Also Read: 10 Amazing Tamil Nadu Dishes You Didn’t Know About
The name refers to the direction from which they came (North). They settled in 400 villages (or huts) around the area. They have a unique culture, language (similar to Kannada) and a very distinctive cuisine. My interactions with the culinary team at Vivanta yielded some interesting insights about food. Food prepared from locally sourced ingredients, the Badagas have been primarily a farming community and grow crops such as potatoes, millets, barley and carrots in the Nilgiris.
The Badaga diet mainly revolves around millets such as finger millet (ragi) and wheat which is eaten more than rice. It’s been almost a decade since I checked out some Badaga favorites like Bathalu (sun-dried potatoes) in this food promotion. In cities like Coimbatore, which is close to Ooty and home to a large number of Badagas, the food is yet to enter restaurant menus. Some of the best Badaga dishes include Hichki (a sweet made from millet) and a delicious mutton curry. Pottery Even today, badagas are widely used in many homes and food is still served on bronze plates for their unique flavors.
Chicken curry is a popular dish in Indian cuisine. Image credit: iStock
One of the standout Badaga dishes is the Badaga Kuppo Koi Udhaka or Chicken Curry. The key to the dish (see recipe) is the flavorful masala 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 tsp badaga chicken masala powder (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons of ghee
- 3 cups of water for cooking
- Baked clay pot for cooking (optional)
- Salt as needed
Method:
- Heat oil in a clay pot or pan and add the minced meat to it. Fry on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the skins turn very dark brown. The inside of the skins needs to be well cooked and caramelized.
- Add badga masala and salt and cook on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not burn the masala. Keep on low heat and continue to cook.
- Add the ground chicken spices to the paste mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee in the same clay pot. Add the marinated chicken and fry on low heat for 5 minutes until the spices are fragrant. Add water and boil.
- Simmer for 30 minutes. This gives the spices enough time to flavor the chicken.
- Add water if required and ensure that the chicken curry is not dry. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- When chicken is cooked, remove from heat. Make sure it is not too dry and has enough gravy.
- Serve it with hot steamed rice or dosa. The curry should be thick after cooking.
Also read this: Foodie’s Guide to Tamil Nadu: 5 Popular Street Foods You Must Try
Badaga masala powder recipe
Ingredients:
100 grams of dry red chillies
200 grams of coriander
50 grams of cumin
4 tablespoons of fennel seeds
1/4 cup raw rice
1 tsp mustard seeds
Method:
- Dry all the ingredients separately.
- Let them cool completely. When cool, put all the ingredients in a mixer jar and grind them finely. The color of masala powder should be dark brown.
- Transfer this masala powder to a piece of paper. Spread it and mix well.
- After the masala powder is completely cooled and dry, store it in an airtight container.
About Ashwin RajagopalanI’m the proverbial Slashy – a content architect, writer, speaker and cultural intelligence coach. School lunch boxes are usually the beginning of our culinary explorations. This curiosity is not over. This has only strengthened as I have explored culinary cultures, street food and fine dining restaurants around the world. I have explored cultures and destinations through culinary forms. I am equally passionate about writing on consumer tech and travel.