Satya Raghava's Mangalore Chicken Sukka

Vishaka Rautela's mother Satya Raghava, who she calls Mamma or Mom, puts together the most sumptuous but traditional Mangalorean meals.

She says: "You know you are lucky when your mom is a jadugarni (magician) in the kitchen. When everything she makes turns out to be delicious.

"That's how it is in our home. Everyone -- and that includes our cousins, aunties, uncles and friends -- has a favourite 'Satya' dish and wants it on the menu when they drop by. One such favourite that she just 'has to make' 90 per cent of the time, when we have a party at home, is Kori Aajadina or Chicken Sukka.

"Chicken Sukka goes really well with Mumbai pav, or naan bread that you get at the bakery or any kind of dosa, especially Neer Dosa. The delectable taste lingers in your mouth long after you've sent the last morsel to your already satiated stomach.

Use the leftovers -- if there are any -- to make yourself a yummy sandwich the next day."

Vegetarian pairings are in the note below.

Mangalorean Style Chicken Sukka

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

For the masala

• 20-25 dry red Kashmiri chillies
• 3 tbsp dhania or coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ½ tsp methi seeds
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 1-inch piece dalchini or cinnamon
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp khus khus
• 4 laung or cloves
• 10 pods garlic
• Small ball tamarind paste
• Pinch haldi or turmeric
• 1 large onion, chopped

For the chicken sukka

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 kg chicken, washed, drained, cut into pieces
• Salt to taste
• Water, optional

For the roasted coconut

• 10 curry leaves
• 1 grated coconut
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Ghee, for frying

For the final tadka or garnish

• 1 large onion, chopped
• Ghee, for frying

Method

• On a tava or in frying pan roast, one at a time, the red Kashmiri chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, rai, khus khus and cloves until they turn aromatic, approximately one minute.
  Cool.
  Transfer the roasted spices into a mixer jar.
  Add the garlic, onion, the tamarind ball and haldi.
  Grind to a fine paste.
• In a heavy-bottomed kadhai, cook the chicken with the ground masala paste and some salt over low to medium heat, stirring vigilantly so the masala does not stick.
  Add very little water to cook the chicken if needed.
  Cover.
  Dry out the water once the chicken is cooked.
• While the chicken is cooking, in a frying pan heat the ghee.
  Add the curry leaves and the chopped onion.
  Fry until the onion turns soft.
  Add the grated coconut.
  Lower heat.
  Keep stirring so the coconut doesn't burn.
  When the coconut turns golden brown, take off heat and keep aside to cool.
  Transfer the coconut mixture into a mixer jar and grind to a coarse paste.
  Add the ground coconut paste to the chicken and mix well.
  Continue cooking the chicken for a few minutes more.
  If there is any excess water in the chicken, dry it out and take off heat.
• For the final tadka, heat ghee in a tempering pan and add the last remaining chopped onion.
  Stir.
  Once the onion turns golden, take off heat and add to the chicken.
  Serve with pav or neer dosa.

Note: This recipe is low on calories but to reduce calories further go slow on the ghee.

Need a vegetarian or vegan recipe to match this Mangalorean meal? Try making, without the prawns, Sunita Harisinghani's Malabar Spinach and Prawn Curry.

Vishaka Rautela, a Hyderabad-based home chef and baker, is the creator of the blog, Vishual Foodie. Along with a group of food-passionate friends, she runs the online food group, Foodies' Central [external link] and hosts an annual bakers meet, The Bakers Collective.

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