Kori Ajadina (Chicken Sukka) – Mangalorean style dry chicken

Note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kori ajadina is a dry, intensely aromatic dish that relies on grated coconut and Kundapur Masala powder to bring out the authentic flavors of Mangalorean cuisine. Also, commonly called as Chicken sukka, kori ajadina literally means dry chicken dish.

Kori ajadina served in a cast-iron wok

If you’re a fan of the movie Ratatouille, like I am, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

There’s a particular scene in the movie Ratatouille where Anton Ego, the food critic, eats Ratatouille in the restaurant. After the first bite, he’s instantly transported back to his childhood, to the moment when he comes home to his mother cooking his favorite food. It’s beautifully shot, and the memories that the Ratatouille brings flooding back for Anton are similar to the ones I have whenever I eat Mangalorean food.

Especially kori ajadina.

Save the recipe form

💌  Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below, and we will send it straight to your inbox. As a bonus, you'll receive recipe ideas every week!

Every time I eat this dish, my mind just goes back to the times my mom used to make kori ajadina when we had guests over. As the chicken cooked, it filled up the house with the most joyous aromas. It was a test of patience to wait for the chicken to get done. I remember I would pop into the kitchen every few minutes and ask, “Is it done?”. I am sure I drove my mom crazy, but she would always say, “I will call you the minute it is done”. And she would.

It is hard to explain the joy I felt when she called out for me. As I entered the kitchen, she gave me a small steel bowl filled with a few pieces of chicken ajadina. I always wanted to be the first to taste it and give her my ‘seal of approval.’ Even though I was a kid, I still knew what a good kori ajadina tasted like. I was a foodie even back then 🙂

Kori ajadina served in a cast-iron wok

How to make kori ajadina or chicken sukka Kundapur style?

Kori ajadina is a popular dish among the Bunt community and is usually one of many dishes served at special occasions, like weddings and baby showers. As with any meat, this dish tastes far nicer when free-range chickens (desi murg) are used. Desi murg are specific breeds of free-range chicken native to India. If you’re cooking this dish in any other country, regular free-range chickens will be fine.

It is usually made spicy, and there can be a lot of variations from one household to the other on how this is prepared (check out the variation mentioned below the recipe). This version of the recipe calls for premade Kundapur masala powder, but if you don’t have any at home, don’t despair – just follow the notes in this recipe below to make this spice mix at home. This is a shortcut version my in-laws follow and in no way tastes any different from the original version, where the spice mix is made fresh before the dish is cooked.

For a real feast, pair kori ajadina with kori gassi (Mangalorean chicken curry) and rutti (crisp, paper-thin wafers from rice) for a delectable mix of gravy and dry chicken, prepared in this traditional Indian cooking style.

Other Mangalorean recipes that may interest you

Recipe card – save the recipe

📩  Save this recipe!

Enter your email below, and we will send it straight to your inbox. As a bonus, you’ll receive recipe ideas every week!

Kori ajadina served in a cast-iron wok
Click on the stars to rate!
4.45 from 9 votes

Kori Ajadina (Chicken Sukka) Recipe

Kori ajadina is a dry, intensely aromatic dish that relies on grated coconut and Kundapur Masala powder to bring out the authentic flavors of Mangalorean cuisine. Also, commonly called as Chicken sukka, kori ajadina literally means dry chicken dish.
Pin Print Save
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a medium sized wok over medium heat and add onions and garlic paste and fry them till they are translucent. Add tomatoes and fry them till they are soft and mushy.
  • Add the chicken along with chili powder, salt and Kundpur masala powder (1 tablespoon) and mix well. Then add half a cup of water and let the chicken cook in it. 
  • Add water as needed (approximately 1 cup of water) till the chicken is done and the gravy thickens and is not runny.
  • Add grated coconut mixed with Kundapur masala powder to the chicken mixture and mix well. Simmer it for 5 minutes and take it off heat and serve hot with steamed rice and curry.

