Chettinad Chicken Curry with Roasted Spices

Name: Chettinad Chicken Curry with Roasted Spices
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Indian & Goan
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, in 1½-inch pieces; ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, diced; 1 tbsp grated ginger; 4 garlic cloves, grated; 1 lemon; chopped cilantro; 1½ cups basmati rice; 3 tbsp oil (sesame/gingelly oil is traditional); 3 tbsp coriander seeds; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 5 dried red chilies; 4 cloves; 4 green cardamom pods; 1 star anise; 1 small cinnamon stick; 1 tsp turmeric; 1½ tsp salt

DinnerSouth Indian & Goan60 minServes 4730 kcal52 g protein

Photo: Ask27 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Tamil Nadu's boldest curry: chicken simmered in a dark masala of freshly roasted coriander, black pepper, fennel, star anise and coconut. Fiery, fragrant and deeply savory.

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Ingredients

2 lb boneless chicken thighs, in 1½-inch pieces
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 lemon
chopped cilantro
1½ cups basmati rice

From your pantry: 3 tbsp oil (sesame/gingelly oil is traditional), 3 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 5 dried red chilies, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom pods, 1 star anise, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 tsp turmeric, 1½ tsp salt.

Instructions

Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ½ tsp salt and the juice of the lemon. Set aside 15 minutes while you make the masala.
Dry-roast the coriander, peppercorns, fennel, cumin, chilies, cloves, cardamom, star anise and cinnamon in a skillet over medium-low, stirring, until a shade darker and very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut and toast until light golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool, then blend with ½ cup water into a smooth paste. Start the rice.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium. Cook the onions until soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes, then the ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
Add the chicken and tomatoes with the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes soften and the chicken is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the masala paste and 1 cup water, cover and simmer on low until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Add cilantro and serve with rice.

Tip: Grind the masala as smoothly as you can: it makes the gravy silky. Curry leaves fried with the onions and a pinch of kalpasi (black stone flower) from an Indian grocer are the traditional Chettinad touches.