K dhatha's Kukulhu riha ( chicken curry )



    Tomorrow could be Eid day, if the moon is sighted (otherwise it would be celebrated on Tuesday), So Eid Greetings to all my Muslim readers.  Chicken is most often cooked on Eid day, I remember as a child we used to get live chickens sometimes a rooster which is slaughtered on Eid day. Sadly nowadays we cook with frozen chicken.
I have 4 aunts from my dad's side, I am closest to the youngest three of them as they had been around while I was growing up.  They would stay at our home when they came for medical purposes or educational purposes. Or one of them would come over to babysit us,  if our parents had to leave abroad, which is quite rare as getting my mother out of the house is quite a challenge.

My aunty, K datha, is a great cook. I remember visiting her when I had just finished school and sitting at the doorway of her tiny kitchen or rather kitchen hut. Her little kitchen was a small hut, kept separate from the main house,  which had a homemade fire stove and a regular gas stove.  It was like a little playroom for me, and was fun watching her . She is like a mother hen, there is always some tea ( extremely sweet tea!!)  and something to eat at her place. She showed me how to make this curry during the last time I went to Kulhudhufushi last year.

Recipe : K dhatha's chicken curry

500g chicken, jointed or cut into large pieces with bone, skin removed
2  large onion, or 3 medium ones, sliced
1 " ginger,  sliced
4 cloves garlic sliced
8-10 peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 - 1 1/2 " cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp turmeric
6-8 cardamon pods, ends snipped off
1/4 scotch bonnet chilli or 3-4 green chillies ( optional)
2-3 tsp curry powder ( use either Maldivian roasted curry powder, or any Asian ( not Thai) curry powder, my aunt used madras curry powder).
2 tsp tomato paste
10 -12 curry leaves
1 (3") pandan leaf knotted or cut into large pieces
200 ml coconut milk packed ( see note )
200 ml water
oil  or ghee
salt
juice of 1/2 lime

Place half the sliced onion, 6 curry leaves, peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, and chillies ( if using) into a blender with a few tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt and grind to a fine paste.

Heat a pan with oil of about 2-3 tbsp add the chicken pieces and stir fry to brown a little, add the ground onion paste, along with cinnamon and cardamon pods, and mix well.

In a measuring jug, or mug measure  100 ml of coconut milk and add water till  300 ml mark (that's 200 ml water).  stir in tomato paste and stir this into the chicken. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer gently till chicken is cooked through.

While the curry is cooking, heat a separate frying pan with 2 tbsp oil or use ghee if you like for more flavour, and fry the remaining sliced onions, curry leaves and pandan leaf, stir fry till the onions caramelize.

Check the curry, taste, and add salt to taste,  stir n the caramelized onion mixture, and stir well. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and cook, over a low heat for 1 -2 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice and remove it from the heat. Serve with rice, some salad, and dhal curry.

Enjoy!!

Note: We use different kinds of coconut products, so basically you need about 300 ml of thin coconut milk ( fenkiru) and 100 ml of thick coconut milk ( boakiru)




Comments

  1. that chicken curry looks sumptious... Eid Mubarak to you dear...

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  2. Chicken curry is a favourite. Yours looks droolworthy, Nammi.

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  3. looks delicious Nammi & Eid Mubarak

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  4. Happy Eid Nammy, chicken curry is soo delicious.

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  5. Happy Eid, Nammy!
    Your chicken curry looks delicious. Chicken curry is one of our favourite dish over here. I love chicken curry!

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  6. Happy Eid to you, Nammi!
    Nice that you have cooked your chicken curry according to how you likes it and what you remember. Beautiful!

    Zoe

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  7. Beautiful curry chicken Nammi, such a comforting dish...Happy Eid!
    Have a great weekend :D

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  8. Hi Nammi.I have tried many of your recipes.Just made this curry chicken today.Loved it.Thank you for posting these maldivian recipes.

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  9. Its been 6 years since you posted this and I'm thankful to find this today 😁 my dad wants to eat a delicious chicken curry.il follow your recipe for the friday meal.

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