Chicken Chettinad

Kalpasi, the black stone flower, is in the paste, and nothing else here uses it.

Chicken. Not vegetarian — contains chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken, jointed
• 200 g yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 8 dried red chillies, for the paste
• 2 pieces kalpasi, black stone flower
• 60 g coconut, grated, for the paste
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, for the paste
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, for the paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, for the paste
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, for the paste
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, for the paste
• 2 tablespoons peanuts, for the paste
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 20 g coriander leaves

Method

1. KALPASI, THE BLACK STONE FLOWER, IS IN THE PASTE, AND NOTHING ELSE HERE USES IT. Its article gives one long sentence and that sentence is the recipe: chicken marinated in yogurt, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, KALPASI, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, ground nuts, onions, garlic and sesame oil. Thirteen things, all named, nothing hidden behind "spices" -- and kalpasi in the middle of them. It is a lichen, not a flower, and it smells of smoke and earth in a way nothing else in this country's pantry does. Leave it out and the dish is a good pepper chicken.
2. THE PASTE IS ROASTED DRY BEFORE IT IS GROUND. Chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, pepper, poppy seeds and peanuts in a dry pan, then the coconut and the kalpasi for the last minute only. Both burn fast.
3. THE KALPASI GOES IN WHOLE AND LAST. Two pieces. It is light and papery and thirty seconds in a hot pan is enough.
4. FENNEL IS TWO TEASPOONS, WHICH IS MORE THAN IT LOOKS. Its article lists it among only thirteen things. It is the sweetness underneath the pepper.
5. THE SESAME OIL IS NAMED AND IT IS NOT NEUTRAL. In its ingredient list. Groundnut oil gives a noticeably flatter dish.
6. THE CHICKEN IS MARINATED IN YOGHURT AND TURMERIC ONLY. Its article separates the marinade from the paste, and so does this. An hour.
7. THE ONIONS GO TO A DEEP BROWN FIRST. Twelve minutes. There is no tomato in this at all, so the onions are the body.
8. THE PASTE COOKS OUT IN THE OIL BEFORE ANY LIQUID. Five minutes, until it darkens and the oil comes back. A ground paste added to liquid tastes raw however long it simmers.
9. IT IS DRY-ISH AND SERVED HOT, WHICH ITS ARTICLE SAYS. Garnished with coriander and eaten with boiled rice or a parotta.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes