Thanjavur Spicy Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 Kg with bones

Onions - preferably shallots one cup chopped roughly ( for grinding)

Onions - preferably shallots one cup chopped roughly ( for seasoning)

Tomato - 2 big ripe ones chopped finely

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tablespoons

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tablespoon

Coriander Powder - 3 tablespoons ( always use 1:3 ratio chilli powder and coriander powder)

Tumeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds- 2 tablespoons

Fennel Seeds - 1 tablespoon

KhusKhus / Poppy Seeds - 1 tablespoon

Bay leaves- 1 peice

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Cloves -3 nos

Green cardamon - 2 nos

Grated fresh coconut - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves a handful

Coriander leaves to garnish

Oil as required

Salt as required

Method:

For Grinding:

Take a tawa and heat 2 tablespoon oil and add 2 tablespoons cumin seeds and curry leaves and once it splutters add one cup onion and fry well till the onions turn slight brown and then add one tablespoon fennel seeds and one tablespoon khus khus and also add the grated fresh coconut 1/2 cup and mix well for just a minute and remove from fire , cool and grind it into a very fine paste and keep aside.

For Curry:

Take a pressure cooker or use a thick bottomed vessel and add 5 tablespoons oil, once hot add a peice of bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2 cardamons, a peice of cinnamon stick and fry well then add 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion or shallots and curry leaves, once the onions starts turning brown, add 2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste and fry well till starts sticking to pan and then add the 2 finely chopped tomatoes and to it add tumeric powder 1/4 teaspoon, and add enough salt ( salt will allow the tomatoes to cook quickly) and once the oil starts leaving the tomatoes, add 1 tablespoon chilli powder and 3 tablespoons coriander powder and then add the chicken peices immediately and saute them well for 5 minutes without adding water.

When the chicken turns white then add the grinded masala and adjust water and salt and close the lid and let the chicken cook till done. Dont add too much of water and the gravy should be not very watery nor very thick.

For Tarka:

Transfer to bowel and if you wish you can take a small pan and add 2 tablespoon oil, add 1/2 spoon mustard seeds , 3 whole red chillies and a bunch of curry leaves and pour it over the curry to get a fabulous texture on the curry and the flavor is really amazing.

This curry can also be done with mutton and I personally feel the mutton curry is more yummier than the chicken curry using this recipe.