Pepper Chicken Roast

Ingredients :

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

1″ cinnamon stick

1 cardamoms

2 cloves

7-8 whole pepper corns

10-12 curry leaves

2 large onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3-4 green chillis, slit

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp freshly ground pepper powder

salt to taste

2 tbsps oil

Roast and make a paste:

5-6 curry Leaves

3 shallots or a small onion, sliced

1/2 cup grated coconut

10-12 pepper corns

3/4 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

3 cloves

2 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

Preparation :

1 Heat one and a half tbsps of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and pepper corns and saute for a few secs. Add the curry leaves and saute till crisp.

2 Add the sliced onions and saute till transparent, approx 5-6 mts. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 mts. Add turmeric powder and pepper powder and combine well. Add the chicken and cook on high for 4 minutes. Reduce flame, add salt, place lid and simmer till chicken is almost cooked.

3 Heat half a tbspoon of oil in another cooking vessel, add curry leaves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and saute for 3 minutes on low flame. Next add the sliced shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Add the grated coconut and saute on low flame for 4 minutes. Turn off heat and cool. Grind to a paste without adding water.

4 Add this paste to the three fourth cooked chicken and combine well. Add few tbspoons of water if the curry is too dry. Otherwise there is no need to add water. Place lid and cook for 5 minutes. Now increase flame, and toss the contents for 2-3 minutes. Lastly sprinkle some kasuri methi, combine well and turn off heat.

* Serve hot with rotis or rice.