For serving 5 people you will need:-
Chicken - 1 kg (chicken with bones)
Onion - 2, small sized, finely chopped
Tomato - 2, small sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp, heaped
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 5
Green cardamom - 2
Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1 tsp (perunjeerakam in malayalam)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chicken masala powder - 1 tbsp
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup (fresh milk gives more taste, lazy cooks can use coconut milk powder :-P)
Thin coconut milk - 1 cup
Coconut oil - 6 tbsp (you can use any cooking oil, but to get the perfect kerala taste-use coconut oil)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Method
Put cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and fennel seeds in a mill and make a coarse powder.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a kadai and saute onions alongwith green chillies. Saute till the onions turn brown. Now add ginger garlic paste and saute.
Put tumeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, ground spice powder and coriander powder and mix it well under low flame.
Throw in the tomatoes and some water, cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy. It's time to add chicken pieces. Mix in the chicken with the masala and cook till chicken turns white in colour (approx 5 minutes).
Slowly pour in the thin coconut milk, add salt and mix it well and cook under medium flame for 10-15 minutes (or till the meat gets tender). Now add thick coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn heat off. In another pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter, then add curry leaves and pour this tadka over the chicken curry and mix it.
Serve hot with rice or with roti or with parata...
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