Kottayam Style Chicken Curry or Naadan Kozhi Piralan

Kottayam Style Chicken Curry or Naadan Kozhi Piralan

A fantastic chicken curry, goes well as a main curry with Rice, Pulao, Kerala Parotta, Appam, Idiyappam, Rotis … and also without coconut paste / coconut milk. Recipe adapted from Suriyani Pachakam by Mrs. Bava Lukose, Kottayam, Kerala, cookery book available @ DC Books or online stores).

Serves: 5 – 6

Ingredients

For the spice paste:

1 – inch piece ginger, chopped

10 garlic cloves, chopped

15 shallots (chuvannulli / small onion), sliced

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon pepper powder

½ teaspoon saunf (fennel / perumjerakam) (or 1/4 level teaspoon saunf powder)

8 cloves (or 1/4 level teaspoon clove powder)

2 cinnamon sticks (1 – inch size) (or 1/4 level teaspoon cinnamon powder)

Make a fine paste of above ingredients. Keep aside. Sprinkle very little water (1 tablespoon) when making paste in a mixer.

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

2 onions, very finely sliced

Spice paste

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 springs curry leaves (12 nos)

1 kg chicken (cut into medium size pieces), wash well and drain out water thoroughly

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup (200 ml) hot water

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water and gently wipe with a kitchen towel.

Heat oil in a wide pan. Add finely sliced onions and fry till golden color on a medium to low heat.

Add spice paste and gently stir on a low heat for 3 – 4 minutes or until well combined with onions and thickens.

Add vinegar and curry leaves. Stir well.

Add chicken pieces, salt to taste and 1 cup (200 ml) hot water. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 30 – 35 minutes or until done / chicken pieces softens / gravy slightly thickens. Serve with Rice / Kerala Parotta / Appam / Idiyappam …

Tip: Keep this curry for half an hour before consuming. Then it will absorb all the flavors / light brown in color / gravy will be thick too !!