Southern symphony

To those who love music, this might seem like sacrilege. What we are sharing with our readers this time is not the magical creation of the ‘Mozart from Madras’, the incredible genius AR Rahman, but let me assure you that this recipe isn’t any less melodious and will convince you that man doesn’t live by butter chicken alone!

Most of us who live north of the Vindhyas and the river Narmada believe, quite mistakenly, that our compatriots in Tamil Nadu are all vegetarians. What has contributed to this misconception, at least partly, is the spectacular conquest of the pan-Indian palate by tiffin items like dosa, idli and uttapam, accompanied by sambar and myriad delectable chutneys. The fact is that there is a rich repertoire of non-vegetarian delicacies in peninsular India that tease and titillate us — challenging the dominance of butter chicken and its faux Mughaliya cousins. But, let’s not digress. What’s endearing about the Chettinad rendering of the chicken curry is the judicious blend of spices with hot taaseer — an inherent property to warm you up pleasantly. The spices are aromatic and flavourful, and one may add to reassure the health conscious that very little oil is used. Also, the sesame oil used imparts a distinct flavour of its own. Like many other southern curries, this recipe does away with tomato and curd. Tamarind is enough to lend it tanginess.

The Chettiyar traders, who lend their name to this district in Tamil Nadu, played a crucial role in the spice trade that carried India’s culture to distant shores in Southeast Asia. As we relish this sparkling culinary gem, we salute the intrepid merchant princes who inspired it.

Chettinad chicken curry

Ingredients

Chicken (curry cut)                                       600 gm

Shallots (Madras onions)                             20

Ginger                                                               1-1/2 inch piece

Garlic cloves                                                    6-8

Sesame oil                                                        1/4 cup

Lemon juice                                                     1 tsp

Fresh coconut (freshly grated)                    1/4

Bay leaves                                                        2

Coriander seeds                                              3 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds                                             1/4 tsp

Red chillies whole (Baydgi)                          6-8

Cinnamon                                                        1x1 inch piece

Cloves                                                               6-8

Black peppercorns                                          1 tbsp

Cumin seeds                                                     1 tsp

Fennel seeds                                                     1 tsp

Black cardamom                                              1

Green cardamom                                             2

Star anise                                                           1

Mace                                                                   2 blades

Sprig of curry leaves                                        1 large

Fresh coriander leaves                                     For garnish

Stone flowers (lichens/patthar phool)         1-2 (opt)

Method

Trim, wash and pat dry the chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and turmeric powder, add 1 tbsp oil, lemon juice and mix well. Keep aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Peel and slice the shallots finely. Crush the cloves of garlic and dice the ginger after scraping and washing.

Prepare the spice paste by roasting the whole spices (except fenugreek seeds) on a griddle

over medium flame. Allow to cool; then grind in a blender adding garlic and ginger, along with tamarind pulp.

Heat oil in a pan. Put in the shallots, along with curry leaves and stir-fry till the onions are golden brown. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, turn the flame high to sear the chicken to seal in the juices. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the spice paste. Add 1 cup of hot water, salt to taste, bring to boil, reduce the flame to medium. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes.

Uncover, adjust seasoning, garnish with slit green chillies and green coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or roti.