Staples & Mains
Kukhura ko Masu (Chicken Curry)
कुखुराको मासु
The everyday Nepali chicken curry: bone-in pieces browned in mustard oil and simmered with onion, tomato and warm ground spices into a thin, spoonable gravy rather than a thick sauce. It is the standard non-vegetarian addition to a dal bhat tray and the dish most households cook when guests arrive unannounced. Timur and a touch of jimbu are what mark it out from its Indian cousins.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
At the stove
Method
Toss the chicken with the turmeric, half the ginger-garlic paste and a good pinch of salt, and set it aside for 20 minutes.
Warm the mustard oil in a wide pan until it smokes faintly, then add the fenugreek and cumin seeds along with the jimbu.
Fry the onions until they are evenly golden brown, keeping the heat moderate so they colour rather than burn.
Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and cook out its raw smell, then stir in the coriander, chilli powder and timur with a splash of water.
Slide in the chicken and fry over higher heat for about 10 minutes, letting the pieces take on colour and the masala cling to them.
Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook until they melt into the base and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
Pour in the hot water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy has thickened slightly.
Stir in the garam masala, adjust the salt, scatter with coriander and serve with steamed rice.
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