Nadan Kozhi Curry / Kerala style chicken curry with potato

Nadan kozhi curry or the Kerala country-style chicken curry with freshly ground spices and slightly fried potato dunked gives just the right amount of body to the gravy.

I have made this at least 100 times and had it another 500 + times at home before and people drank the gravy every time. The meat almost fell apart from the bone in all tenderness that I would simply grab a small saucer and snack on it till lunch and then chechi would come and beg me to leave the chicken curry alone. Meaning if you eat like this you won’t be getting one piece for lunch:)). Oh, by the way, all the giblets were reserved by me except the gizzard. She would always comment, u are weird Meena I wonder if your brain is inside ur head itself …. kids fight for the leg piece and u want this! :)))
Note: I have not added any sour agent like tomato  u may add it (1-chopped) while sauteeing in step 3 or vinegar(2 tsp plain rice wine vinegar preferably) towards the end. Also, note- ‘It is also a no coconut chicken curry’. In spite of all this trust me u will not miss a thing in this kozhi curry I can vouch for it… its that damn delicious.

Ingredients:
Chicken -1 lb ( 1/2 kg) (bone-in pieces) (I have used bone in,skin on pieces)
Potato – 2-3 medium size
For marination:
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/3 tsp
Small onion -1, Garlic- 2, Ginger a small piece, green chili -1, 2-curry leaves – coarsely crushed
Garam masala  – 1 tsp (given below)
Coconut oil – 2 tsp

For gravy:
Coconut oil -3- tsp
Red onion / sabala – thinly sliced – 2-3 medium
Small onion – finely chopped – 1/2 cup
Ginger – a small piece chopped
Garlic – 5-8 flakes chopped
Green chili -1 -2 sliced
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/3 tsp
Garam masala  -1 to1 1/2 tsp store bought garam masala powder and 3 tsp coriander powder OR(homemade given below which includes fresh coriander seeds )
Curry leaves few
Salt to taste (remember potatoes will absorb some of it)

For garam masala;
Coriander seeds/ malli – 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds/ perinjeerakam -1 tsp
Cinnamon /patta – 1-inch piece
Cardamom /elakka- 3-4
Cloves /grambu-4 -5
Aniseed/thakkolam – 2 petals from the flower
Whole red chili/ mulagu – 1-2 or as per taste
Black peppercorns/kurumulagu – 1 tsp
Nutmeg /jadikka(scraped) and mace/jadipoo (2-strands)- very little (I used a pinch of nutmeg powder instead)

Method:
1.Marinate the chicken for 30 – 45 minutes with all the given ingredients in the marination list. Set aside meanwhile do rest of prep work.
2.Warm up the garam masala spices in a hot pan and fine powder it when cool.
3. Heat coconut oil in a wide mouthed pan add the curry leaves and green chili first let it emit a nice aroma then add the ginger, garlic, and small onion chopped when it turns golden brown then add the red onion sliced keep sauteeing until it turns pink and soft. Add the chili powder,turmeric powder, salt and all the garam masala (keep one pinch to add last). Add tomato -1 chopped if u like.Saute on a low flame until the masala turns nicely roasted and brown.
4. Put the chicken pieces into the gravy mixture coat well cover and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat. The chicken will ooze out water so allow it to cook in its own juices.
5. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water on the side. Pour it into the semi-cooked chicken (towards the sides of the pan and not on chicken directly) Boiling the water is done so the chicken can cook in even temp and it won’t taste bland)
6. Give it a good mix and cook chicken on a medium to slow flame for another 20-25 minutes.

7. In another pan fry some thick slices of potato, some curry leaves  and a green chili sliced and add towards the end into the curry along with garam masala pinch.  stir gently. Cover and cook for a minute or two switch off the flame.
As the chicken curry sits it will darken and thicken a bit.
Serve Kerala Chicken curry with  chappathi, appam, idiyappam, rice or Kerala porotta.
Goes well with anything that needs gravy.
Enjoy.

I would not say porotta turned out perfect like store bought but they were really good thats what my chief critic said so once I perfect it little bit more I can post a fool proof recipe for you.So till then kindly manage with some store bought 🙂

Hope you like it.
Meena