Chicken Curry with Roasted Coconut Paste

Chicken Curry with Roasted Coconut Paste (Varutharacha Kozhikkari)

Chicken Curry with Roasted Coconut Paste is a typical kerala recipe.  Keralites love curries with roasted coconut.  But most of them are pure vegetarian like ullitheeyal, pavakkatheeyal and the like.  Here is a non-veg version of that delicacy with a special taste.

Ingredients. 

Chicken (boneless and skin removed cut into pieces ) 500 gram. 

Onion chopped 2 medium ones. 

Green chilli slit 5 nos. 

Ginger chopped 1 Tablespoon. 

Garlic minced 5 cloves. 

tomato chopped 200 gram. 

Coconut grated 100 gram. 

Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon. 

Fennel seeds 1/2 teaspoon. 

Chilli powder 1 teaspoon. 

Coriander powder 2 teaspoon. 

Schallots minces 1 Tablespoon. 

Cardamom 2 pods. 

Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp. 

Cilantro and curry leaves to garnish. 

Salt to taste. 

Oil as needed  

Preparation. 

Wash and cut the chicken pieces into small pieces.  Add the chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well and allow to marinate while we prepare the other ingredients.

First we must prepare and grind the ingredients for roasted coconut mix.  

Heat a thick-bottomed pan and dry roast the grated coconut along with the shallotts till the coconut becomes golden brown.   Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon to the roasted coconut and grind it to a fine paste and keep aside.  Add water if needed while grinding.  

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan, saute chopped onions, green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic.  Add turmeric powder crushed fennel seeds and saute for a few minutes.  Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. 

Add the chicken pieces, mix well, and cook on medium heat covering the pan with a lid.  Add a little water if needed.  Don`t forget to stir the ingredients now and then to avoid the ingredients sticking to the bottom and burn.

When the chicken pieces are cooked and tender add the coconut paste, curry leaves and mix well.

Take off from heat, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.