Chicken Thokku
A drier, more intense cousin of chicken curry — chicken cooked in a heavily reduced onion-tomato thokku with lots of garam masala, until clinging dark sauce coats every piece.
Per serving
Ingredients
- 500 gChicken, cut in pieces
- 6 mediumOnion, finely chopped
- 2 mediumTomato
- 10Dry red chillies
- 3 tspGinger garlic paste
- 1 1/2 tspRed chilli powder
- 1/2 tspTurmeric powder
- 4 piecesCinnamon (patta)
- 6Cloves (krambu)
- 3Cardamom (ela)
- to tasteSalt
- 6 tbspOil
- 1/2 cupWater
Method
- 1
Marinate chicken with turmeric, a little salt and curd for 15 minutes.
- 2
Mixie the tomatoes to a smooth puree.
- 3
Heat oil in a heavy kadai. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom; sizzle 10 seconds.
- 4
Add the 6 chopped onions and dry red chillies. Sauté on medium for 12-15 minutes until deeply caramelised and a rich brown — this is the soul of a thokku, don''t rush it.
- 5
Add turmeric and ginger garlic paste; stir 1 minute. Add the marinated chicken and toss for 3 minutes.
- 6
Add red chilli powder and tomato puree. Cook 4 minutes.
- 7
Add 1/2 cup water and salt. Cover and cook on medium-low for 20 minutes until chicken is just done.
- 8
Remove the lid and cook on medium-high another 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the gravy reduces to a dark thick coating on the chicken. Serve hot with paratha or dosa.