(One of) The best chicken curries ever!

There is no dearth of chicken curries in Indian cuisine and while they may all look and taste the same for those not familiar with the cuisine, I can guarantee that this is not the case. I could go into the variations in spice mixtures, the marination, cooking techniques, etc. But let me focus on what I consider to be one of the better, if not best, of that vast pool of chicken curries. Kombdi Cha Rassa or Chicken curry is a Marathi preparation that is characterized by it’s fragrant smell and taste. It brings together a wonderful combination of dried red chillies, fresh coconut, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander seeds, green chillies and curry leaves in a thick tomato, onion and yoghurt gravy. You can have this with rice or chapatis but make sure to have a glass of mattha on hand to cool you down, as the gravy is also a bit spicy.

The best version I have tasted was at a restaurant in Mumbai called Sol Kadi, which shut down many years ago. They would serve the curry with vade (deep fried wheat and semolina bread) and koshimbir (vegetable and yoghurt salad). The version that I make at home is a result of trying out a couple of recipes and spice combinations to create what is now my favourite chicken curry. Priya