Kukhura ko masu

Name: Kukhura ko masu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 plates
Cuisine: Nepali
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Chicken, whole bird jointed into small bone-in pieces, or thighs and drumsticks, skin on; 4 tbsp Mustard oil; 0.5 tsp Fenugreek, seeds; 2 piece Bay leaf; 1 piece Cinnamon stick; 3 pod Cardamom, cracked; 3 piece Cloves; 2 large Onion, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste; 3 medium Tomato, chopped; 1 tsp Turmeric; 2 tsp Cumin, ground; 1 tbsp Coriander, ground; 1.5 tsp Chilli powder; 0.5 tsp Sichuan pepper, timur, ground; 1 tsp Garam masala; 2 piece Fresh chilli, green, slit; 500 ml Water, hot; 2 tsp Salt; 1 handful Coriander, leaves, chopped

कुखुराको मासु

Nepali home chicken curry: bone-in pieces cooked in mustard oil with whole spices, onion, tomato and a thin, bold gravy.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: कुखुराको मासु.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Kukhura ko masu is the chicken curry cooked in Nepali homes on a Saturday. A whole bird is jointed small, bones and all, and fried hard in smoked mustard oil with fenugreek seeds, bay, cinnamon and cardamom. Onion, ginger and garlic follow, then turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli, then tomato, and finally water for a gravy that is thin rather than thick and creamy. No yoghurt, no cream, no nuts. The flavour is direct: mustard oil, charred chicken skin and spice. It is eaten with rice, and the gravy soaks into it.

What you'll need

20 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 20 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken, whole bird jointed into small bone-in pieces, or thighs and drumsticks, skin on1.2 kg
Mustard oil59 ml
Fenugreek, seeds2½ ml
Bay leaf2
Cinnamon stick1
Cardamom, cracked3 pod
Cloves3
Onion, finely chopped2 large
Ginger garlic paste44 ml
Tomato, chopped3 medium
Turmeric4.9 ml
Cumin, ground9.9 ml
Coriander, ground15 ml
Chilli powder7.4 ml
Sichuan pepper, timur, ground (optional)2½ ml
Garam masala4.9 ml
Fresh chilli, green, slit2
Water, hot500 ml
Salt9.9 ml
Coriander, leaves, chopped1 handful

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat the mustard oil in a heavy pot until it smokes lightly, then lower the heat for 30 seconds. Add fenugreek seeds, bay, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry 30 seconds until the fenugreek darkens.
4 min
Step 2
Add the chicken and half the salt. Fry over high heat, turning, until the skin is browned and the pieces have given up and reabsorbed their liquid, 12 to 15 minutes.
15 min
Tip: This frying stage is what gives the curry its depth. Do not rush it.
Step 3
Push the chicken aside, add the onion and cook 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add ginger-garlic paste, 2 minutes, then turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powder with a splash of water so they do not catch. Fry 2 minutes.
12 min
Step 4
Add the tomatoes and the rest of the salt. Cook 8 minutes until they collapse and the oil separates at the edge.
8 min
Watch: If the spices smell burnt rather than toasted, the heat was too high. Add water sooner next time.
Step 5
Add the hot water and green chillies. Simmer, partly covered, 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the gravy is thin but flavourful. Stir in garam masala and timur.
20 min
Step 6
Scatter coriander over. Serve with rice and let the gravy do its job.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 687 kcal
Protein: 96.6 g
Carbs: 17.4 g
Fat: 23.8 g
Saturated fat: 4.5 g
Fibre: 3.4 g
Sugar: 5.9 g
Sodium: 1456 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.

Gluten-free
Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Mustard oil → Neutral oil with a teaspoon of mustard seeds fried at the start
A fair echo of the flavour without the real pungency.
Chicken → Goat or lamb on the bone (khasi ko masu)
The Dashain version. Pressure cook 25 minutes after step 4.

Tips

Small pieces with bone are the point. Ask the butcher to chop a whole chicken into 12 to 14 pieces.
The gravy is supposed to be thin. Resist the urge to reduce it to a paste.

History & culture

Chicken is the everyday celebration meat in Nepal, cheaper than goat and acceptable to most communities. This curry appears at Saturday lunch, when guests arrive, and at Dashain alongside the goat. Every family seasons it a little differently and most would say theirs is the correct one.

The dish is Nepal's take on the North Indian curry template, shaped by what the hills had: mustard oil instead of ghee, fenugreek and timur, and a preference for bone-in meat and thin gravies. It has changed little in living memory, though tomatoes are a 20th-century addition in the hills.

Traditional — Nepali cooks use a local free-range bird jointed with a cleaver, skin on. Supermarket thighs and drumsticks are the practical substitute. Timur is optional and regional.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Kukhura ko masu take?

1 hr 10 min all in — 20 min prep, 50 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

6 more questions

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Mustard oil → Neutral oil with a teaspoon of mustard seeds fried at the start. A fair echo of the flavour without the real pungency. Chicken → Goat or lamb on the bone (khasi ko masu). The Dashain version. Pressure cook 25 minutes after step 4.

What should I watch for?

If the spices smell burnt rather than toasted, the heat was too high. Add water sooner next time.

Any tips from this recipe?

Small pieces with bone are the point. Ask the butcher to chop a whole chicken into 12 to 14 pieces. The gravy is supposed to be thin. Resist the urge to reduce it to a paste.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.