Mangalorean Chicken Curry (to go with the Sannas)

I had posted the sannas recipe a couple of months ago. This is the recipe to the chicken curry that the sannas were served with. Its a typical Mangalorean curry made with simple spices and coconut. I added some potatoes too as Lil Miss A was in a no chicken phase (well that lasted for only about 10 days). The fiery red colour is from the use of the authentic byadgi mirchi which is very much a favored dried red chili when cooking Mangalorean food.

Ingredients

To marinate

2 pounds chicken (I used boneless/skinless thighs cut into 2 inch pieces)

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

To roast and grind

5 to 6 byadgi mirchi (you can use more if you like it a bit hot)

1 tsp mustard sees

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

4 green cardamoms

1 black cardamom

4 cloves

2 bay leaves

2 inch cinnamon stick 

3 tablespoons coconut oil (you can use any other oil of choice too)

3 medium onions - sliced

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (I used frozen)

10 garlic cloves - slices

1 inch ginger - sliced

salt to taste

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces in yogurt, turmeric powder and salt. Keep it covered in the refrigerator till you get the other ingredients prepared. You could even marinate this overnight. I sometimes get organic chicken in bulk and marinate and freeze them in portions in the freezer.
Heat a saucepan (the one in which you will make this curry) and add the mustard seeds to it and keep stirring. They will start to splutter. Remove them in a plate. Now add the cumin seeds and saute them. When a nice aroma comes by, remove onto the same plate as the mustard seeds. Now add the coriander seeds and repeat the same way like the cumin seeds.
Now add the peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, black cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon and let it heat up and leave a nice aroma. Remove into the same plate as the other heated ingredients. Now roast the grated coconut in the heated saucepan and get a nice aroma and a golden color. Remove with all the other ingredients on the same plate.
In the same saucepan add the oil. When it heats up add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry/saute till the onions turn a nice golden brown. Let it cool. Now add the onions and the other ingredients that were roasted into a mixer/grinder and grind to a very fine paste. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time and no more then 1/2 cup just to ease the grinding process.
In the same saucepan that you used to fry the onions (do not wash it), add the ground masala and let it heat up. When you see bubbles forming on the edge add the marinated chicken pieces. Mix well - if the curry is too thick then add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and let it cook/boil on a medium flame for about 20 minutes. Open the lid and check if the chicken is cooked through - if not, then cover and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Chicken generally leaves some water when it gets cooked - the curry should be the consistency as shown in the picture - if not then add 1/4 cup of water and let it come to a boil. Check and add salt as needed.
serve hot with Sannas, Idilis, Dosas, Neer Dosas, Steamed rice, Bread or even Chappatis.

Notes

• This curry tastes very nice the next day. The spices and the coconut gets into each other and hence a wait period of 12 to 24 hours enhances the curry taste.
• If you are adding potatoes - just quarter them and add them 10 minutes after adding the chicken and boiling the curry. 
• you can use the base of the curry to cook cauliflower. peas, potatoes, beans - and get a vegetarian version of the yummy curry too.