Chettinad Style Chicken Curry

Chettinad style Chicken Curry -  A delicious main curry with rice / rotis / parathas / pulao / appam / idiyappam …

Serves: 4 - 5 

                      

Ingredients

For the chicken:

750 g chicken, cut into medium size pieces

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water completely. Marinate chicken pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For the coconut paste:

Ingredients

6 tablespoon grated coconut

6 cashew nuts

Method

Soak cashew nuts in ¼ cup water for 1 hour. Transfer grated coconut  and  soaked cashew nuts (including water in which cashew nuts soaked) into small mixer bowl and make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

4 onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoon ginger – garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 ½  teaspoon coriander powder

3 well ripe tomatoes, chopped

Marinated chicken pieces (drain out excess water)

¾ teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper powder

½ teaspoon saunf powder (perumjeerakapodi)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoon clove powder

1 cup / 200 ml water

Coconut – cashew nut paste

½ cup chopped coriander leaves (malli)

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in 2 tablespoon water (spice mix).

Heat oil in a pan or karahi on a medium heat. Add sliced onion and fry till golden color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and fry for 1 – 2 minutes until raw smell disappears.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the water dries up and well combined with other ingredients.

Add chopped tomatoes and fry for  5 – 7 minutes until well combined and thickens.

Add marinated chicken pieces (drain out excess water) and fry for 8 minutes.

Add salt to taste, pepper powder, saunf powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder, nut meg powder and 1 cup water (up to the level of chicken pieces). Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 30 – 35 minutes until almost done.

Finally add coconut – cashew nut paste and  ½ cup chopped coriander leaves.  Adjust salt if required.  Mix well. Cover with a lid again and cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes. Serve with rice /rotis  / pulao / parathas …