Arachuvitta Chicken Kulambu / South Indian Village Style Chicken Gravy

In earlier days people used to cook recipes using fresh homemade spice powders and it was healthier, fresh, aromatic and tastier too; even now some people still use freshly ground masala and spice powders and nothing can beat its taste and flavor. This arachuvitta chicken curry or fresh ground spices chicken curry is such a authentic or village style curry were the fresh aroma of spices occupies the whole recipe. To get the perfect taste and flavors try using fresh home-made spice powders or masala in your recipes. Here comes a recipe that uses fresh homemade spice powder; it is a South Indian village style curry recipe where spices are roasted and ground to get an awesome aromatic powder and used immediately to make the curry. The chicken pieces blends well with this spice powder and gives an awesome tasting chicken curry. It tastes so good and goes well with Rice, Roti, Chapati, Poori, and specially Crispy Dosas and Idlis. Lets see how to make this flavorful and delicious curry. 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 3 
Total Preparation Time - 30 minutes

1. Chicken - 400 grams 
2. Shallots / Pearl onions - 15 (75 grams)
3. Tomatoes - 1/2 of a big tomato
4. Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 spoons (ginger - 3 inch long piece; garlic 3; some water)
5. Dry red chillies - 8 to 10 (6 grams)
6. Coriander seeds / Dhania - 1 spoon (6 grams)
7. Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 spoon (4 grams) 
8. Fennel seeds / Sombu - 1/2 spoon (2 grams)
9. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long 
10. Coconut pieces - 7 pieces (3 inch long pieces, nearly 75 grams or from 1/4 of a coconut)
11. Curry leaves - A handful (4 grams) 
12. Coriander leaves - Few 
13. Gingelly oil - 5 spoons 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash chicken pieces well in water. Apply 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 spoon of salt on chicken pieces and set aside for 15 minutes. Then wash it well again in water.
• Add the coconut pieces into a blender and blend well into a fine paste by adding some water. 
• Heat a pan and add all the following in to it; See that the flame is on low mode;

(For Spice Powder)
1. Coriander seeds 1 spoon (6 grams)

2. Dry red chillies - 8 to 10 (6 grams) 

3. Curry leaves - A handful (4 grams) 

4. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long 

5. Cumin seeds 1 spoon (4 grams) 

6. Fennel seeds - 1/2 spoon (2 grams)

• Dry roast all the above ingredients until you get a nice flavor and the curry leaves become easily crush-able. Do not burn or over roast them. 
• Remove from flame and set aside until it reaches room temperature. Then add it into a blender and grind it into a fine powder. You will get approximately 18 grams of powder. 
• Now heat a pan / wok / pressure cooker bottom and add oil into it. Then add curry leaves and saute fro a few seconds.
• Now add the chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent. 
• Then add ginger garlic paste saute until raw smell leaves. 
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomato pieces turn pulpy.  
• Now add the washed chicken pieces and saute well for 2 minutes. 
• Then add the coconut paste and prepared masala powder (Spice powder) and stir well. 
• Add 500 ml of water and salt and mix well. 
• Cook on high flame for 20 minutes or until the chicken gets cooked well. 
• Then change the flame to low mode add some coriander leaves and cook until the oil separates from the gravy. 
• Remove from flame and serve!!

TIP 1: Do not over-roast the spices just a mild roasting on low flame will do. 

TIP 2: Addition of curry leaves gives a very good flavor and nice aroma, but still you can avoid it. 

TIP 3: You can also add a cloves and 2 cardamom pods if you like its flavor. 

TIP 4: While making the coconut paste first grind the pieces into a coarse mixture without adding water; then add some water and blend well into a fine paste. This will help get a fine paste. 

TIP 5: If you want to cook it soon then pressure cook the curry for 10  minutes and remove from flame.

Aromatic and Delicious Arachuvitta Chicken Kulambu is now ready!! Serve with Rice, Roti, Poori or Chapati!!

Award Time!!
Lovely friends I have got through blogging!! And here they go showering awards again :) Thank you dear friends!!
Vijayalaksmi
Shruti
&
 Sherin 
have shared this lovely blogger award with me!! 

Thank you friends!! 
As per rules I have to introduce something about me which I have already done earlier, so I don't want to bore you again. Or check out about me here!!
I would like to share this award with all my blogger friends 
please do accept this as my token of love and appreciation!!