Chicken Salna / Kuruma

Ingredients :

• 2 lbs of chicken thighs with bones,cleaned with turmeric powder
• 1 onion,cut
• 2 big tomatoes,cut
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp achi chicken curry powder
• 1 inch cinnamon,2 cardamom,4 cloves,1 star anise,1 small piece of kalpasi,1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• water,oil,salt.

To grind into a smooth paste:

• 1/4 cup of sliced coconuts
• 6 garlic pods
• 2 inch ginger,cut
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• handful of coriander leaves,cut
• 1 tbsp cashews
• 1 tbsp of poppy seeds,toasted in a pan

Procedure:

1. Add oil to a pan/pressure cooker.Once the oil is hot,add cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,star anise,kalpasi and fennel seeds.
2. Add onions to the oil and cook for a minute,then add tomatoes.
3. When the tomatoes are soft,add the spice powders listed above and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Now add the chicken,then the ground masala , 2 cups of water and necessary amount of salt.Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.If using pressure cooker,wait for 3 whistles on medium low flame and turn off the stove and wait for the pressure to release.
5. Now remove the lid and bring the kuruma to a boil.Let it boil for another 5 mins.Check for salt and serve.
6. Goes well with roti,parotta,idli,dosai and egg parotta.For rice,add couple of drops of lemon juice,before serving.