Chicken Perattu
Small pieces of chicken slow-cooked in a blend of chilli powder, coriander powder, and a freshly-ground red chilli paste - that is chicken perattu for you.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To be cooked with the chicken
- 1 kg chicken full chicken cut to pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
First phase with chilli paste
- 5 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7 dry kashmiri chillies
- salt
Leaves
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi dry leaves soaked and drained off water
- 2 sprig curry leaves
- 8 mint leaves about 8 leaves
For the dry paste
- 1/2 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Soak the dry Kashmiri chillies in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- Grind to a coarse paste using a little water used to soak the chillies.
- Heat oil in a cast iron pan/pot (cheenachatti).
- Temper the mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
- Add the ground chilli paste and salt.
- Combine well and fry till the oil starts emerging from the paste.
- Add the Kasuri methi (soaked in water and drained off), curry leaves, and the mint leaves.
- Combine well and cook for a minute.
- Now add the chicken along with the chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder.
- Combine well.
- Close the lid and cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes.
- Heat another pan and heat some coconut oil.
- To the hot oil, add the coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala.
- Combine well to make a thick paste.
- Switch off once the colour becomes dark brown (almost black).
- Keep this fried masala paste aside.
- Now open the pot and continue cooking the chicken without the lid.
- Stir occasionally and cook till most of the water disappear.
- Add the fried masala to the chicken.
- Combine well and continue cooking.
- Gently stir to evenly distribute the curry base.
- Switch off after 10 minutes (or before once the curry base becomes dry)
- Serve hot. Enjoy as a starter, or with rice and curry, or chapati or porotta.
Notes
When you are cutting the chicken to small pieces, cut through the bones. This will open up the bone marrow and allow the flavours to blend in the curry.