PEPPER CHICKEN FRY

This pepper chicken is my mother’s recipe to which I have added a few changes. It tastes good with rasam, curd rice and even with chapati. 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken – 500 gms boneless cut into small pieces

Onion (chopped) – 2  

Ginger and garlic (grated) – 2 tbsp each  OR  Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilly (slit) – 1

Black pepper (crushed) – 1¼ tbsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Fennel powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Juice of half a lemon

Salt

Tomato puree – 2 tsp

Curry leaves

Coconut oil

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

METHOD

Wash the chicken pieces by adding a tsp of turmeric and little salt. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions and little salt and let it brown. Add grated ginger and garlic OR ginger garlic paste, slit green chili and curry leaves. Let it cook until the raw smell goes. Add crushed pepper, turmeric powder, garam masala, fennel powder and cook for about 3 mins. Add tomato puree and mix well. I have used tomato puree for this recipe but my mother adds chopped tomatoes. If you prefer tomatoes then use one small sized tomato and chop it into small cubes. Add the chicken pieces and squeeze in the lemon and add the required salt. Combine everything well. Add about half a cup of water and let it boil. Reduce the heat once it starts boiling, cover and cook the chicken for about ten minutes or  until done stirring in occasionally in between if needed and add little water if the masala sticks to the pan. Once the chicken is done, heat coconut oil in a tadka pan, add curry leaves, switch off the heat and pour this on the chicken. Serve hot.