Spicy Chettinad Chicken

The chettinad cuisine has always been famous for its spice quotient. This next dish is my own take on the famous Chettinad Chicken. However I have gone quite easy on the spice here. This aromatic dish goes well with absolutely anything (rice/roti/ bread name it).

Ingredients

1 kg chicken ( cleaned and cut into medium pieces)
2 onion big finely chopped

3 medium tomato chopped
2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

Curry leaves 1 sprig
4-5 chopped green chillies

2 cinnamon (1 inch)

5 cardamom pods

5 cloves
1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp .mustard seeds
1 ½ tbsp. chilli powder 

4 tsp. pepper powder

3 tsp.  Coriander powder

Coriander leaves chopped
4 tbsp. Veg oil

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds and all the spices and sauté.

Now add the onion till it turns translucent. Add the turmeric powder and sauté.
Add the curry leaves, green chillies chopped and the ginger -garlic paste. Sauté till the raw smell goes off.

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame with lids on. Cook till the tomatoes are well cooked (all mashy mashy) and the sauce thickens.(Do not add water).

Add the chicken pieces . Cover and cook without adding any water for about 15 minutes.Check for salt.

Now open the lid and cook for 10 minutes till the gravy thickens. Add in the  pepper powder and stir well. Garnish with coriander leaves.