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There seem to be so many ways to prepare a chicken curry - even in just one home. We generally like the South Indian style spicy curries - either tamarind or coconut based. Like this one here which has become a real favourite at home now - a real crowd pleaser.
This one is similar in the sense it has khus khus (poppy) which imparts a slight creaminess, but there the similarity ends. It has saunf (fennel seeds) in it and that makes it taste quite different. Its actually more of a kozhambu style chicken curry and has the robustness of the whole spices which have been ground into it. It also makes it a little coarser in texture. It has coconut and tamarind and is a recipe I have grown comfortable with since I don't have to refer to any proportions - its how I makes these vegetarian kozhambus, for the most part, with coconut and khus khus in this one, added to temper it down - so its not as brown as a traditional kozhambu.
We like to have it with rice, but it goes well with rotis as well. Serve it with a stir fry of okra or a similar green vegetable.
Kozhi Curry - Tamil Homestyle Chicken Curry
500gm chicken cut into 8 pieces, marinated in
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp yoghurt
Tempering:
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds(methi) - 1/2 tsp
- Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1 tsp
- Curry leaves (karipatta) - a handful
Masala paste: Roast all ingredients together and grind to a paste with a little water.
- 6 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 tsp khus khus (poppy seeds)
- 3-4 fenugreek seeds (methis)
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
Tamarind Pulp - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 sliced
Tomato - chopped into 6 pieces
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
1. Heat oil, add tempering ingredients (once the mustard pops, add the other ingredients)
2. Saute onions and then add marinated chicken and fry on high for 5 min browning on all sides.
3. Add the tomatoes, spice paste and salt and fry for another 3 minutes.
4. Add tamarind pulp, 2 cups of water and bring to boil. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or till the chicken is tender and cooked.
5. Check seasoning and add more water if required and simmer for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
12 comments:
Thanks for sharing this Miri. South Indian chicken curry would have seemed like an oxymoron to the rest of us till recently. Thankfully this mind set is changing now with increased awareness. Do all South Indian meat curries have coconut in them?
K, this is just our preference and even this particular recipe can have the coconut omitted. There are other recipes which don't have coconut at all, let me see what I can rustle up the next time I'm cooking.
geat. I look forward to that
Awesome ! Was browsing thru your blog last night to look for a chicken curry recipe :) Will try this tonight !!
Looks delicious n yummy..soo tempting..
Miri, I have a new mixie now and it's so good at grinding coconut that I enjoy making these kind of curries. We've never used much coconut at home and I even more rarely because my old mixie was a Braun and couldn't grind it efficiently. Just yesterday, I made prawns with two spoons of coconut and it was such joy!
All said and done, I haven't used it much, but it's really nice to see a smooth paste. I'll try this mix that you've given with something else - now I'm trying to keep off the chicken!
And you were right about your guess in my breakfast post, about the shift!
I will be trying this for sure, I might skip the tamarind but the rest looks so so interesting.
My Mom makes an awesome Mutton Korma with similar spices, roasts and grinds coconut too and that also has poppy seeds. But it is more of a thick gravy. She claims she learned it from an aunt in Mumbai married into a Marathi family.
Hi! It sounds delicious! But will it be very mirchi for children (and for my husband who can't have too much mirch in his food)? If yes, then will reduce number of red chillies and powder.
I love smaller capacity mixies which pack a punch Sra - makes more sense with our nuclear families.
SDK - my 6 year old does have a bit of spice, so was fine tempered with ghee and mixed with rice and anyway she is interested only in the chicken in the gravy! But yes, you can reduce the chillies and chilli powder to your taste.
Hi Miri- I tried your recipe last night, with a couple of modifications. I used coconut milk, and mushrooms and "mock chicken" instead of chicken. So delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe.
I spoke to my sister this morning, and your bags are ready :) She will be shipping them via Speed Post on Saturday. Thanks so much for the order and I hope you enjoy them. And I truly appreciate you mentioning Kala Koyree to your friend for the conference bags/folders. You are very kind to spread the word!
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