 tbsp fresh coconut
2 tbsp coriander powder or seeds
6 dried hot red chilies (kashmiri isn’t gonna cut it this time. I used Arbol chilies but use whatever you find in your region that’s hot!)
2 tsp of mace strands, OR 1 tsp powdered mace (use much less if you’re subbing with nutmeg!)
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp whole black pepper
4 chicken thighs
1 cup water
2 tsp oil
Fresh cilantro
Directions
- Roughly chop and blend the onion, ginger, and garlic
- Cut chicken thighs into chunks
- Toast all whole spices for a couple minutes
- Add fresh coconut and coriander powder and toast for a couple more minutes stirring often.
- Sear the chicken lightly in a bit of oil
- Add the ground paste and ground masala
- Add water and simmer for around 10 minutes
- Adjust salt and add fresh cilantro
Notes
- It’s super spicy so adjust the number of red chilies if you can’t handle the heat!
- Watch the recipe video above!