Kerala Style Chicken Chukka
Chicken Chukka is a very popular dish in South India. It is very popular with Kerala Porotha. Chicken Chukka is a dish typical in the Manglorean style. The flavours of this dish are too good. I have tried to modify the recipe to suit Kerala’s tastes. So, here is the recipe for Kerala Style Chicken Chukka.
Ingredients
The main flavour of chicken chukka is that of lightly roasted coconut, birista and cardamom.
Coconut/Copra
You can use either grated Copra or grated fresh Coconut. If you have Copra, use that. Flavours with light-fried copra are best for Chicken Chukka. Roasting is a very important step. Coconut needs to roast lightly. The colour needs to just start changing from white to a slight brown tinge. That way we get the nutty flavour of coconut.
Birista
Birista need to be fried ahead. We have a blog post regarding how to fry birista perfectly. You can get t it here. This is used to marinate the chicken.
Cardamom
Both Black Cardamom and Green Cardamom give flavour and aroma to the Chukka. In case you do not have Black Cardamom with you, substitute it with Green Cardamom. eg. say you are to use 2 black cardamoms and 3 green cardamoms, and you do not have the black one, you need to take 5 green cardamoms instead.
Chicken Chukka is a very simple yet flavour-enriched dish that can be served with anything from hot steaming rice to chapathi and paratha. Even bread will make a good combination.
Try out! I am sure you will like the flavours!
Kerala Style Chicken Chukka
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken cleaned and curry cut
Masala for Marination
- 1½ tsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- Birista
- Masala Paste
Birista
- 2 medium Onion sliced
Masala Paste
- 1 Star Anise
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 7-8 Kashmiri Chilli
- 1½ inch Cinnamon Sticks
- ⅕ Nutmeg
- 1 cup grated Coconut or Copra
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- ½ inch Ginger
- 5-6 clove Garlic
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
For the Chukka
- 1 Bay Leaf broken into pieces
- ½ inch Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Clove
- 1 Green Cardamom
- 1 medium Tomato cut into 12 cubes
- 2 sprig Curry Leaves
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Clean, cut and wash the chicken pieces. Better to keep the pieces small, that way the pieces will be flavoured well and taste very good.
- Fry the Onion for the Birista.
For the Masala Paste
- In a pan, heat up oil.
- Fry the dry whole spices in oil and remove.
- In the same oil, dry fry the grated coconut or copra till dry and lightly brown. Do not over-brown or else the desired flavour will be overridden.
- Grind the fried spices, coconut, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
- Marinate the chicken with birista, fried coconut paste and the remaining ingredients, for at least one hour.
For the Chukka
- Heat oil in a thick bottom Kadai.
- Add in the whole spices and let the oil get aromatic.
- Add one sprig of Curry leaf.
- As the curry leaves start to splutter, add in the chicken and mix well.
- Reduce flame to medium-low. Cover and cook.
- Water from the chicken will be enough for it to be cooked.
- Once the chicken pieces are 75% cooked, add the tomato pieces and give a nice mix. If there is a lot of water in the pan, increase the flame to medium-high.
- Once the gravy coats the chicken pieces nicely, you are ready to serve.
