Super Spicy Andhra Chicken Fry!

All readers be forewarned... This tastes as fiery as it looks! :D

Sid had been pestering me for quite some time to make a traditional, spicy Andhra chicken fry. And I had no clue how to go about it. Having spent my childhood in Orissa, and being a Telugu Brahmin by birth, south-Indian non vegetarian dishes are something I know very little about. But I remembered the taste of Nellore Chicken fry sampled at a friend's wedding and then there was Google to help with the rest ;)

I made this dish twice in a span of 10 days and each time it turned out amazingly good. The first time, me and Sid had practically smoke coming out of our ears and nose, but just couldn't stop eating! The second time around I made the chicken for my dad-in-law, so went light on the pepper and chillies. He loved it so much that after the chicken fry was all gobbled up, he added some rice to the vessel to wipe up all the remaining masala, and literally polished it off! But frankly, without the heat of the pepper and chillies, its just not the same...

So here's my version of the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg

Onions - 3 large

Green chillies - 4

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves/Kari patta - 10

Oil - 2 tbsp

For the masala:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Dried Red chillies - 3-4

Peppercorns - 1 tsp

Cloves - 3
Star Anise - 1

Cardamoms/Elaichi - 2

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1 tsp

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and marinate them in turmeric, salt 2 tbsp lemon juice for half an hour.

Chop the onions into thin slices and slit the green chillies. In a kadhai or heavy bottom non-stick vessel heat heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the onions, chillies and curry leaves. Once the onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to fry.

Meanwhile, dry roast all the ingredients for the masala and grind them into a fine paste with some salt and water. Add this paste to the kadhai, mix well and continue to cook till it turns into a thick, brown, oniony masala.

Now take the marinated chicken and start cooking it in another pan. No need to add any oil or cover it and cook. Jus roast the pieces on both sides for about 10min till they are half-cooked and release some fat. Transfer this to the vessel in which the onion masala is browning. Mix well to ensure all the chicken pieces are coated with the masala. Add a dash of water, cover and cook for another 10min.

Now remove cover and cook on high flame to allow all the additional water to evaporate. The chicken should now go from a gravy-like consistency to a fry with thick gravy. Adjust salt and pepper, stir well and serve hot with rice and rasam, or rotis. Do make sure you have tissues close at hand! :D

I'm dashing this off to the Chicken Recipe Event hosted by Sameena of My Culinary Creations.