I first tasted this dish at The Gateway Hotels – Karavalli Restaurant in Bangalore. We loved it a lot. The description of the dish was something like this. “Boneless chicken, marinated to perfection in a traditional mangalorean masala, tossed in yoghurt, green chillies and curry leaves.” It was true to every word of that description. The slight tang from the white bits of curdled yogurt and the aroma of curry leaves made this dish a winner to be remembered for a long time. Here is my adapted recipe for Karavalli style Kori Kempu Bezule / Mangalore Chicken Bezule. I adapted this recipe from The Best of Indian Cooking (A Selection of Recipes From the Taj Group of Hotels)
Click the link below to find the recipes on the site that uses the main ingredient as Chicken. Chicken Recipes
Here are some of the equipment, utensils and gadgets that will be useful for making this recipe. Click the link to buy them online. Polypropylene Chopping Board Teakwood Chopping Board Silicone Spatula High-End Nakiri Knife Glass Mixing Bowls (500 ml) Glass Mixing Bowl Byadagi Red Chillies (Karnataka Chillies) Indian Mixie Slotted Deep Fry Spatula
Here is the video of how to do chicken bezule / Mangalore style chicken bezule
The important ingredient in this recipe is the dried red chillies. Its the Karnataka Byadagi chillies. BAY-DIG-GAY as its pronounced, Byadagi Chillies come from the Haveri district in Karnataka. The chilli is long and wrinkled and deeply red. Its not very hot but imparts a dark color and aroma. Its not a very spicy variety of chilli. So if you can get Byadagi chillies, its good. Else you can use Kashmiri chillies.
Boil the dried red chillies in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set aside. Take a small mixie jar and add in the boiled and drained chillies, turmeric powder, salt and the garlic cloves. Add an egg to the mixture. Make it into a fine paste. Set aside.
Take 3 boneless chicken breasts and cut into 2 inch strips. Take a bowl and add in the corn flour and maida (all purpose flour). Add the chicken strips and the ground masala. Mix well to coat evenly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add the marinated chicken strips to the oil. Here are some points to note while frying chicken so the chicken doesn’t become hard. # Do not fry chicken in really super hot oil. Let the flame be at medium high at all times. Frying in really hot smoking oil makes the chicken hard and rubbery. # Do not crowd the pan. Add only as much the pan will hold without crowding. # Boneless chicken breast cooks fast after marination. Once the bubbles in the oil subside, its an indication that the chicken is done. Remove and drain on paper towels. Continuing to cook the chicken even after the bubbles have mostly subsided will give you hard chicken. Some bubbles will remain and that’s fine. # It took not more than 2 minutes for me for each batch of chicken. Take a chicken strip from oil and break it into two. If the meat is white inside, its done. Do not over cook the meat. Here is a picture where the bubbles in the oil subside. When most of the bubbles have gone, remove the chicken strips from oil. Set aside.
Now we will toss the chicken in yogurt sauce. This is what transforms the chicken into an awesome dish. Take 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan. I used the same oil used for frying chicken. Add in the curry leaves. Add lots of curry leaves. The aroma of curry leaves is very important for this recipe. Add chopped green chillies. Add more if you want a spicy chicken bezule. Add in the yogurt and saute for a minute. The yogurt will curdle and that’s what we want.
Add in the fried chicken pieces to the curdled yogurt sauce and briefly toss to coat. Remove off heat and serve kori kempu bezule, hotel karavalli style.
For the masala paste
- 6 byadagi dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
For the marinade
- 1/4 cup corn flour (corn starch)
- 2 tablespoon maida (all purpose flour)
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoon oil (I used oil that was used for frying)
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 4 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 green chillies, chopped
Other Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 500 ml vegetable/sunflower oil for deep frying
- Boil the dried red chillies in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set aside. Take a small mixie jar and add in the boiled and drained chillies, turmeric powder, salt and the garlic cloves. Add an egg to the mixture. Make it into a fine paste. Set aside.
