THE GREATER CAROLINA KERALA ASSOCIATION

April 2022 - Recipe of the month -  Pidi and varutharacha chicken curry

Recipe by: Jais Johny

Photograph by: Hannah Maria Paul

  

PIDI INGREDIENTS

• Rice flour  -4cup
• Grated coconut-2 cup + ½ cup 
• Salt (according to taste)
• Garlic-15 flakes
• Cumin seeds-4 tsp
• Water - 18 cups
• Coconut milk(second pal)-2cup

METHOD FOR MAKING PIDI

• Mix Rice flour with 2 cup of  grated coconut and salt as needed, then fry the rice flour until the color turns light brown

• Grind Garlic, cumin seeds with  remaining ½ cup of grated coconut

• Boil around 18 cups of water in a big pan (uruli) and add the garlic mix in that water and add salt as needed.

• Take the rice flour grated coconut mix in a wide pan and add around 6 cups of boiled garlic water mix in to it to make a fine dough, keep it for sometime, after that make small rice balls out of it.

• Add  1 to 1½ cups of coconut milk into the rest of the boiled water mix, boil the mix for sometime.

• After that, add the rice balls in it and cook it well. The whole mix with the pidi will turn into a saucy consistency. Once rice balls are cooked through, remove and keep it aside for sometime for cooling.

VARUTHARACHA CHICKEN CURRY INGREDIENTS

• Chicken – 1 kg (Cut into small pieces)

• Onion – 1 small (Thinly sliced)

• Ginger – 1 big piece (Crushed)
  

• Garlic – 5  cloves (Crushed)

• Curry leaves - a few

• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

• Tomato – 1 big (Chopped)

• Salt as needed

• Coconut oil - 1 tsp

GRAVY INGREDIENTS

• Grated coconut -  1¼ cups

• Dry red chillies – As per your taste

• Whole Peppercorns - ½ tsp.

• Curry leaves - a few

• Shallots – 4 small

• Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp.

• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp.

GARAM MASALA INGREDIENTS

• Fennel seeds - 1½ tbsp.

• Cinnamon – 1 big piece

• Star anise - 2

• Cardamom - 5

• Cloves - 10

• Mace – 1 small piece

TEMPERING INGREDIENTS

• Shallots - 3 small (Thinly sliced)

• Dry red chillies – 1 or 2
  

• Curry leaves - a few

METHOD FOR MAKING VARUTHARACHA CHICKEN CURRY

• Heat a pan with a heavy bottom pan and add whole spices - fennel seeds, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, and mace.

• Once the spices become hot, remove and set aside.

• Add grated coconut, dry red chillies, whole peppercorns, some curry leaves, shallots and coriander seeds to the hot pan.

• Add coconut oil to roast the coconut.

• Roast till golden on medium flame.

• When it starts to turn golden, add turmeric powder. Sauté till the raw smell goes away.

• Switch off and transfer it to a plate to cool down.

• Add the roasted whole spices also.

• Once cool, pulse the grated coconut and spice mix a few times in a mixer without adding water.

• Then add water and grind it to a fine paste.

• Heat oil in a pan.

• Add onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves.

• When the onion becomes soft, add turmeric powder. Sauté till the raw smell goes away.

• Add the ground paste and water, as required for the gravy.

• Add tomato, chicken and salt.

• Cover and cook the chicken.

• Heat oil in a pan for tempering.

• Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

• Add dry red chillies, remaining shallots and curry leaves.

• Add turmeric powder and roast on low flame.

• Add this to the curry and mix well.

 Bon appetit