Chettinad Chicken curry

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic inIndia.

Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas.
The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb

Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments lile Idli, Dosa, Appams, Iddiyappam


While Preparing this chicken curry you will enjoy the Aromas of roasted spices & its very Inviting, Here is the Recipe

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Chicken - 1 cup cleaned (around 10-12 small pieces)
Curd - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

To roast and grind:

Grated Coconut - 1/8 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 3 to 4
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Roasted gram (Potukadalai) - 1 tsp
Big Onion - 1 chopped roughly
Tomato - 1 chopped roughly

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Bay leaf - a small piece
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Curry leaves - few
Small Onion - 5 to 7 halved
Tomato - 1 small sized chopped roughly
Garlic - 5

Method:

•      Heat a pan and add red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, fennel seeds, roasted gram and dry roast till slightly golden brown. Then add onion, tomato and saute till onions turn golden brown and tomatoes raw smell leaves. Finally add in coconut and saute till browned.

• Cool down and grind it to a fine paste(sprinkle little water). Add chicken, salt, turmeric powder, curd in a mixing bowl and marinate for atleast 1 hour(the more time, the better) and Set aside. In a pressure cooker heat oil, add bayleaf, cardamom,cinnamon, cloves and saute for a minute.

• Then add onion, tomato, garlic, curry leaves and saute for 2mins. Then add the chicken and saute it for 10mins atleast. Then add the grinded masala paste and mix well. Saute until raw smell comepltely leaves and the chicken blends well with the masalas.

• Add 1/2 cup water , required salt(add red chilli powder if required at this stage) and pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. Once pressure releases, transfer it to a kadai(in medium flame) and allow it to boil until oil seperates(this may take sometime). Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off as per your required consistency. It gets thick with time so switch off accordingly.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.