Andhra chicken curry recipe with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. Chicken curry or Kodi Kura is a spicy Andhra style chicken curry recipe made with chicken cooked in freshly ground spices. This is a popular chicken curry recipe from Andhra cuisine. You can serve this Andhra style chicken curry with steamed rice, or roti.

Andhra cuisine is from Andhra Pradesh (South Indian State of India). It is popular for its tangy, hot, and spicy flavors.
The secret to this chicken curry recipe is slow cooking, which brings out the flavors and gives the perfect texture to the chicken. You might also like these popular dishes served commonly in Andhra-style restaurants – Andhra Chicken Fry, Hyderabadi Chicken Masala, and Hariyali Chicken.
Table of Contents
About this recipe
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Andhra chicken curry recipe. It is also known as Kodi Kura (or Kodi Koora) in Andhra. “Kodi” means Chicken and “Kura” means Curry or Gravy.
This chicken curry recipe has all the delectable flavors of Andhra cuisine. It is the freshly ground garam masala powder that gives authentic Andhra flavor and aroma to this chicken dish.
The specialty of Andhra cuisine (also known as Telugu cuisine) is the heavy use of freshly ground spices, dried red chilies, and curry leaves in their foods.
Making homemade garam masala might seem to be a time-consuming task but the unique aroma and flavor of this garam masala is amazing. Do give this recipe a try friends, you wont get disappointed.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Chicken Masala Fry
- Pepper Chicken
- Andhra Chili Chicken
- Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
- Chicken 65
- Kerala Chicken Roast

Why You Need This Recipe
- Easy step-by-step instructions with photos and a recipe video.
- Easy to customize. Check out the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients. You can add or skip the ingredients as per your taste.
- Homemade garam masala powder – The combination of spices creates a distinct spicy flavor that is truly irresistible. I have shared the recipe in the post. This garam masala powder recipe is surely a keeper. You can add it to any other non-vegetarian recipes like mutton fry or mutton sukka.
- Make ahead recipe – You can cook this chicken curry in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. You can make the garam masala powder in advance and store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Stays good for 6 months.
- Balanced flavor – This chicken curry recipe is not too spicy. You can adjust the spices level as per your taste by increasing or decreasing the quantity of garam masala powder in the curry. I have shared tips in the recipe notes for the same.
- Gluten-free
Ingredients Notes

