Kozhi Ishtoo/ Chicken Stew w/ Coconut Milk.

Cooking time: 20 mins Preparation time is another 10 mins
You will need:
Chicken-1 ½ lb, (700gm) cleaned and cut into small pieces.
Onions- 2 medium sized ones
Potatoes-1 large one
Tomatoes-1 small plum tomato
Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds-1/4 tsp
Black Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
Whole spices: 1”long Cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 2 cardamom
Lemon juice-1/2 of a lemon (1tbsp)
Plain Yogurt- ½ cup beaten
Coconut milk- 1 1/2 cup
Leaves: Coriander, Mint, Curry leaves, each a small handful, chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil-2 tbsp
White/Idaho Potato-1

Ground paste:
Green chilies - 10
Garlic – 3 cloves (1 ½ tsp)
Ginger- ½ inch piece (1 tbsp)
Fennel seed- 1 tsp
Poppy seeds- 1tsp
Cashew nuts-3-4

Preparation:
1. Wash the chicken and lightly toss it with lemon juice and rinse again. Drain well onto a slotted drainer. Slice the onions finely and dice the potatoes and tomatoes. Mix ½ cup of coconut milk with 1 cup water to dilute it and keep aside.
2. Soak the poppy seeds, cashew nuts and fennel seeds in ½ cup warm water for half hour and then wet grind it with the cleaned ginger, garlic and green chilies to a fine paste.
3. Heat the oil in a large shallow pan, add the whole spices. Sauté till the fragrance fills the air and then add onion.
4. Fry onions till just slightly transparent and immediately add the ground paste, spice powders and saute well. Then add the chicken, potatoes, lemon juice and sauté on high heat for a couple of minutes. Then lower the heat, add the diluted coconut milk, salt and cook covered for about 10 minutes or till the chicken gets cooked. Keep checking and add a little bit water if it starts sticking to the pan.
5. Check to see if the chicken is cooked. Add the chopped leaves, the thick coconut milk and the tomatoes. Allow it to simmer just for a couple more minutes and then switch of the flame. Add the beaten yogurt and adjust salt seasoning.
Serve hot with pathiri, appam, bread, puttu or just paratha.
If keeping for more than a day, try to keep aside the stew before adding the second coconut milk as its taste changes for the worse with each passing day. If the curry without the milk is reheated and then fresh coconut milk is added, it tastes just as fresh as the day it was made.
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