The Big Sweet Tooth: Varutharacha Kozhi Curry - Chicken Curry with Roasted Coconut Paste

On my drive to office...

What a beautiful day today!!! It's summer and it's raining! Can you believe that? I guess in my whole stay in the UAE, it must be the first time I'm seeing the rains in summer... While getting ready for office, I could hear the sound of the rain drops from outside and since I was really in a sleepy mood, I thought I was dreaming. But then, when the sound got a bit strong, I just went out and there... the roads are wet and the drops were quite large! I've been yearning to see the rain for quite some time and there you go, the Almighty heard it, it looks like! Though not as much as the rains in Kerala, this little rain came like a whiff of freshness... MaShaAllah... what bliss!!! :) :)

There are hardly any more days remaining in Ramadan. By Wednesday, we would know if Eid is on Thursday or Friday. It seems like we started fasting just yesterday. Days have gone so fast, taking with it all the goodness that was present with it. It's always like that, when you really savor the days, they seem to go off your hands so fast that you don't seem to realize...

Let me share with you today a curry that I learned from umma this Ramadan. One curry of hers that I love, so perfectly goes with our thin pathiri. OK, now don't ask me to post the recipe for pathiri, because I myself am learning to perfect it! Once I get it the way I want it, then I will post. Now when that will be, I have no time frame set! Hehe... While I was taking instructions from her and making this curry, she started narrating as to how good the curry used to be during those days when it was made in a "manchatti" (earthen pot) over the "aduppu" (flame oven). Gone are those days... Now the way she makes it is literally like quick fix, pressure cooker all the way... But the next time I will make it, I'm going to ensure to cook it on slow from start to end, the taste will definitely differ! So moving on my umma's sumptuous chicken curry...

Varutharacha Kozhi Curry - Chicken Curry with Roasted Coconut Paste

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy: Umma :)

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, deskined, cleaned and cut into medium pcs

For roasting and grinding:

1 cup grated coconut

5 shallots, chopped

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

For masala:

3 large onions, sliced

3 green chillies, slit

1 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

3 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 cup water

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 shallots, sliced thinly

Handful curry leaves

Method:

Dry roast the coconut, shallots and fennel seeds till well done. It is not needed to make it brown. Allow to cool. Add little water and grind it into a smooth paste. Set aside.

Mix in all ingredients for the masala into a pressure cooker and mix well. Close your pressure cooker and cook the masala for one whistle on high flame and then ten minutes on low flame. Switch off and allow to cool. Once cooled, open the lid, dump in the cleaned chicken pcs and close the lid. Switch on the flame and cook for one whistle on high flame and ten minutes on low flame. Switch off and allow to cool.

Open the lid of the cooker, mix in the roasted coconut paste and switch on the flame. Simmer for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Adjust the salt.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan. Pour in the oil and once hot, splutter the mustard seeds. Fry the shallots till brown, mix in the curry leaves and quickly dump into curry.

Enjoy it warm with pathiris!!!