Chicken Curry - Village Style

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

To 1 kg of chicken, add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons of red chili powder. Mix it all well until all the chicken pieces are completely coated. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to marinate.

Step 2: Prepare the Masala Powder

In a kadai, add 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1 piece of cinnamon, 8 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 1 star anise, and 1 piece of mace. Add 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns. Roast these spices evenly on low flame for about 1 minute until a nice aroma is released. Then, add 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds and 1 tablespoon of grated dry coconut. Mix well and roast until fragrant. Switch off the stove, transfer the roasted ingredients to a plate, and let them cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to a mixer jar and grind to a fine powder. Keep the ground masala powder aside.

Step 3: Sauté Onions and Tomatoes

In a pressure cooker or kadai, add 3 tablespoons of gingelly oil (sesame oil). Add 2 chopped onions and 1 slit green chili. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown. Then, add 1 tablespoon of freshly pounded ginger garlic and mix well. Next, add 3 roughly chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften. Add a handful of fresh curry leaves and mix everything well.

Step 4: Cook Chicken with Masala

Add the marinated chicken to the sautéed onion-tomato mixture and mix it all well. Cook until the chicken is half-cooked and its color changes from pink. Add the freshly ground masala powder and mix it thoroughly with the chicken. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.

Step 5: Pressure Cook the Curry

Add 2 cups (500ml) of water to the chicken and mix well. Close the pressure cooker and cook for about 3 whistles on medium flame. After 3 whistles, turn off the stove and let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve

Add a handful of chopped coriander leaves to the cooked chicken curry and mix everything well. The delicious and spicy village-style chicken curry is now ready to be served hot.

• Adjust the quantity of green chili according to your spice preference.

• If dry coconut is unavailable, use fresh grated coconut and dry roast it separately before grinding.

• This curry pairs excellently with rice, idlis, dosas, and parathas.

• Poppy seeds can be omitted if not available.