Notes

Variation 1: Follow step 1 mentioned above. Instead of cooking the chicken in the onion – tomato gravy with 1/2 cup of water, cooked chicken from Kori Gassi (Mangalorean chicken curry) is removed and added to the onion-tomato gravy. The chicken is mixed well and allowed to simmer for a couple of minutes before adding the grated coconut and Kundapur Masala powder. The Kori Gassi is then used to eat Rutti whereas Kori Ajadina is served as a side dish.
To make Kundapur masala powder for this recipe – you need
  • 7-8 byadgi chilies
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon methi seeds
  • 7-8 black pepper seeds.
Note – This may yield approximately 3-4 tablespoons of Kundapur masala powder. Make sure you use only 3 tablespoons for this recipe and save the rest for later.
Instructions
  1. Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium-sized pan and over medium heat.
  2.  Add chilies to it and roast them till an aroma emanates from it. Remove the chilies and keep it aside.
  3. Roast remaining ingredients (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper seeds, and fenugreek seeds) for a minute or till it turns aromatic. Set it aside to cool it down (for approximately 10 minutes).
  4. Transfer them to a blender along with the chilies and grind them to a fine powder. Store it in an airtight container for future use.
Read the post…For helpful information on ingredient swaps, storage tips, meal prep ideas, and variations!

Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 11gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 717mgPotassium: 339mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 10.7mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1.7mg
Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free
Course: Side Dish
Method: Stovetop
Keywords: Bunt style, Mangalorean, Shetty Style, Sukka
Cuisine: Indian
Did you enjoy this recipe or have a question?Please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to rate!

Get dinner on the table faster!

Learn my meal planning + prepping secrets to make fresh Indian food without spending hours in the kitchen.

An overhead shot of Gujarathi kadhi along with rice, rotis and a side of lemon

FREE EMAIL COURSE

Simmer to slimmer logo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve had this many times in mangalorean restaurants and I thought that it must be a difficult dish to make. I followed your recipe and it was amazingly simple and the same taste. Maybe a dash of tamarind would bring a little tang. That’s it. But your recipe is perfect especially the mix for the kundapur masala. Many thanks, Anushree. From Roy

  2. 3 stars
    Hi
    Kori sukka /Ajadina..no authentic recipe calls for tomatoes.Instead tamarind is used.
    Kori Gassi(Kori -Rotti Gasi..again no tomatoes please.a small one inch piece of tamarind.and no cinnamon or any such while garam masala
    Kundapur masala… PL do not fry in oil..dry roast all masalas.infact when we do in bulk,we first sun dryt them.later dry roast on medium flame.cool.then powder ..
    I am from Kundapur

    1. Hello Sucheta – Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. What has been cooked in our homes by our moms and grandmoms would be authentic to us, right? My mom and mom-in-law use tomatoes, fry the spices in oil and also, add a tiny bit of cinnamon – that’s the recipe I follow.

      My grandmother used tamarind in her curries because it was local to our region. Times changed and tomatoes became more popular and it often replaced tamarind in curries and dal.

      I remember she sundried all the spices too! Unfortunately, it was a practice my mom’s generation had to let go of when they moved to Mumbai because of space/time constraints.

      Long story short, I appreciate your comments but would like to say there is no one authentic recipe for any dish. Every household will have their own version and variations.

      At the end of the day, all that matters is that we serve with love and have gratitude in our hearts that we have a family to share our meals with.

      1. True….I agree with you Anushree totally….I have always prepared kori in the same way by getting masala from Bunts sangh mumbai since I was a working woman and my college timing ranged from 7am to 7 pm and so always short of time….I was surprised that somebody else too prepares using this….and one reason why I also have always used tomatoes is because tamarind is not good for people with bone problems like arthritis etc….and I don’t think using tomatoes should not make any difference…..loved your recipes…last but not the least what our moms prepared is always “authentic”

  3. 5 stars
    Very delicious recipe. My family and even my foreign guests also liked it very much. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.