Chettinad Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg (cut into medium sized pieces-makes 12-14 pieces)

Sliced Onion – 2

Tomato – 3

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Kashmiri Chili powder – 1 tsp

Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Chopped Garlic – 1tsp

Curd – 3 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Oil

Water as required

To fry and grind:

Red chilies – 6-8

Jeera – 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds/Perinjeerakam – 1 tsp

Poppy Seeds – 2 tsp

Cardomom – 5

Clove – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Coriander seeds – 1- ½ tsp

Grated Coconut – 1 cup

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken pieces with curd, turmeric powder and salt and keep it aside for atleast 1 hr. If you are in a hurry, refrigerate the mixture for atleast 45 min.

Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients given under the section ‘To fry and grind’ in the same order. Finally add grated coconut and fry it until golden brown. Grind it into a smooth paste with ½ cup water when the mixture cools off.

Heat oil in a kadai and then add ginger and garlic, and sauté it for a minute. Then add sliced onion and sauté it until it turns golden brown. Add curry leaves and the ground paste, stir it for 2 minutes. Add chili powder and salt mix it well and then add sliced tomato. Cover the kadai and cook for 5 minutes. Add the marinated chicken, again cover and cook for 30-35 minutes. Add water, only if required(I didn’t add water).

Uncover the kadai and cook until the gravy gets thick and the desired consistency.

Serve it hot with Roti/Rice.