Kerala Chicken

This recipe is a variation on the Malabar mutton curry. I am using chicken thighs instead of mutton or lamb. You can replace the chicken with lamb or goat. It’s quick and easy to do.

Ingredients
Chicken thighs - 2 pounds
Onions - 1 chopped
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Spice Paste
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Fresh ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3
Bay leaves - 2
Curry leaves - 10
Black peppercorns - 5

For tempering
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Green chilies - 2 slit

Method
Roast the ingredients for spice paste till coconut gets browned. Once it cools down, grind to a fine paste in a food processor by adding water gradually. Be careful and not add a lot of water and make it watery.

Now in a heavy bottom pan heat 3 tbsp of oil. Add your chopped onions and fry for 5 minutes.
Add the spice paste, ground coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. stir the mixture for a minute and then add 1 and 1/2 cup of water.. Bring this to a boil.

Once a boil comes in, add your chicken. Reduce the heat and cook covered for 30 minutes or till the chicken is cooked.

Prepare the tempering mixture in a small frying pan. Heat 1 tbps of oil and add mustard seeds.
Once they start popping, add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Stir-fry for a minute. Add the tempering mixture to your meat curry and continue cooking until curry is very dry and thick.

This should go really well with either rice or parathas!

Here are some more pics…

While roasting the spices for the paste -