- Chicken – You can use either boneless chicken or chicken with bones (curry-cut chicken). Chicken with bones is more flavorful.
- Lemon juice – You can substitute it with vinegar or tamarind paste.
- Flavoring – Turmeric powder and salt. You can skip turmeric powder if you do not have it.
- Ginger-garlic paste – Gives a nice aroma to the dish. Do not skip adding it.
- Onions – I have used red onions for this recipe. You can substitute it with yellow or white onions.
- Tomatoes – I have used fresh tomatoes for this recipe. You can substitute it with canned tomatoes or add 1 tbsp tomato paste.
- Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) – Traditionally, poppy seeds are used to make this dish. You can substitute it with cashews or 2 tbsp desiccated coconut.
- Green chilies (optional) – If you do not prefer spicy dishes, skip adding them.
- Curry Leaves – It adds authentic South Indian touch to Kodi Kura (chicken curry). Do not skip it.
- Herbs –I used fresh Mint leaves and coriander leaves.
- Byadagi red chilies – These chilies give bright red color to the dish and are mildly spicy. You can substitute it with Kashmiri red chilies. Or substitute it with any dry red chili. But then adjust the quantity as per the spice level of the chilies you are using.
- For Garam Masala Powder – Coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamoms. Do not skip any ingredient as it can alter the flavor and taste.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
Tips to make the Best Chicken Curry
- Dry roast all the ingredients to make garam masala powder on low-medium heat. Make sure to stir them often so that they get roasted evenly and to avoid the burning of spices.
- Deseed the dried red chilies to reduce the spiciness of the dish.
- Homemade garam masala powder is going to spice up this dish. Add as per your taste. If you like spicy, add more. Similarly, if you prefer less spicy, add less garam masala powder.
- If you do not have all the whole spices to make garam masala powder then substitute it with store-bought garam masala powder. But the flavor will differ.
- Marinating the chicken makes them juicy and tender. Do not skip it.
- Do not cut down the number of onions in the recipe. The sweetness from caramelized onions balances the spiciness of masala.
- Curry leaves gives the authentic South Indian flavor. Do not skip it.
- The recipe for garam masala powder is for 1 kg chicken. We will use only half of it for cooking 500-gram chicken. You can store the rest of the masala in an airtight container in the freezer. Stays good for 6 months.
How to make Andhra Chicken Curry (Step by step instructions with photos)
Preparations
- Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, and salt. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
- For making garam masala powder – Heat a heavy bottom pan on low-medium heat. Dry roast all the ingredients except red chilies and poppy seeds until aromatic.
- Next, remove the pan from heat, add poppy seeds, and roast it for a minute. It will get roasted in the residual heat. Remove it to a plate.
- Heat the same pan on medium-low heat; roast dried red chilies until crisp. Keep it aside on the same plate.
- Let all the roasted ingredients cool down completely. Grind them to a fine powder without adding water. Homemade garam masala powder is ready.
For making chicken curry
- Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until they are golden.
- Next, add curry leaves and fry them for a minute.
- Add marinated chicken, combine, and cook until the color of the chicken turns from pink to white.
- Add tomatoes and combine. Cover & cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir it in between as required to avoid masala sticking to the base of the pan. The chicken will also release water. If the masala looks dry add 1/4 cup of water.
- Add only half of the prepared garam masala powder; stir to coat the chicken well with the masala. Add green chilies, mint leaves, and half a cup of water. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Stir it in between to avoid the burning masala.
- Now taste and add salt, if required.
- Finally, add coriander leaves. Stir it well to combine. Cook for a minute. Remove from heat. Andhra chicken curry is ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) You can serve it with steamed rice.
2) It also pairs up beautifully with rice flour flatbread or Neer dosa.
3) Serve it with roti/chapati.
4) Serve it with‘’Sajja’’ roti (Millet flatbread) or ‘’Jonna roti’’ (Jowar flatbread).
Garam masala powder can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer. It stays good for 6 months.
Yes, it is spicy. However, you can always adjust the level of spiciness by reducing the quantity of garam masala powder in the recipe. Also, deseed the dried red chilies and skip the addition of green chilies, if you prefer less spicy.
The spiciness is actually balanced by the sweetness of caramelized onions.
Storage Suggestions
- Store the leftovers within 2 hours of cooking the dish.
- Let the curry come to room temperature. Leftover chicken curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. To reheat, sprinkle some water on it and heat it until piping hot, and serve.
- You can store the leftover Andhra Chicken Curry in the freezer. Stays good for 2 weeks.
Variations that you can try
- You can make an Andhra mutton curry recipe with the same process. The cooking time for mutton will be more.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Andhra Chicken Curry Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy bottom pan with lid
Ingredients
To marinate the chicken
- 500 grams chicken (curry-cut)
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
To make garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 tsp Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) Substitute – 2 tbsp grated dry coconut or desiccated coconut or 4-5 cashews
To make chicken curry Andhra style
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Half of the prepared garam masala
- 2 green chilies slit
- 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander Leaves
Instructions
Preparations
- Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, and salt. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
- For making garam masala powder – Heat a heavy bottom pan on low-medium heat. Dry roast all the ingredients except red chilies and poppy seeds until aromatic.
- Next, remove the pan from heat, add poppy seeds, and roast it for a minute. It will get roasted in the residual heat. Remove it to a plate.
- Heat the same pan on medium-low heat; roast dried red chilies until crisp. Keep it aside on the same plate.
- Let all the roasted ingredients cool down completely. Grind them to a fine powder without adding water. Homemade garam masala powder is ready.
For making chicken curry
- Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until they are golden.
- Next, add curry leaves and fry them for a minute.
- Add marinated chicken, combine, and cook until the color of the chicken turns from pink to white.
- Add tomatoes and combine. Cover & cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir it in between as required to avoid masala sticking to the base of the pan.
- The chicken will also release water. If the masala looks dry add 1/4 cup water.
- Add only half of the prepared garam masala powder; stir to coat the chicken well with the masala. Add green chilies, mint leaves, and half a cup of water. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Stir it in between to avoid the burning masala.
- Now taste and add salt, if required.
- Finally, add coriander leaves. Stir it well to combine. Cook for a minute. Remove from heat. Andhra chicken curry is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Dry roast all the ingredients to make garam masala powder on low-medium heat. Make sure to stir them often so that they get roasted evenly and to avoid the burning of spice.
- Deseed the dried red chilies to reduce the spiciness of the dish.
- Homemade garam masala powder is going to spice up this dish. Add as per your taste. If you like spicy, add more. Similarly, if you prefer less spicy, add less garam masala powder.
- If you do not have all the whole spices to make garam masala powder then substitute it with store-bought garam masala powder.
- Marinating the chicken makes them juicy and tender. Do not skip it.
- Do not cut down the number of onions in the recipe. The sweetness from caramelized onions balances the spiciness of masala.
- Curry leaves give the authentic South Indian flavor. Do not skip it.
- The recipe for garam masala powder is for 1 kg chicken. We will use only half of it for cooking 500-gram chicken. You can store the rest of the masala in an airtight container in the freezer. Stays good for 6 months.
Send more airfry grill recipes for veggies stir fry or mutton or mushrooms besides the chicken ones.