Chicken Thokku or Kozhi Thokku is a spicy south Indian Chicken Curry recipe. We make it with shredded chicken pieces in a spicy masala gravy. This is a thick gravy you can serve with chapatis, or even biryanis for a delicious side dish.
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About this recipe and some memories!
This Chicken thokku is a popular Tamil dish, you can serve this as starter or as a side dish for chapati or even biryani.
I mostly make this while making biryani and it pairs well as a side dish for chapati for dinner as well. I mostly plan my sundays to ensure I prepare dishes for both lunch and dinner. This way, my family gets dishes to enjoy both meals and I get to spend time with them.
When I make Biryanis for lunch, I mostly make a side dish that will pair well with biryani and chapati for dinner. Hubby Dear loves to have this thokku for chapati. When I was planning to make something new Amma remembered the Chicken Thokku she used to prepare many years ago. Daddy mentioned that she used to garnish it with barista, curry leaves and cashews.
Enjoy this with the Chicken Biryanis or as Chicken Starters. If you are looking for some vegetarian thokku, then this Ridgegourd peel Chutney will be apt!
You can try this easy and simple chicken fry as well!
What is Chicken Thokku?
Chicken Thokku is a spicy chicken semi gravy dish made with shredded chicken pieces. Thokku in Tamil and Telugu refers to a semi solid dish served on the side or with Rotis. This is a traditional Tamil Nadu chicken recipe
Ingredients you will need
This Kozhi Thokku is a typical South Indian style chicken dish, made with boneless shredded chicken with a spicy gravy base.
Chicken - I have boiled and removed the bones and shredded the chicken into small pieces. This is almost like a thick masala gravy.
Onions - I have used onions two times one is finely chopped and the other is as Barista.
Green Chilies - Finely chopped green chilies add a wonderful taste to the chicken.
Ginger Garlic paste - I always stock ginger garlic paste in small cubes that I can remove what I need and use.
Tomato puree - Adding puree makes this gravy easy to make.
Spice powders - I have used regular Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam masala
Coconut Milk - Thick first milk extracted from coconut is use to make this gravy that ends up being thick gravy.
For Garnish - The final garnish adds extra taste to this chicken thokku.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
For making this Kozhi Thokku, having the shredded chicken ready helps in making this thick gravy quick. We use simple ingredients to make this spicy gravy.
Heat a kadai with oil, fry the onions until it turns brown, remove, next roast the curry leaves and cashews. Remove and keep it aside.
Wash and chop the chicken pieces. Pressure cook with a cup of water along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and half of turmeric powder.
Once the pressure falls down, let it cool down.
Remove the bones from the chicken. This need not be a fine mince.
It should be about 1 inch in size. Keep it aside.
Next add the finely chopped onions along with green chilies. Saute until onions turn colour.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes away.
Now add the cooked chicken pieces and combine well.
Continue cooking on high flame until the chicken gets well roasted.
Add tomato puree and mix.
Now add the red chili powder, coriander powder and combine well.
After 5 minutes, add salt and let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
Add water and let it come to a boil.
Now add thick coconut milk and let it simmer for 10 minutes for the liquid to get absorbed and the chicken becomes thick.
Add garam masala and continue cooking until the whole mixture is thick and coating the chicken pieces.
Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves.
Transfer Chicken Thokku to a serving bowl, garnish with roasted curry leaves, cashews and barista/Birista.
Substitutions & Variations
We can use red chili paste as well. That gives an entirely different taste to this thokku.
If you want you can use onion paste as well that gives more body to the gravy.
Equipment
We need pressure cooker to boil the chicken to remove the bones.
A kadai/wok to make the gravy.
Storage
You can store the boiled chicken for making Chicken Thokku in fridge for a day. Cooked gravy can stay good for a day, warm well before serving. This helps in making this easy Indian chicken for dinner.
Expert Tips
While making this spicy South Indian chicken curry, pressure cook the chicken with turmeric and a pinch of salt so that the chicken gets cooked soft and has the salt in it.
Chopping the green chilies very fine will make this gravy very tasty as the spicy gets mixed well.
What to Serve with Chicken Thokku?
Recipe
Chicken Thokku | How to make Kozhi Thokku
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chicken shredded with bones removed.
- 1.5 cups Onions finely chopped
- 3 Green Chilies finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
- 1 cup Tomato puree
- 3 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Coconut Milk Thick
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 3 tablespoon Cooking Oil
For Garnish
- 1 cup Browned Onions / Barista/Birista
- 2 Sprig Curry Leaves
- 6 Cashew nuts
Instructions
- Wash and chop the chicken pieces. Pressure cook with a cup of water along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and half of turmeric powder.
- Once the pressure falls down, let it cool down.
- Remove the bones from the chicken. This need not be a fine mince.
- It should be about 1 inch in size. Keep it aside.
- Heat a kadai with oil, fry the onions until it turns brown, remove, next roast the curry leaves and cashews. Remove and keep it aside.
- Next add the finely chopped onions along with green chilies. Saute until onions turn colour.
- Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes away.
- Now add the cooked chicken pieces and combine well.
- Continue cooking on high flame until the chicken gets well roasted.
- Add tomato puree and mix.
- Now add the red chili powder, coriander powder and combine well.
- After 5 minutes, add salt and let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
- Add water and let it come to a boil.
- Now add thick coconut milk and let it simmer for 10 minutes for the liquid to get absorbed and the chicken becomes thick.
- Add garam masala and continue cooking until the whole mixture is thick and coating the chicken pieces.
- Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with roasted curry leaves, cashews and barista/Birista.
Nutrition
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Usha Rao says
Seeing the title, I thought it is a pickle. This is an interesting recipe. I like shredded chicken in a nice spicy gravy base. It is a must try recipe.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I thought it was a pickle but interesting to see that it is more of a curry kind. Love the idea of using the coconut milk to add flavor and also to balance the spices.
srividhya says
Sounds like a great side for chapati and a perfect starter too.
Harini says
I got misled by the name as well. Sounds like a great accompaniment for rice/roti.
Radha says
The ingredients speak of the flavor profile! I bet this is delicious!