Photo: stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Maharashtra · Dinner

Gavran Kombdi Curry

The prized free-range village chicken curry — tough, flavourful gavran (country/desi) chicken slow-cooked for much longer than broiler chicken to develop a depth of flavour impossible to achieve with farmed birds. The hallmark dish at village weddings and special occasions across Maharashtra.

🧺 Ingredients

• 800 g gavran (country/free-range) chicken, cut into pieces — OR regular bone-in chicken reduced to 600 g
• 4 tbsp oil
• 3 large onions (350 g), finely sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes (200 g), chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp yoghurt
• ½ cup dry coconut (kopra), roasted dark golden
• 1 medium onion (100 g), dry-roasted until dark
• 5 dry Kashmiri red chillies, soaked
• 3 dry Bedgi chillies, soaked
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 × 1 cm cinnamon
• ½ tsp stone flower (dagad phool)
• Gavran chicken requires 45–50 minutes cooking vs. 25–30 for broiler — never rush it or it will be tough

👩‍🍳 How to make Gavran Kombdi Curry

1. Marinate (No heat): Coat chicken with all marinade ingredients. Marinate 2 hours in the refrigerator (or minimum 1 hour at room temperature). Gavran chicken is tougher — longer marination helps.
2. Grind gavran masala (Heat: medium): Dry-roast kopra, onion, chillies and whole spices as described. Blend into a thick coarse-ish paste with minimum water.
3. Brown chicken (Heat: high): Heat 4 tbsp oil in a heavy pot on high. Brown marinated chicken pieces in batches — 4–5 minutes per side until deep brown. Remove.
4. Build base (Heat: medium-high): In same pot, fry sliced onions 15 minutes until very deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes — cook 7 minutes until oil separates.
5. Add masala (Heat: medium): Add ground gavran masala paste. Fry on medium for 8–10 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until oil surfaces and the masala is dark and deeply fragrant.
6. Long slow cook (Heat: medium then low): Return browned chicken. Add 350 ml water and salt (check — chicken was marinated with salt). Bring to boil, then reduce to medium-low. Cover and cook for 45–50 minutes (for gavran chicken), stirring every 10 minutes. Check tenderness — gavran chicken needs much longer than broiler. Add water 50 ml at a time if gravy reduces too much. The chicken is done when it pulls away from the bone easily. Final 10 minutes uncovered to thicken gravy. Drizzle ghee. Garnish coriander.

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