- Take 3 boneless chicken breasts and cut into 2 inch strips. Take a bowl and add in the corn flour and maida (all purpose flour). Add the chicken strips and the ground masala. Mix well to coat evenly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add the marinated chicken strips to the oil. Cook till done. Set aside
- Take 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan. I used the same oil used for frying chicken. Add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Add lots of curry leaves. Add in the yogurt and saute for a minute. The yogurt will curdle.
- Add in the fried chicken pieces to the curdled yogurt sauce and briefly toss to coat. Remove off heat and serve warm.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mangalorean, South India
For the masala paste
- 6 byadagi dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
For the marinade
- 1/4 cup corn flour (corn starch)
- 2 tablespoon maida (all purpose flour)
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoon oil (I used oil that was used for frying)
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 4 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 green chillies, chopped
Other Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 500 ml vegetable/sunflower oil for deep frying
- Boil the dried red chillies in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set aside. Take a small mixie jar and add in the boiled and drained chillies, turmeric powder, salt and the garlic cloves. Add an egg to the mixture. Make it into a fine paste. Set aside.
- Take 3 boneless chicken breasts and cut into 2 inch strips. Take a bowl and add in the corn flour and maida (all purpose flour). Add the chicken strips and the ground masala. Mix well to coat evenly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add the marinated chicken strips to the oil. Cook till done. Set aside
- Take 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan. I used the same oil used for frying chicken. Add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Add lots of curry leaves. Add in the yogurt and saute for a minute. The yogurt will curdle.
- Add in the fried chicken pieces to the curdled yogurt sauce and briefly toss to coat. Remove off heat and serve warm.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mangalorean, South India
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/kori-kempu-bezule-mangalore-chicken-bezule/
This is my mom’s recipe. I have eaten this chutney with dosa several times a week during my entire childhood. Its a simple chutney that goes so well with dosa. We call this chutney as bajji and that might be due to the influence of the vast telugu speaking community of Coimbatore region. There is no tempering involved in this chutney and the recipe itself is so unique and different. Its simple to make and tastes awesome. Try it to believe it. My dad loves this chutney. So, that was even more a reason for my mother to make it very often. Here is how to do Kongunad style Kathirikkai Bajji.
Tips for the chutney Just get all the ingredients ready. Peanut oil is used in this recipe. You can use vegetable oil or sunflower oil if you do not have peanut oil at home. Baby brinjals makes this chutney very tasty. Also use “Naatu Thakkali” or country tomatoes. Cut the onions and tomatoes as fine as possible, so it will be easy in the end to mash the chutney. Dice the potatoes and brinjals. I used one potato for this recipe. Do not use more. The chutney will become starchy. Store the cut brinjals and potatoes in a bowl filled with water till you cook so it does not discolor.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped onions. Fry till the onions are soft. No need to brown the onions. Add in the chopped green chillies, tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute for 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
Add in the diced potatoes and brinjal. There is a secret ingredient in this recipe and thats quarter teaspoon of sugar. It rounds the flavor of the chillies and tomatoes. Add just a little sugar. Sugar is optional. Leave it if you do not want to use it. Add in a cup of water.
Now close the pressure pan with its lid and let it cook for 3 whistles. Switch off the heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Open the pan and mash the chutney with a masher or with a cup. Mash them well. The chutney is ready.
Serve the chutney with dosa. One of our all time favorites!
- 2 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 country tomatoes (naatu thakkali), finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped (add more if you want a spicy chutney)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 200 grams baby brinjals, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped onions. Fry till the onions are soft. Add in the chopped green chillies, tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute for 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add in the diced potatoes and brinjal. Add in the water. Add in the sugar if using.
- Close the pressure pan with its lid and let it cook for 3 whistles. Switch off the heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Open the pan and mash the chutney with a masher or with a cup. Mash them well. The chutney is ready.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Chutney
- Cuisine: Kongunad, Tamilnadu
