Badaga Chicken Curry Recipe From Nilgiris Will Transport You To The Gorgeous Region Of Tamil Nadu

My first brush with the distinctive cuisine of the Badgas was in 2015. It was a chance experience at the Vivanta Coimbatore. I had stopped to check out their dinner buffet and discovered a specially curated Badaga promotion that was part of that buffet. Those flavours have stayed with me ever since, especially the Badaga Kappu Koi Udhakka (Chicken Curry) that's powered by their inimitable spice powder (Badugaru udhakka Maas hudi). The term Badaga or Vadugan refers to a group of people who moved to the Nilgiris region (in and around Ooty or Udhagamandalam) about three to four centuries ago from the Mysore region in Karnataka.

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The name refers to the direction they came from (North). They settled in around 400 villages (or hattis) around the region. They have a unique culture, language (similar to Kannada) and a very distinctive cuisine. My interactions with the culinary team at the Vivanta threw up some interesting insights about the cuisine. The cuisine has developed from locally sourced ingredients, the Badagas have been predominantly a farming community and grow crops like potato, millets, barley and carrots in the Nilgiris.  

The Badaga diet predominantly revolves around millets like finger millet (ragi) and wheat which are consumed more than rice. It's been almost a decade since I checked out some of the Badaga favourites like the Bathalu (crispy sun-dried potatoes) at this food promotion. The cuisine is yet to make its way into restaurant menus even in cities like Coimbatore which is close to Ooty and home to a large number of Badagas. Some of the quintessential Badaga dishes include Hachchike (a sweet made with millets) and a delicious mutton curry. Mud pots are still extensively used in many Badaga homes to this day and meals are still served on bronze plates for their unique flavours. 

Chicken Curry is a popular dish in Indian cuisine. Image Credit: iStock

One of the standout Badaga dishes is the Badaga Kappu Koi Udhakka or chicken curry. The key to dish (see recipe) is the flavourful spice powder. You can try this recipe at home: 

Badaga Kappu Koi Udhakka - Chicken Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Chicken- cut into pieces 
• 2 cups Shallots 
• 3-4 tbsp Badaga chicken masala powder (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup oil 
• 2 tbsp ghee 
• 3 cups water to cook 
• Seasoned mud pot to cook (optional)
• Salt as required 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a mud pot or pan and add the shallots. Fry on a low flame for 15-20 mins till the shallots have turned to a very dark brown. The inside of the shallots needs to get well cooked and caramelised. 
2. Add the Badaga masala and salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame. Do not burn the masala. Set the flame on low and continue to cook. 
3. Grind the shallot spices into a paste mix into the chicken and marinate for 30 mins.
4. Heat the ghee in the same mud pot. Add the marinated chicken and fry on a low flame for 5 minutes till the spices smell aromatic. Add water and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes. This gives enough time for the spices to flavour the chicken. 
6. Add water if required, and make sure the chicken curry doesn't dry out. Taste and adjust salt as required.
7. When the chicken is cooked remove from the heat. Make sure it's not too dry and there's enough gravy. 
8. Serve it with hot steamed rice or dosa. The curry should thicken once it's cooked.

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Recipe For the Badaga Masala Powder

Ingredients:

100 gm dry red chilli 
200 gm coriander seeds
50 gm cumin seeds
4 tbsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup raw rice
1 tbsp mustard seeds 

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients separately. 
2. Let them cool completely. Once it cools, add all the ingredients into a mixer jar and grind it to a fine powder. The colour of the masala powder should be dark brown. 
3. Transfer this ground masala powder to a piece of paper. Spread and mix it well.
4. Store it in an air-tight container, once the masala powder is completely cool and dry.