Chicken Kerala Style

Very good! A little different from the usual "curry", having a simple but sprightly assemblage of spices made zingy with the addition of plenty of fresh ginger and lemon juice. It's cooked more like a stir fry than a stew, and should come out drier and crispier than I managed. I did not use a large enough pan, that was my trouble. It was delicious anyway.

I don't know where all that garlic went. I mean, it had garlic, but I wouldn't have guessed a whole head. The chile flakes, as ever, are to be applied according to your taste and theirs. Also, while you could serve this without the cilantro, I thought it brought a really important profile to the balance of flavours, so use it if you can.

4 servings
time to marinate: 15 minutes prep time plus 2 to 18 hours
time to cook: 20 minutes prep time

Make the Marinade:
1-2 teaspoons hot chile flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons red lentil OR chick pea flour
1 head (5 to 8 cloves) garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
the juice of 1 lemon

Grind the chile flakes, coriander, cumin, and fennel with the salt. Put them in a container which will hold the chicken. Add the paprika, turmeric, and lentil or chick pea flour. Mix well.

Peel and finely mince or grate the garlic. Peel and grate the ginger. Add them to the spices, along with the lemon juice, and mix well. 

Marinate & Cook the Chicken:
500 grams (1 pound) boneless chicken pieces
 OR 750 grams (1 1/2 pounds) bone-in chicken pieces
1 medium onion
3 to 4 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
a few sprigs of cilantro to garnish, if possible

Have the chicken cut into pieces; bigger than bite-sized but small enough to cook fairly quickly. Three or four bites to the piece, maybe. Mix them into the marinade until thoroughly coated, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

When ready to proceed, bring the chicken out of the fridge to lose its chill while you peel the onion and cut it into slivers.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and slightly browned. Remove them from the oil to a plate. Add the chicken pieces individually, but with their marinade, and cook, turning them as needed until they are cooked through. Scrape up the marinade regularly; I found it inclined to stick. To the pan, not to the chicken. Once the chicken is about half-cooked, add the onions back in.

While the chicken cooks, wash, dry, and chop a few sprigs of cilantro to sprinkle over the chicken once it is cooked and dished, with as much of the marinade as can be removed from the pan.




Last year at this time I made Ye'atakilt Wot (Stewed Vegetables).

Posted in: Ontario Food