Chicken Curry

 

Ingredients(Serves 5-6):

Chicken                                   --    1 kg
Finely Chopped Onions    --    3 cups, thinly sliced
Ginger                                      --    1 inch thick piece
Garlic                                       --    4 - 5 cloves
Green chillies                        --    3 -4
Tomato                                    --    1 cup, chopped
Turmeric powder                --    ½ tsp
Chilly powder                       --    2 -3 tbsp
Coriander powder               --    1 tsp
Cloves                                      --    5 - 6
Cinnamon                               --   2 inch piece
Fennel seeds                          --   1½ tsp
Shredded coconut               --  1 cup
Mustard seeds                       --  1 tsp
Curry leaves                           --   1 sprig
Red chillies                             --   1 - 2
Salt                                             --    to taste
Oil                                               --    2 tbsp + 2 tbsp, preferably coconut oil

Preparation of Chicken Curry:

Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.

Grind the cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds into a coarse powder. Keep aside. Crush the ginger and garlic and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the finely chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the powdered garam masala and crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute for 4 - 5 minutes. Then add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute until the mixture turns dark brown. Keep an eye and make sure that the it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
 
Add the cut chicken and mix well. Add water only if required. Let it cook on a medium flame.

Grind the coconut and add once the chicken is cooked. Add water to adjust the gravy as required. Let it just come to a boil. Switch off the flame.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the red chillies and the curry leaves. Pour this over the curry.

Serve hot. This goes well with appam, chapathi, pathiri, idyappam, rice etc.