Coconut Pepper Chicken

This dish is once again one of the ones inspired from my mom’s kitchen. While she used to make a gravy version, I have gone for a semi-dry variant here. You can use either freshly grounded peppercorns or the regular pepper powder available at stores (I have used both of them to make this dish extra fiery). This dish should go well with any of the roti or rice variants & I have opted to serve this with the Kerala Parotta (Recipe already posted).

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken cleaned and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 – 1 cup grated coconut
• 4 tbsp. pepper powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Chilli powder
• A pinch Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2 Onion –medium chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp. Ginger garlic paste
• 2 Tomato  small, sliced
• Salt – To taste or 1 ½  Chicken stock cube
• 2 tbsp. Coconut oil/ Veg Oil
• 1 tsp. Fennel seeds/perumjeerakam
• 1-2 green chillies split
• 3 stalks Curry leaves
• 1-2 tbsp. Crushed pepper corns
• Coriander leaves to garnish

In a pan, dry roast grated coconut until golden brown. Saute well and Remove from flame.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add sliced onion, little salt and suate until transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add pepper powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder & coriander powder. Saute for a minute. Add the roasted coconut. Saute for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are done. Grind to a paste adding ¼ - ½ cup water.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in the same pan. Splutter fennel seeds & Green chillies. Add curry leaves. Add chicken and salt. Cook until chicken is sealed for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. crushed pepper corns (less or more). Mix well.

Add ground onion-tomato paste and mix well. Add 1 tsp. garam masla powder and mix. Cover and cook for 20 – 25 minutes until chicken is done and oil separates. Add few curry leaves and crushed pepper corns on top (I had loaded this dish with lots of crushed peppercorns). Mix well. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.