Chicken Kubera

Pics Courtesy: Prakash Kamath, Kanthavar

Ever since I tasted this special Chicken dish in a small restaurant in Mannagudda in Mangalore back in the late Eighties and early Nineties, I have been trying to find the recipe for this divine starter dish popularised by a culinary expert called Karunakar.

Karunakar left that small restaurant and joined a bigger establishment and continued cooking his wonderful recipes. Though he was close to me and he used to make dishes according to my liking, he was not educated enough to tell me the ingredients and the recipe. Eventually, Karunakar faded away into thin air for reasons best known to him and he never returned to Mangalore.

Here I go with this prized dish, almost like the one I tasted 20 years or more ago like Karunakar made it, which is popularly called -

'Chicken Kubera'

This dish is dedicated to that wonderful person Karunakar whom we all used to fondly call 'Karna', a ‘Kubera’ himself, rich with his culinary expertise but ended with misfortune in life. Wherever Karna may be today, I salute him for his innovations in cooking!

This is what I have finally prepared. This was first prepared and published by me in the year 2007 in a Mangalorean website. Hundreds of viewers have tried this dish and felt good with the results. I hope you all will find this good on you palates too.

Improved Recipe Update:

Ingredients:

1. Fleshy Broiler Chicken - 1 Kg 2" pieces

2. Salt  - To taste

3. Juice of 1 medium lemon

4. Kasoori Methi - 2 Tsp

5. Red Hot Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp

6. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp

7. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp

8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

9. Coriander Powder - 1 Tsp

10. Cumin Powder - 1/2 Tsp

11. Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp

12. Sugar - 2 tsp

13. Carrom Seeds (Oama) - 1/4 Tsp

14. Corn Flour - 2 Tbsp

15. Refined Flour (Maida) - 2 Tbsp

16. Brown Onion Paste - 3 Tbsp(Or 3 Medium Sliced Onions browned with little oil in a shallow  pan & ground to a paste)

17. Chopped Garlic - 2 Tbsp

18. Ginger Julienne - 2 Tbsp

19. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tbsp

20. Tamarind - Gooseberry ball in 20ml water

21. Tomato Ketchup  -  3 Tbsp

22. Coriander Leaves - A handful chopped

23. Cashew Halves  - 25 Gm or more

24. Byadgi Chillies - A handful broken

25. Curry Leaves - A handful   

26. Refined Vegetable Oil/Ghee - For deep & shallow frying

Method:

Combine chicken, salt, lemon juice, kasoori methi, 1 Tsp each of red hot and Kashmiri chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander cumin and garam masala powder, sugar and carrom seeds in a bowl with little water and rub this paste on the chicken pieces. 

Marinate for 4-12 Hrs in a Fridge.

Mix in the corn flour and refined flour and deep fry in hot oil over medium flame until crisp and golden. 

Keep aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp ghee in a wok and fry cahewnut halves, broken Byadgi chillies and curry leaves until crisp and golden. 

Drain and keep aside.

To the same wok add chopped garlic, brown onion paste and Ginger julienne until oil leaves the sides and raw smell goes.

Add tomato ketchup and tamarind extract along with salt, pepper, 1 tsp Sugar, 1 tsp each of red hot chilli powder and Kashmiri chilli powder. 

Check for Salt.

Mix in the deep fried Chicken pieces.

When the sauce is absorbed by the chicken pieces, add the fried Cashew bits along with the fried Byadgi chillies and curry leaves. Toss over medium flame for a minute. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves Six with good appetite. Maybe more, if you add extra spice!

Chicken Kubera Konkani Video