Kitchen adventure -Chicken Chettinad

While blog browsing yesterday, came across this amazing food (mostly andhra) blog by Sailaja  ..named Sailu's kitchen. After going through her infinite mouth watering recipe, decided to try something i have never cooked before Chettinad Style Chicken Curry .

I followed her recipe and adjusted for my taste and ingredients availability at home 

For curry base :

Oil - i used normal sunflower oil
1 cup small onions, shallots (sambar onions)
1 cup chopped tomatoes - medium size
Turmeric
A sprig of curry leaves
1 cup coconut milk- since i didnt have fresh, used dabur homade 

To be made into paste 

2 green chillis - i used one (have very low chilli tolerance level)
8 garlic flakes
1″ ginger
1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 min)

For dry paste/ powder 

1/2 tsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds - used powder instead 

6-8 dry red chillies - two for me 

2 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon - forgot to add actually ;) 

6-7 curry leaves

1/2 tsp oil

Step 1 : Dry powder preparation 

In a wok, heat oil add all ingredients and stir on high heat for 2 mins, turn off the heat and let it cool for some time and later add into blender and make into a fine paste / powder. Since the quantity for me was little less i used pester and mortar and pestle. 

Step 2 : For paste preparation.

add all ingredients (garlic, chilli, ginger, poppy seeds) in a blender and work up a nice paste. My end results for both dry and wet paste looked like this.

Step 3 : curry base 

Heat oil in pressure cooker (you can use a wok and later transfer to pressure cooker- i used just pressure cooker to save washing time) add onions - cut into quarter and curry leaves , saute till they turn golden transparent (about 5 mins). 

Add the paste from step 2 and saute for 5 more minutes, keep adding little water if the mixture becomes too dry.

Step 4 : 

add chicken, turmeric salt and tomatoes cook for 5-7 mins.

Now add coconut milk and half of dry paste and  pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Step 5 

 

Once the steam is out , add remaining dry powder, cook for 2-3 min so it mixes well, adjust for seasoning 

And serve with hot rotis (i made missi roti) and cucumber raita ...really tasty and not that difficult . 

Thank you Sailaja for your amazing  blog and recipes, will try more :)