Karaikudi Kozhi Kuzhambu - Karaikudi Chicken Curry

Karaikudi also called the capital of Chettinad, is the biggest city in the chettinad region. Some of the popular food in the chettinad cuisine are, Paal kozhukattai, Karupatti paniyaram, Adirasam, Poli, Chicken curry, fish curry and the list goes on. The two main ingredients which gives a unique flavour to this karaikudi chicken curry are the kalpasi(black stone flower) and Marathi moggu( kapok buds). Using gingely oil not only gives a nice flavour, but also helps in reducing the heat(chilly) in the curry, which is otherwise very spicy.

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 750gms

2. Onion - 2

3. Tomato - 2

4. Chilly+coriander powder - 1 1/2tsp

5. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

5. Gingely oil - 3tbsp (If chicken with skin and fat is used, reduce the quantity of oil)





Roast the following in 1/2tsp oil and grind to a paste

1. Red chilly - 4

2. Coriander seeds - 1tbsp

3. Ginger - 2inch piece

4. Garlic - 3 cloves

5. Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom - 4 each

6. Black stone flower(kalpasi) - 1 (See glossary)

7. Kapok buds (Marathi moggu) - 1 small piece (See glossary)

8. Star anise - 1(small)

9. Pepper - 1tsp

10. Curry leaves - 5 sprigs

11. Grated coconut - 1 1/2tbsp



For tempering

1. Mustard - 1tsp

2. Fennel - 1tsp

3. Cumin - 1/2tsp

4. Curry leaves - few









Method

1. Heat gingely oil in a pan, add mustard, fennel, cumin and curry leaves.

2. When they begin to change colour, add finely sliced onions and saute', till it turns pink and crisp. Add chopped tomatoes, cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft.

3. Add chilly+coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and stir well.

4. Add the chicken, stir, and after five minutes add the ground masala paste, mix well, add some water, cover and cook.

5. When the chicken is cooked, leave it on low heat for a few minutes, add curry leaves and coriander leaves for garnish. Serve this chettinad speciality with parotta, chappathi or dosai.