Malvani Chicken

Malvani Chicken

I learnt this beautiful dish a few years back from my cook in mumbai .
Malvani chicken is a very popular coastal region recipe in Maharashtra. It's prepared using lots of fresh coconut.The main flavour comes out with its dry roasted spices n the use of dagad phool (an amazing spice used in the Maharashtra region. A must try recipe!!!

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken
Pinch of asafoetida
2 onions sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Salt
Oil

Coconut Paste
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200gms freshly grated coconut
3 green chillies
5 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger

Malwani Masala
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7 dried red chillies
1 tsp dagad phool (Pathar phool)
½ tsp black peppercorns
1tbsp coriander seeds
1 star anise
3 cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 piece cinnamon stick
2 green cardamoms
½ tsp cumin seeds
1tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nutmeg powder ( I skipped this)
½ tsp turmeric powder

Method:

Step 1:
To make the Malwani Masala,roast all the ingredients in a dry frying pan but not the nutmeg & turmeric powder. Cool the roasted spices and grind in a grinder to a fine powder. Mix in the nutmeg & turmeric. This powdered mix can be stored in an air tight container for a few months n can be used for other dishes too.

Step 2:
To make the coconut paste,grind all the ingredients in a blender with a few tablespoons of water until you get a paste.

Step 3:
Heat the oil and splutter the asafoetida,add the sliced onions.Cook on a medium heat stirring occasionally until softened and light brown for about 2-3minutes. Now add the coconut paste. Stir well and cook for 5-7 minutes.Make sure the coconut changes colour slightly to pale brown .Fry the mix and stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
At this stage add 3-4 heaped teaspoons of the Malwani masala along with the chicken & salt.Stir and coat all the chicken pieces with the coconut and spices. Let the chicken seal on high flame and cook in its juices for 2 minutes. Now add the water and mix. Bring the curry to a boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through,depending on ur choice you can have this as a curry or semi dry. Season with the lemon juice and fresh coriander.