Erode Nallampatti Kozhi Varuval

Name: Erode Nallampatti Kozhi Varuval
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Kongu, India
Ingredients: 4 kg Country Chicken; 200 ml Gingelly Oil (Sesame Oil); 2 tsp Mustard Seeds; 1 kg Small Onion (Shallots); 100 g Ginger Garlic Paste; 50 nos Dry Red Chillies; 1 handful Curry Leaves; 2 tsp Turmeric Powder; 40 g Crystal Salt; as needed Water

A signature country chicken dry roast from the town of Nallampatti in Kongu Nadu, known for its absolute simplicity and fiery red color derived purely from…

Difficulty

Easy

Serves

6 people

Cook Time

80 min

From

Erode

Chef Note

Don't skip the asafoetida — it's the secret to digestion.

Ingredients

10 items

Chef's Tip

What Makes Nallampatti Chicken So Special? Just like Pallipalayam and Chinthamani, the town of Nallampatti in the Kongu region has its own iconic, signature way of preparing country chicken: * Ultimate Simplicity: Uses an absolute maximum of 4 to 5 main ingredients. No fancy spice blends, no coriander powder, no garam masala, and absolutely no tomatoes. * Foolproof Cooking: The process is so straightforward that even an absolute beginner can perfectly recreate it. * The Local Combo: Famously savored with steaming Pacharisi Satham (Raw white rice). The taste is so addictive that some customers can easily polish off an entire kilo by themselves! * The Chili Secret: Using 50 dry red chillies sounds terrifying, but completely stripping out every single seed infuses the oil with a rich red color and an incredible smoky flavor without making the dish unbearably spicy.

How to Make

11 Steps

The Base Sauté

1
Step 1
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed kadai or clay pot and pour in the 200 ml of gingelly oil.
2
Step 2
Let the mustard seeds splutter, then drop in the 1 Kg of peeled, whole small onions. Sauté them continuously in the oil until they turn a deep golden brown.
3
Step 3
Toss in the fresh curry leaves. Add the ginger-garlic paste to the hot oil and sauté vigorously until the raw smell completely disappears.

Searing the Chicken

4
Step 4
Add the small-cut country chicken pieces directly into the pan.
5
Step 5
Add the deseeded dry red chillies, turmeric powder, and salt.
6
Step 6
Mix everything thoroughly. Sauté the chicken in the oil and spices until the meat changes color, shrinks slightly, and becomes firm.

Slow Cooking

7
Step 7
Pour in enough water to allow the country chicken to cook through. (Country chicken requires more water and time to tenderize compared to broiler chicken).
8
Step 8
Cover the pan and let it cook vigorously on a medium-high flame. Stir occasionally so the ginger-garlic paste doesn't stick to the bottom.

The Final 'Varuval' (Roast)

9
Step 9
Continue to cook until the chicken is completely tender and the water entirely evaporates.
10
Step 10
The dish is done when it reaches a thick, dry consistency. The whole onions and ginger-garlic paste will have broken down to form a tight, spicy coating around the chicken, and the gingelly oil will start separating at the edges.
11
Step 11
Turn off the heat. Drizzle a final tablespoon of raw, cold-pressed gingelly oil over the top for aroma, and garnish with fresh curry leaves.

Serve hot with Appalam, Pickle & Thayir!

Best Served With

Hot rice, papad, and a spoon of ghee.

Nutrition

(per serving)

Calories420 kcal
Carbs65 g
Protein12 g
Fat12 g
Fiber4 g

Best Served With

Appalam
Pickle
Thayir (Curd)
Vathal
Roasted Papad

Storage Tips

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat with a splash of water.

Recipe by

Pradeep M

Traditional Recipes

No reviews yet

Region

Kongu

Added by

Pradeep M

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