Chettinad Chicken Curry

Ingredients

Marinate

5 lbs (2.25Kg) - Chicken (1 whole chicken)
3.5 Tablespoon - Ginger-garlic paste
3/4 Tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt

Dry Roast

2.5 Tablespoon - Whole peppercorns
6 -Whole dried red chilies
1.5 Tablespoon - Coriander seeds
1/2 Tsp - Fennel seeds
3/4 Tsp - Cumin seeds
1 - Bay leaf
2 Tsp - Poppy seeds
6 - Cardamom
6 - Cloves
2 inch - Cinnamon stick
2 - Star anise
2 sprig - Curry leaves
1/2 Cup - Coconut, grated

Gravy

3 Cups - Red Onion, chopped
3 - Tomato
2 Sprig - Curry leaves
Coconut Oil
Salt per taste

Directions

Marinate the chicken with fresh ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt.
Set it aside in the refrigerator for atleast 1 hour
Meanwhile, take a heavy bottom pan and add all the ingredients under 'Dry Roast' and keep stirring for 5-8 minutes.
Take the spices off the heat and let it cool
Once cooled transfer it to a blender, add water to it and grind it into a fine paste.
Heat some coconut oil in a large saute pan and add onions and curry leaves and season with salt
Saute until the onions are golden brown.
Mix in chopped tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes are soft and mushy
Stir in the marinated chicken and cover and cook for 20 minutes stirring in between to make sure that chicken is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Open the lid and add the ground spice mixture
Add water and adjust the salt and cook until you the gravy reaches the desired consistency

Notes and Tips

Use fresh Ginger Garlic paste
Let the chicken marinate at least for an hour
This dish is very hot and spicy. (That is how it is meant to be). But you can adjust the peppercorns and red chilies in the recipe to tone down the heat to suit your taste
Serve warm with Rice, Roti, Appam or Dosa