CHICKEN SUKKA

It is a dry home style Indian chicken curry made with freshly ground richly flavoured masala, ghee, coconut etc. Serve it as a side dish with neer dosa, roti, rice.

Ingredients

For marination

1.    Chicken (curry cut) – 500 gm

2.    Lemon juice – 2 tsp

3.    Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

4.    Salt

For sukka masala powder

1.    Byadagi or kashmiri chillies – 12-15

2.    Coriander seeds – 2 Tbsp

3.    Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

4.    Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

5.    Cummin seeds – 1 tsp

6.    Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

7.    Pepper corns – 2 Tbsp

8.    Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

9.    Cloves – 4

10. Star anise – 1

11. Garlic cloves – 8

12. Curry leaves – 4 springs

13. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

14. Tamarind – small piece

Other ingredients

1.    Ginger – 1 inch piece

2.    Garlic cloves – 10

3.    Grated coconut – ½ coconut

4.    Onions sliced – 2

5.    Green chillies – 2

Preparation

1.    Marinate the chicken with salt, lemon juice and turmeric powder and keep aside for at least one hour.

2.    Heat a pan and dry roast the red chillies until crisp on low flame. Remove and keep aside.

3.    In the same pan on low flame dry roast rest of the ingredients except grated coconut, curry leaves and garlic and keep aside.

4.    Add 1 tsp of oil to the same pan, fry garlic till golden and add curry leaves and fry till crisp. Keep aside.

5.    In the same pan roast the grated coconut on medium low flame with turmeric until lightly golden.  Cool and crush and keep aside.

6.    Add all the roasted spices with ¼ cup roasted coconut, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder and tamarind to a mixer and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

7.    Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan and add sliced onions and slitted green chillies. Sauté until lightly golden.

8.    Add curry leaves and crushed ginger garlic. Sauté for a minute and add marinated chicken and still until the chicken pieces turn white and then cook on low flame until chicken is done, stirring in between.

9.     Add sukka masala powder and mix well.

10. Add ¼ cup water and cook covered.  When the masala releases oil then add the crushed roasted coconut and mix well.

11. Stir cook on high flame for 2 minutes and add 1 tsp ghee (optional) and coriander leaves.

12. Serve hot.

Tips

1.    Oil can be used in place of ghee. Ghee gives better taste.

2.    Adjust sukka masala powder as per your spice preference.

3.    Lemon juice can be used in place of tamarind at the end.

4.    If gravy is desired then add more water.