Kerala Chicken Curry

Kerala Chicken Curry

A delicious creamy chicken curry, goes well as a main curry with Rice, Pulao, Kerala Parotta, Appam, Idiyappam, Rotis, Ari Pathiri … and also without coconut paste / coconut milk.

Serves: 5 – 6

You will need

For chicken:

1 kg chicken, cut into medium size pieces

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water and gently wipe with a kitchen towel. In a bowl, marinate chicken pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for half an hour.

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 teaspoons coriander powder

½ teaspoons 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)

4 cashew nuts ( or 8 cashew nut splits)

1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

Soak cashew nut splits and khus khus in 2 tablespoons of water for one hour and make a fine paste with above ingredients. Keep aside. Sprinkle very little water (1 tablespoon) when making paste in a mixer. Adding cashew nuts and khus khus will make a creamy curry and no need to add coconut paste or thick coconut milk.

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

2 onions, very finely sliced

Spice paste

1 tablespoon tomato puree or 2 well ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 springs curry leaves (12 nos)

Marinated chicken pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 cup (50 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 tomato puree / chopped well ripe tomatoes and curry leaves. Stir well until thickens.

Add chicken pieces, salt to taste and 1/ 4 cup (50 ml) hot water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 30 – 35 minutes or until done / chicken pieces softens / gravy thickens / well coated on chicken pieces. Serve with Rice / Kerala Parotta / Appam / Idiyappam / Ari Pathiri ...

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