Koduvai Chicken Varuval

A £2 yellow sticker Chicken was the foundation here. I roughly butchered it so we have sizeable chunks of Meat on the bone with the skin on.

Ingredients:-

Dry Seasonings:-

1 Tsp of Black Peppercorns
3 Cardamom Pods
1 Tsp of Cumin Seeds
5 Cloves
½ a stick of Cinnamon
1 Tsp of Fennel Seeds

Curry Ingredients:-

A whole Chicken, cut into quarters roughly
¼ a Tsp of Turmeric
½ a Tsp of Salt
15 Curry Leaves
1 Onion, finely diced
10 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 of Tbsp of Tomato Puree
½ a Tsp of Paprika
½ a Tsp og Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp of Chilli & Garlic Oil
1 Tsp of Salt
Fresh Coriander leaves and sliced Red Onion to garnish
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) In a dry frying pan fry the spices on a low heat until aromatic.
(2) Set aside to cool.
(3) When cool grind and set aside.
(4) Mix the Chicken with the Turmeric and Salt and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
(5) In a flame proof dish of Dutch Oven add the Oil.
(6) Once heated the the Curry Leaves and fry until they start to pop.
(7) Add the Onions and Garlic and sauté over a medium heat until softened.
(8) Add the Chicken and cook turning occasionally, until it is browned on all sides.
(9) Add the Tomato Puree, Cayenne, Paprika, Chill & Garlic Oil and Salt. Stirring gently.
(10) Bring to the boil and stir thoroughly.
(11) Reduce the heat to a simmer.
(12) Once the Chicken is cooked through add the Spice Powder and a little extra Oil.
(13) Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
(14) Serve over Rice garnished with Fresh Coriander leaves and sliced Red Onion.

This is a recipe for four servings. Still roughly in budget and we have a couple of servings in the freezer for a rainy day. We’re fortunate to have a Continental Store just up the road so the Garlic & Chilli Oil was easy to source. The Green Chilli Popadums were really good as well, but they are a bit of an Oil killer if you fry them too hot.