Chicken Chilly Roast

Ingredients

To marinate

Chicken – 1.5 kg, cleaned and cut into small pieces

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 2 tsp

Salt – To taste

Marinate the chicken pieces with the above ingredients. Keep in the refrigerator for 2 hrs.

To grind to a coarse mixture

Pearl onions – 10

Green chilies – 10

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic – 6 – 7

Roughly chop the above ingredients and grind to a coarse mixture. Set aside.

For the roast

Onion – 2 medium, thinly sliced

Tomato – 4 small, thinly sliced

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Cilantro – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp, for garnishing

Oil –  3 tbsp or as required

Salt – To taste

Method

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan at medium heat(I used a wide non-stick pan). Add the thinly sliced onion and fry until brown, stirring in between. It takes about 10 minutes. Drain on to a paper towel. Add the chicken pieces in two – three batches and fry until golden-brown and done, turning them twice or thrice in between. It takes about 20 – 25 minutes for each batch. Drain on to a paper towel.

2. To the same pan(add more oil, if required, we need only around 1 tbsp oil), add the coarsely ground mixture, few curry leaves and saute until the mixture turns light brown. Add the sliced tomato. Mix well and cook until tomato is mashed up and oil separates. Now add the fried chicken pieces. Mix well and add the soy sauce. (If the chicken is not completely done, sprinkle some water, cover and cook for some more time stirring in between). Stir for a few seconds and add the fried onion and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Mix well and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Switch off. Serve with pulav/ porotta/ chapatis etc. This tastes best the next day.

Recipe Courtesy – Magic Oven by Lakshmi Nair