Easy to Cook Indian Chicken Recipe

Chicken is the most generally used poultry for making a myriad variety of dishes around the world. It's consumed by all non-vegetarians and doesn't have any religious restrictions. In Indian food, chicken is usually cut into medium sized items and is used to create curries, dry dishes and biryani. Also, chicken leg and thighs (the leg meat) are sold singly that are used to make a roast, tandoori chicken etc. The chicken breast meat is used to make a spread of kebabs like the malai kabab and also dishes like butter chicken, chilli chicken etc.

Here is a simple to make a chicken recipe you'll love to try at home

Chicken Curry with roasted Coconut (Varutharacha Kozhi Curry)

Chicken curry with roasted coconut is otherwise known as Varutharacha Kozhi Kuzhambu in Kerala and southern part of Tamilnadu. This is often one amongst the fundamental chicken gravy recipe. In this type of Indian food, grated coconut is roasted in oil along with other Indian spices. It's then ground to a sleek paste and further to the gravy. The bottom cooked coconut provides an exquisite flavour, deep colour and texture to the chicken curry. This is sometimes made on Sundays for breakfast with some tiffin or for lunch with rice. Though there are other kinds of chicken curry made, this one is the most typical one and liked by many.

Recipe for Kerala style Varutharacha Kozhi Curry

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Chicken -1 lb (1/2 kg)

Onion - one big (cut lengthwise)

Tomato - 2 (diced or pureed)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chicken masala - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - two tbsp

Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp

Coriander leaves - handful (for garnishing)

To marinate (Indian Spices)

Red chilli powder - 2 Tsp

Coriander powder - 2 Tsp

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 Tsp

Lemon juice - 2 Tsp

Salt - ½ tsp

To Grind

Coconut grated - 3-4 tbsp

Shallots (Pearl onions, sambar Onions) - 4

Curry leaves - half dozen

Dry red chillies - 3

Whole Peppercorns - 2 Tsp

Fennel Seeds - 1 Tsp

Whole Garam Masala - 1 cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom

Method

• Wash and cut chicken (or turkey) in little size pieces.

• Take a deep bowl then chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and create a paste.

• Add cut chicken pieces to this mixture and rub to coat the masala to all sides of chicken. Further let these pieces marinate for a minimum of half an hour in the refrigerator.

• Now heat oil in a Kadai or deep pan and fry the ingredients under 'To Grind' on a medium flame for about one minute or till it turns brown and offers out a pleasant aroma.

• After the oil is on normal temperature, grind it into a fine paste with little water. (If you're in a hurry, you can grind these without cooking.)

• Now take the same Kadai, heat 2 table spoon oil, add cumin seeds and curry leaves and let it splutter.

• Add onions and fry for few minutes until it browns.

• Next, pour some ginger-garlic paste to the fried onions and saute till the raw smell vanishes.

• Now add the tomato paste and saute till everything becomes a paste.

• Add the coconut paste, needed salt and chicken masala.

• Now add the marinated chicken pieces and fry it for 2 minutes.

• Add required amount of water.

• Cover and cook for 15 minutes till the chicken is totally cooked. Simmer for few minutes until oil floats on top.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and split chillies.

• Serving Varutharacha Kozhi Curry

• This yummy chicken (or turkey) curry tastes nice with rice and all tiffin varieties like idli, dosa, chapati, roti, parotta, appam, idiyappam, pathiri etc.

Variation

As mentioned in the recipe steps, you can use turkey meat rather than chicken to prepare roasted Coconut Turkey Curry (Varutharacha Vaan Kozhi Kuzhambu).