Chicken varuval (Chicken chukka)
Chicken chukka varuval is a simple chicken stir fry made in the chettinad style with fresh ground spices.
© Swasthi's Recipes
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 500 grams bone-in-chicken (or boneless)
- 6 to 8 shallots (or ½ cup yellow/ Indian onions fine chopped)
- 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon each grated)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅓ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or any cooking oil of choice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 sprigs curry leaves fresh (pat dry, divided, omit if you don't have)
Masala powder (dry roast all ingredients and powder)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon piece
- 2 green cardamom
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper corn
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds /saunf
- 4 dried red chilies (or use ½ to ¾ teaspoon chili powder)
- 1 tablespoon dried coconut (shredded unsweetened coconut)
- 1 tablespoon roasted gram or 8 to 10 cashews or 3 tablespoons almond flour
Instructions
- Make the spice blend: On a medium heat, dry roast red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper until aromatic & crunchy. Add 1 sprig curry leaves, dried coconut and roasted gram. Toast for a min until the leaves turn crisp. Cool down and make a fine powder.
- Preparation: Fine chop, crush or pulse onions in a chopper.
- Temper: Heat oil in a pan. Add 1 sprig curry leaves and crushed onions. Saute until light golden, till the onions lose the raw flavor for about 5 mins. Add the ginger garlic and saute for 40 to 50 seconds.
- Add the chicken, salt and turmeric. Saute on a high flame till the chicken turns white in color. This takes around 2 to 3 mins. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins to see if the chicken releases moisture.
- Make chicken chukka: Stir in the powdered masala and let cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through. If the pan is dry, pour ¼ cup hot water and cook. This is optional and depends on how much moisture your chicken releases. Sometimes you may not even need it.
- Open the lid and evaporate the excess moisture, so the masala clings on to the chicken. Taste test to adjust salt and add lemon juice. Garnish with fine chopped coriander leaves.
- Serving suggestion: Serve chicken chukka/varuval with rice, alongside rasam or sambar. It also goes well with ghee rice, chapati or dosa.
Nutrition
Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Vitamin C: 35.6mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3.2mg
