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    Home / Dinner / Kukhura ko Masu

    Kukhura ko Masu

    Nepal’s home-style chicken curry — bone-in pieces simmered in tomatoes, ginger, and garlic until the sauce turns silky and golden.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 40 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Kukhura ko masu is the chicken curry of Nepali home kitchens, cooked slowly so the bone-in pieces turn tender and the sauce thickens around them. Onions are browned until sweet, garlic and ginger are stirred in, and tomatoes melt into a golden gravy scented with cumin and turmeric. It is the dish served when company comes and the one everyone hopes is on the stove. Every family’s version is a little different, and every family insists theirs is best. It is the everyday heart of the Nepali dinner table, right beside dal bhat.

    A home-kitchen classic, fragrant with cumin and ghee

    The curry is rich and deeply seasoned, with a gentle heat that warms rather than burns. Bone-in chicken stays juicy and gives the sauce a silky body, while a finishing spoonful of ghee and garam masala takes it over the top. Sopped up with rice or torn roti, it is exactly what comfort food should be — familiar, fragrant, and made to be shared.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until deep golden, about 10 minutes.
    2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, then add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chili powder and stir 30 seconds.
    3. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, mashing them into the spices, until the oil separates slightly.
    4. Add the chicken and salt and brown it in the masala, turning often, about 5 minutes.
    5. Pour in the water, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
    6. Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in the garam masala, scatter with cilantro, and serve hot with rice or roti.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Browning the onions well is the whole flavor base — do not rush them. For a richer curry, finish with a spoonful of ghee just before serving.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook40 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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