Pallipalayam Chicken... our favourite

Chicken is cooked once or twice a week for sure at ours. We love it and so I get to try and make different varieties. This recipe has been on my wishlist for almost three years now. I was introduced to this yummy dish by my husband's colleagues wife... Geetha if I remember the name correctly. We had gone to the mall for and for lunch we settled down at the food court. There was a lot of discussion over the table as usual and everyone came up with something or the other. I was in a mood for some naan and side dish. I could just not come up with anything satisfying when my friend suggested this "Pallipalayam Chicken". She asked me to try it and ensured I would love it for sure. Well yes... I tried it.. I dont like it but instead "I LOVED IT"

Oh yes the curry burst with flavours. I could feel that it was not loaded with too many spices but whatever spices... it was just perfectly blended and perfect. I fell in love with it. To my strangeness my husbands reaction was just ok to it. Now since that was just an ok I kept on postponing to try it in my kitchen. Everytime I would plan to make it, I would think that I was making it just for myself

Now after three long years, I finally decided I should try it. The kids are old enough where they differentiate tastes very neatly and also rate them accordingly. Finally I tried making it and turned out to be a huge it. Even my hubby fell in love with it this time :D

I am sure this recipe is a keepsake for me

Serves... 2 ppl

Serve option... Hot

This is what u'll need....

Chicken - 250 gm
Onion - 2 medium
Thinly sliced coconut - 1/4 cup
Whole red chillies - 8-10 nos
Saunf / Fennel seeds - 2 tspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn
Coriander powder - 1 tspn
Curry leaves 
Oil - 3 tbspn
Salt to taste

Here is the stir....

• Pick your ingredients and keep it ready

• Heat oil in a pan and add the fennel seeds 

• When the fennel seeds start crackling, add curry leaves. Follow this with thinly sliced onions

• Break red chillies into halves and add it to the pan

• Sprinkle some turmeric powder

• Give everything a good stir and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes

• Once the onion turns a little soft add  the cleaned chicken to it

• Keep aside some 10-12 slices of coconut and add the rest to the pan

• Sprinkle coriander powder. A little is enough. Dont go for more as it will overpower the dish taste

• Add salt to taste and give it a good stir

• Cover the pan and cook on low for 15 minutes. No need to add water. When you cook the chicken covered, it oozes a lot of water. That is enough to cook the chicken

• Open the pan after 15 mins and let it sit it for a few mins

• Meanwhile heat oil in a separate small pan. Add the remaining coconut pieces and fry them till brown

• Turn off the flame and add a few curry leaves

• Pour this into the pan with cooked chicken and transfer to a serving bowl

• Serve it hot with rice or roti and enjoy

Note:

• Increase red chillies if you want to
• Fried coconut adds more flavour to the gravy, so dont skip that step
• No need to add water at all. There will be enough liquid in the curry to cook the chicken because we are cooking it covered