Chicken Chettinad

We eat a lot of different types of curries and chicken curry is very popular in my home. This recipe has been cooking in my kitchen for many years and it goes well with steamed rice and dosa.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 kg, curry pieces
2. Bay leaves - 2 nos
3. Onions - 2 large, finely chopped.
4. Tomatoes - 2 large, finely chopped.
5. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
6. Coconut paste - 1 cup

Dry roast on a pan and grind to a powder:

1. Dry red chilies - 8-10 nos
2. Coriander seeds - 2tbsp
3. Aniseed/Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
4. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
5. Cinnamon - 3 sticks
6. Black cardamoms - 3 nos
7. Cloves - 3 nos
8. Star anise - 3 nos

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the bay leaves and onions and fry till the onion has softened.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and mix well. 
3. When the tomatoes have softened and you see oil leaving the sides of the pan add the powdered spices.
4. Sauté the masala for a minute or so and then add the chicken and salt. Mix well. Let the chicken cook till almost done.
5. Add the coconut paste and 1/2 cup water, adjust the consistency and taste. When the chicken is completely cooked, switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note:

• You can make a slight variation: Instead of adding 1 cup coconut paste, you can add 1/2 cup coconut paste and 1/2 cup cashew paste. It will make the curry richer.
• You can also skip the coconut paste completely and add 400 ml coconut milk.