Chicken Sukka

Name: Chicken Sukka
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; 1 large onion (150 g), finely sliced; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 10–12 curry leaves; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp salt; ½ cup (45 g) dry coconut (kopra), grated or roughly chopped; 4 dry Kashmiri red chillies; 3 dry Bedgi red chillies; 1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 4 black peppercorns; 2 cloves; 1 × 1 cm cinnamon; 1 tsp goda masala (or garam masala); "Sukka" means dry — the dish must be completely devoid of gravy at the end; keep the final high-heat drying step patient; Bone-in chicken is essential — boneless chicken dries out too quickly and lacks depth; Fresh raw coconut garnish at the end adds a beautiful contrast of fresh coconut sweetness against the dry-fried masala

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

A completely dry, intensely spiced chicken preparation — no gravy, no sauce — where bone-in chicken pieces are cooked down in their own juices with coconut-chilli masala until every piece is coated in a dark, fragrant crust. The Maharashtrian dry chicken that outsells all others.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥45 minCook

🕒65 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Chicken Sukka

Dry-roast masala (Heat: medium-low): In a dry pan, roast dry coconut on medium-low for 4 minutes until golden-brown. Remove. Roast red chillies 30 seconds. Roast coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon 2 minutes. Cool. Blend everything with minimum water into a thick paste. Set aside.
Fry base (Heat: medium-high): Heat oil in a heavy kadai or wide pan. Add curry leaves — they crackle (10 seconds). Add sliced onion — fry on medium-high for 10 minutes until deep golden-caramel. Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes until raw smell disappears.
Add masala (Heat: medium): Add the ground coconut masala paste. Add turmeric and chilli powder. Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until masala becomes fragrant and slightly darker. Oil will begin to surface.
Add chicken (Heat: high): Add chicken pieces. Turn heat to high. Fry chicken in the masala for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until all surfaces are well-coated and chicken has taken on colour from the masala. Do not add any water yet.
Final drying (Heat: medium-high): Cook uncovered on medium-high for 6–8 minutes, stirring and turning pieces frequently, until all moisture evaporates and the masala forms a dry, clinging, dark crust on each chicken piece. The chicken should sizzle actively. Turn off heat. Drizzle coconut oil. Garnish with fresh coconut, coriander and lime.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 420 kcal | 38 g | 7 g | 27 g | 3 g | Chicken sukka is found across coastal Maharashtra and Goa — the Konkan coastal cooking tradition of dry-frying fish and meat in coconut masala predates curries. Every Konkan family has their own masala ratio. Served with bhakri, rotis or rice with dal as part of a larger dinner spread. ---

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