Chicken Rassa

Name: Chicken Rassa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 700 g chicken (bone-in curry cut); 3 tbsp oil; 2 large onions (250 g), finely sliced; 2 medium tomatoes (200 g), chopped; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 10 curry leaves; 1 tsp mustard seeds; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1.5 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; 1.5 tsp goda masala; 1 tsp salt; 250 ml water; 1 tbsp fresh coriander; ½ tsp turmeric; ½ tsp red chilli powder; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste; Goda masala is the defining spice of this curry — it gives the Maharashtrian chicken rassa its unique character vs. generic chicken curry; Deep-browning the onion at step 2 is critical for a rich-coloured, full-bodied gravy; A thin-ish gravy is correct for rassa — it should coat the rice when poured over, not sit in clumps

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

The everyday Maharashtrian chicken curry — bone-in chicken simmered in a thin-ish, bright-red, goda masala-fragrant gravy built on fried onion and tomato. Unlike North Indian chicken curries, the Maharashtrian version uses goda masala for its characteristic dry-coconut-spice depth.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥45 minCook

🕒65 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Chicken Rassa

Marinate chicken (No heat): Mix chicken with turmeric, chilli powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Rest 20 minutes at room temperature while preparing the base.
Fry onions (Heat: medium-high): Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add mustard seeds — crackle. Add curry leaves. Add sliced onion — fry on medium-high for 14–16 minutes until deep golden-caramel. This deep browning is essential for the gravy colour and depth.
Build base (Heat: medium): Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes — cook 7–8 minutes until completely broken down and oil separates visibly.
Add dry masalas (Heat: medium): Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder — stir 45 seconds. Add goda masala — stir 30 seconds. The masala should be very fragrant and slightly darkened.
Add and seal chicken (Heat: high): Add marinated chicken. Turn heat to high. Fry chicken in the masala for 7–8 minutes, turning pieces every 2 minutes, until chicken is sealed and masala is clinging to each piece.
Simmer to finish (Heat: medium-low): Add 250 ml water and salt. Stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Cover and cook 25–28 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and tender. Stir every 8 minutes. Uncover the last 5 minutes to reduce gravy to a thick-but-pourable consistency. Add ghee and coriander.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 430 kcal | 38 g | 10 g | 26 g | 2 g | Chicken rassa is the weekly Sunday dinner in most Maharashtrian non-vegetarian households. Cooked in large quantities for the family, eaten with bhakri or steamed rice, with a papad on the side. The smell of goda masala frying in onion-tomato is to a Maharashtrian what mirepoix is to a French cook — an instant signal that something good is happening in the kitchen. ---

Track the macros of Chicken Rassa and 100s of Indian dishes with Nutri Macro India.