Kongunadu Kozhi Kuzhambu - Kongunadu Chicken Curry

let me start my first blog by sharing with you all a wonderful recipe. there are zillions of chicken curry recipes in the net...so why another one?.........well this recipe is nothing like any other......have it with steaming hot idlis and half a dozen idlis will only make u long for more.

first time i tasted this was at the age of 6 or 7 years. on one fine day my grand dad took me our farmhouse to visit my great grand mother, his mother. she was in her late eighties and was stubborn enough to live alone at the farmhouse and cook her own food and do the daily chores.

she was delighted to see me and wanted to cook something special for me. she came out and saw the roosters and chickens roaming around. she selected a prime bird and soon it was despatched, plucked, cleaned and cut by our farmhand.

then she lighted her woodfire stove and started cooking with earthenware pots. all the ingredients were fresh. curry leaves plucked from the garden, shallots from the fields and what not.

when i tasted it ........IT WAS SIMPLY HEAVEN......

so when i told about it to my mom and granny they said they would prepare it for me at home. both my mom and granny are great cooks. but their curry resembled my great granny's curry just like a bald father and hairy son.

i was shocked.........it was the smoky woodfire and earthenware pots and the curry paste made with the grinding stone that made it sooooooo tasty. well not practical for us now isnt it?

so i took that basic recipe, spiced it up so that it would taste great even if done with a blender and pressure cooker and here it is.....

INGREDIENTS:

• chicken - 750 grams
• dried red chilis - 15 - 20
• corriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
• pepper corns - 1 teaspoon
• cumin - 1 teaspoon
• fennel seeds - 2 teaspoons
• cloves - 6
• indian cinnamon - 2 inch sticks
• grated coconut - 1 cup
• shallots - 20 no. 
• onion - 1
• tomato - 2
• ginger garlic paste - 2 table spoons
• curry leaves - a few
• mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• salt and oil as required. 

  now lets get cooking........

1. in a thick bottomed pan heat few drops of oil and roast the red chilis and remove
2. then roast the dry spices viz. corriander, fennel, pepper corns, cumin, cloves and cinnamon, set aside,
3. fry the grated coconut and remove and slightly brown the shallots with oil in the same pan.
4. let all these ingredients cool. then blend them to a fine paste. this is our curry paste or masala.
5. heat adequate oil in a pressure cooker or pan and splutter the mustard seeds
6. add the curry leaves and onion and saute
7. add necessary salt and the turmeric powder and stir
8. add the ginger garlic paste and saute, followed by the tomatoes.
9. once the tomatoes turn soft add the cleaned chicken pieces. ( yes, u have to add the chicken now, before adding the blended masala)
10. once the chicken is sealed in hot oil and starts oozing out its juices add the blended masala and saute
11. add adequate water and cook till chicken is tender
12. check for seasoning and garnish with corriander leaves.
13. Voila! Kongunad Kozhi Kulambu is ready, serve with hot idlis or dosas or steamed rice and enjoy....

hope u enjoyed this blog, please do post ur comments......until next time...tc, bye.......