Rustic Chicken Curry from the Ghaat village of Maharashtra (Ghati Masala Chicken)

The villages in the mountain areas of Maharashtra are called "Ghaats" and the people who reside here are called "Ghaatis" - it is not an offensive term if used in the right sense. Well........ I do not want to get into the lingo debate here - just trying to clarify why the name for the dish.
This is a rustic dish prepared by the villages of the Ghaat areas of Maharastra and hence the name. My grandma used to cook this and thats how I know of it. We love the aroma and the rustic taste. It is a great accompaniment with jowar/bajra/rice bhakris or even with the humble rice.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken (I used boneless skinless thigh meat) cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 medium red onion
1 medium tomato
7 garlic cloves
5 dried kashmiri chilis (add more if you want it hot)
2 tablespoon dried coconut slices (kopra)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (til)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dane)
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
small piece of mace
2 tablespoons coconut oil
salt to taste

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces in turmeric, salt, yogurt and ginger garlic paste and let it sit for atleast half an hour.
n the meantime - on an open flame (I did it on my gas stove) - roast the whole onion (with the outer cover peeled off) till you get a nice char on the outside. Do the same with the tomato and the garlic. Take a pair of tongs and get a char on the red chilis, just 5 seconds on an open flame. Put all these charred items into a blender and let it cool.
In a karahi, dry roast the dry coconut slices till they turn a nice brow color. Add this to the stuff in the blender. Now dry roast the sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cardamoms, cloves, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns and mace for about 30 seconds to a minute till you get a nice fragrance - be careful not to burn the spices. Add this to the blender too.
Once the stuff inside the blender has cooled  bit, add some water and blend to a coarse paste. You can make it into a fine paste if you like it that way.
In a karahi, add the coconut oil and the blended paste and 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture boils - lover the heat a little and add the chicken pieces, add salt to taste. Cover and cook for about 20 to 25 minute till the chicken is cooked through.
Serve it with Chappatis, or Bakri of your choice of even with rice.