Varutharacha Kozhi curry / Chicken in roasted coconut gravy - Easter special

Happy Easter, dear friends...This traditional kerala style chicken curry is my mother's recipe. It goes well with rice, appam, puttu, pathiri, dosa, chappathi, malabar paratha etc...

Ingredients:

For marination

Chicken - 1 kg, cut to medium size pieces

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt/Curd - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Onions - 3, sliced fine

Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp

Green chilies - 3 or 4, slit

Tomato - 2, chopped

Potatoes - 2, peeled and cubed

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

To roast and grind

Oil -1 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

Cinnamon - a 3 inch stick

Cloves - 4

Green cardamom - 2

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - 4

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp or Coriander powder - 4 to 5 tsp

Sambar onions/Shallots - 5, peeled and sliced

Curry leaves - 6 to 8

Grated coconut - 1 cup

For tempering/tadka

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies - 2 or 3

Curry leaves - a sprig

Note: I use only coconut oil for this curry for an authentic taste.

Preparation:

1. Combine the marination ingredients well and keep aside for 30 mins.

2. Heat oil in an earthern/clay pot/large pan and saute the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. When onions become soft, add tomatoes and saute for a few minutes.

3. Add potatoes and the marinated chicken. Combine well and add some water. Cover and cook.

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a nonstick pan and add fennel, cinnamon,cloves,cardamom and black pepper. Saute for a minute and add dry red chillies, coriander seeds and shallots. Add grated coconut and curry leaves and roast till the ingredients are a dark brown in colour. Take care not to burn it. Perfeclty brown roasted coconut is the secret for the yummy colour of the curry. If you are using coriander powder instead of seeds, add it after the coconut turns brown so that it doesnt get burnt.Let this mixture cool.

5. Add a little water to the roasted coconut mix and grind it to a smooth paste.

6. When the chicken is almost cooked, add this ground masala and bring to a boil. Check for salt and add at this stage. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

7. In a small tadka pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry chillies and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the chicken curry.

This curry tastes best after a few hours.. 

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me