Chettinad Chicken Kozhambu

Chettinad is famous for the use of its fresh spices in cooking. Traditionally they follow a method of slow cooking for chicken and meat. This special dish Chettinad Chicken is famous all over, and almost everyone would have tried it. It may be made either as gravy or semi gravy. You need to marinate the chicken before hand for this kozhambu.



How to cook Chettinad Chicken:

You need:

Small onions - 15-20 nos or 2 big onions chopped finely
Tomato - 2 chopped finely
Garlic - 5-6 no.s chopped
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
Cloves - 2
Cardamon - 1

To marinate:

Chicken - 500 gms
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Sambar chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Curd - 1 tbsp
Salt.

Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

To grind:

Small onions - 10 numbers
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic - 5-6 pods
Green chilly - 2
Sambhar chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Grind these to a coarse paste. (I used ginger paste instead of fresh ginger)

To grind:

Grated coconut - 5 tbsps
Cashew nuts - 5-6
Fennel/Saunf/Sombu seeds - 1 tsp.

Grind these to a coarse paste with little water.

This is how you make it:

Keep all the ingredients ready.

Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamon.
Add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onions turn translucent.

Now add the tomatoes. Saute till they are tender.

Add the ground paste with onion. Saute till the raw smell disappears.

Add the chicken

Mix it well with the masala.
Add salt and check the seasoning

Add the coconut paste.

Add required level of water.
Mix it well and once again check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Now close the pan and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

Chicken will become tender soon, and simmering it for a long time makes the flavors sink into the chicken.
You can serve this with rice or roti.