Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala

A spicy chicken curry, goes well with rice / rotis …

Serves: 5 – 6

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 kg chicken pieces, cut into medium size

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a bowl, marinate chicken pieces evenly with turmeric powder and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For the spice paste:

1 – inch piece ginger, chopped

15 garlic cloves, chopped

15 - 20 shallots (chuvannulli / small onion), sliced

2 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon pepper powder

¼ teaspoon nutmeg 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

2 springs curry leaves (12 nos)

Marinated chicken pieces

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup (100 ml) hot water

Method

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 curry leaves. Stir well.

Add chicken pieces, salt to taste and ½ cup (100 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 / brown in color. Serve with Rice / Kerala Parotta / Appam / Idiyappam …

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