Ingredients (Serves 4)
- Chicken with bones – Around 1/2 kg or 1 cornish game hen, cut into small pieces
- Onion - 1/2 medium-sized, thinly sliced and chopped into half
- Ginger – 1 inch piece, chopped lengthwise
- Garlic – 4, chopped
- Green Chillies - 4-5, slit
- Curry leaves – 1 - 2 sprigs
- Whole spices, slightly crushed - cardamom – 1 - 2, cloves – 8, bay leaf - 1, cinnamon stick – 1 inch, whole pepper – 6 - 8, fennel seeds - 1 pinch, star anise -1/2
- Potato – 2 small, cubed
- Carrot – 1 med-sized, cubed
- Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
- Thin coconut milk – 1 cup
- Thick coconut milk – 1/2 - 3/4 cup
- Garam masala – 1/4 tsp
- Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp, optional
- Salt – As required
Method
1. Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces. Crush the whole spices very slightly in a mortar and pestle.
2. In a deep pan heat some coconut oil, add crushed whole spices and sauté for a few seconds. Now add sliced onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves.
3. When the onion becomes transparent, stir in the thin coconut milk. You just need to add 1 cup thin coconut milk since water will ooze out from the chicken. Bring to a boil at medium flame. Add the chicken pieces. Add the potatoes, carrots, few curry leaves and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook at medium - low flame, stirring occasionally. It will take at least 45 minutes - 1 hour for the chicken to get cooked, at low flame. (If the potatoes do not need much cooking time, add them when the chicken is half-done).
4. When the chicken is done, add thick coconut milk, few curry leaves, sprinkle garam masala, 1/4 tsp pepper powder(optional) and mix well. Cook for one minute at low flame. Check for salt. Switch off. Keep aside for 15 minutes before serving. It tastes best the next day. Serve with appam/ chapathis/ idiyappam etc.
Tips :
1. You can also prepare this stew by pressure cooking the chicken and vegetables together at medium heat for 1 whistle. But slow cooking is always more tasty.
2. You can prepare mutton stew the same way. But first, pressure cook mutton with 1/2 cup water, 1-2 green chillies, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp garlic, few curry leaves and enough salt for at least 2 whistles. Then you can follow the above method.
3. Fry 4-5 sliced pearl onions in coconut oil and add to the curry when it is done. That will give a unique flavor to this stew. You could also garnish it with fried cashews.
