Secret chicken from my kitchen
Here, I am presenting before you one of my secret recipes, which follows all characteristics of a true Kerala dish to perfection. This dish has given me appreciation from many of the people and I am a specialist of this non-vegetarian dish. I am using chicken for its preparation and name of this dish is 'Chicken Thoran'. 'Thoran' is a typical south Indian dish since coconut is used for its preparation and I used coconut oil to maintain its traditional touch.
Chicken Thoran Ingredients:
Chicken cut into small pieces - 1 kg
Onion cut into two halves and then chopped - 1/2 kg
(Shallots can also be used or a combination of shallots and onion)
Green chillies - 2 or 3
Sambar chilli - 1 (optional), sliced
Ginger - a medium piece
Garlic - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp (or as per taste)
Fried coriander powder - 2-2.5 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coconut scrapped - 1/2
Cloves, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds - A little crushed
Curry leaves - As needed
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil - as needed
Method of preparation
1. Put ginger, garlic and green chillies in a mixer just to blend it. You can even make a paste.
2. Heat a karahi(kadai). Add oil and mustard. When mustard splutters add ginger-garlic-chilli mixture.
3. When it turns light brown colour, add curry leaves, onion/shallots and sambar chillies. Cook it till onion becomes tender and turns to brown colour.
4. Add chicken and turmeric powder and stir well. Close the lid and cook it in low flame for 15 minutes. Never add water.
5. After 15 minutes, open the lid and add salt as per needed. Close the lid and cook it for 15 more minutes. By this time, whole water will be almost absorbed.
6. Take a mixer jar and add chilli powder, masala powder, coriander powder and scrapped coconut. Add a little curry leaves too. Blend it once in the mixer. It should never be grinded.
7. Spread the contents on the top of the chicken evenly. Add crushed masala too and close the lid. It should be in low flame. It is done so that coconut gravy will taste best if steamed giving out nice aroma.
8. After 5-7 minutes, open the lid and stir the contents well and continue stirring till all its water content is evaporated.
9. If you need, you can pour a tea spoon of coconut oil on the top and add some more curry leaves to enrich its aroma. Your chicken thoran is ready to serve and it serves best with any type of Indian bread.
Another derivation:
You can cut an onion to small pieces and fry it in oil, till its colour turns light brown and add it to your chicken thoran. Onion should never be cooked. It will give another finishing touch to your dish.
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