Experience through food - A S. Indian wonder

Passport & Plate - Kozhi Varutharachathu

India | Tuesday, March 3, 2015 | 6 photos

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2kg
Turmeric 1/2tsp
Garam masala - fennel seed based - 1/2tsp***
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 Green chilli
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - thumb sized piece
Oil - tbsp
Salt 2 tsps

For the sauce/gravy:

Fresh grated coconut - 3tbsps
3 dried red chillis
coriander seeds - 2Tbsps
cashew nuts - handful
Cardamom - 10 pods bruised, shell removed
1 cinnamon stick
10 cloves!

For the S. Indian garam masala:

Fennel seeds - 10 tsps
1 Cinnamon stick
12 cloves
2 tbsp black pepper (Wayanad)
4 Star anise

How to prepare this recipe:
1) Marinate the chicken with turmeric, salt and garam masala for at least one hour
2) Pan fry all the whole spices for the gravy - then the cashews, followed by the coconut - low heat, making sure not to burn.
3) Grind all the gravy ingredients with water to make a smooth paste.
4) In a wok heat oil until it is hot and flavour by frying the ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
5) add the green chilli, fry for 1 minute
6) Add the sliced onion to this mix, and fry for long on a low/medium heat. Secret to indian cookery is well cooked, sweet onions.
7) Season, and add the tomato until it is pasty.
8) Add the marinated chicken to seal, and add the gravy with enough water for the paste not to catch.
9) Keep on a medium flame for 20 minutes.
10) Serve with rice/chappathi
11) Enjoy!

The story behind this recipe:
This recipe comes from a trip to Munnar, October last year. Me and my boyfriend were lucky enough to spend 3 weeks travelling down the coast of India: from Mumbai to Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala. After leaving Cochin, we travelled inland and up-hill, to Munnar, a tea station established in the colonial past for major Tea trade by the British. Munnar was probably one of the most peaceful respites i have ever had. Cool, tropical, and the air infused with the smell of cardamom and tea plantations. I've never been anywhere were food provenance is so well established, I had never tasted spices so fresh and fragrant. I think the dish 'Kozhi Varutharachathu' - Which could translate to 'South indian chicken curry' - epitomises how fragrant South indian food can be.The recipe for this dish was kindly provided to me by Manoj Joseph - the homestay owner we were with. Upon eating this dish, looking over rolling tea plantations, I just had to recreate it myself and Manoj was kind enough to let me see it being cooked. This is the closest recreation I could muster, it's a must try - No curry is quite like it!