Gongura Naatu Kodi Kura

A fiery, sour country chicken curry that leans into the flavours associated with Rayalaseema cooking, where chicken curries tend to be assertive, chilli-forward and cooked down rather than left with a generous gravy. Gongura brings its unmistakable sharpness, while green chillies, garlic and spices provide the heat underneath it. Using naatu kodi, or country chicken, makes particularly good sense here: its firmer meat can take the longer cooking and stand up to such a forceful masala. The curry is finally reduced until the gongura masala turns dark, thick and almost jammy, clinging to every piece of chicken.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 800 g country chicken, bone-in

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1½ tsp red chilli powder

• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste

• 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste

For the gongura paste

• 200–250 g fresh gongura leaves, thick stems removed

• 8–12 hot green chillies

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 4 garlic cloves

For the poppy seed-cashew paste

• 1 tbsp white poppy seeds

• 8–10 cashews

• 3–4 tbsp warm water

For the curry

• 4 tbsp groundnut oil

• 2.5 cm cinnamon

• 4 cloves

• 2 green cardamom

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 2 sprigs curry leaves

• 200 g onion, finely sliced or chopped

• 3 green chillies, slit

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 1–1½ tsp red chilli powder

• 1½ tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper

• 300–450 ml hot water, as required

• Salt, to taste

• Small handful coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Marinate the chicken
Combine the chicken with turmeric, chilli powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Mix thoroughly so every piece is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Make the poppy seed-cashew paste
Soak the poppy seeds and cashews in warm water for 20 minutes.
Grind with just enough of the soaking water to make a smooth, thick paste. Set aside.
This is optional, but it gives the finished masala a little more body without taking attention away from the gongura.

Cook the gongura
Wash the gongura thoroughly and dry it reasonably well.
Heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil in a kadai over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, garlic and green chillies and fry for about 1 minute.
Add the gongura leaves. They will look like far too much at first, but will collapse quickly.
Cook over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until completely wilted and most of the moisture released by the leaves has evaporated.
Allow to cool slightly, then grind to a coarse paste. Don't take it all the way to a perfectly smooth purée. A little texture works well here.

Build the curry
Heat 4 tbsp groundnut oil in a heavy kadai or pot.
Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cumin. Let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the curry leaves.
Add the onion and slit green chillies. Fry over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, until the onions are properly golden.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 1–2 minutes, until the raw smell disappears.
Add the marinated chicken and increase the heat. Fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chicken loses its raw appearance and begins to colour.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and black pepper. Fry for another 2 minutes, stirring so the spices don't catch.

Cook the chicken

Add 300 ml hot water, cover and cook over low-medium heat until the chicken is almost tender.
Country chicken varies considerably in toughness, so allow roughly 35–55 minutes, and potentially longer for an older bird. Add small splashes of hot water whenever necessary rather than allowing the masala to dry out.
At this stage, the chicken should be about 85–90% cooked.

Add the gongura
Uncover the pot and, if there is a lot of liquid remaining, cook it down until you have a fairly thick gravy.
Add the gongura paste and mix thoroughly through the chicken.
Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The gongura should remain unmistakably sour, followed by the heat of the chillies and then the deeper chicken, garlic and spice flavours. Don't add so much chilli that the gongura disappears behind it.

Finish the curry
Add the poppy seed-cashew paste along with 2–3 tbsp water and mix well.
Continue cooking uncovered for another 8–12 minutes. Stir more frequently as the curry reduces and thickens.
The finished curry should not have a loose gravy. Reduce it until the masala is dark green-brown, thick and almost jammy, clinging closely to the chicken, with small beads of oil appearing around the edges.
Finish with chopped coriander and check the salt.
Switch off the heat and let the curry rest for 15–20 minutes before serving.

To serve
Ragi sangati would be my first choice here. Break off a piece, make a small indentation with your fingers and use it to scoop up plenty of that thick gongura masala.
Otherwise, serve with plain hot rice and a little ghee.