Chicken Khanaval Style

Sometimes the regular chicken curry emits an aroma so good that people turn their steps towards the kitchen from where it is cooked. It was a small cottage and an old lady lived in it alone. Her children lived faraway in distant lands and came to visit her sometimes. This woman was not educated and did not wish to live off their earnings so she started a "Khanaval". Khanaval is a place which serves home cooked food to people on a monthly basis. Bachelors usually take this service . The food she cooked was so delicious that even after marriage, the bachelors who earlier ate here brought their families to give them a taste of the old ladies cooking. Her establishment had no name but the boys lovingly called her Maa. So Maa's Khanaval it was.

This was the simple chicken curry she cooked and served with chappatis.

Ingredients :

• Chicken 2 kgs.
• 2 tbsp ginger paste, 2tbsp garlic paste, 2 green chillies, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, grind together.
• 1 tbsp haldi powder.
• 3 large onions sliced.
• 4 tbsp grated dry coconut.
• 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut.
• 6 cashew nuts.
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds.
• 1tbsp jeera.
• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds.
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds.
• 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds.
• 1 inch cinnamon.
• 6 cloves.
• 1 tsp peppercorns.
• 2 badi elaichi.
• 2 green cardamom.
• 1 tbsp chilli powder.
• 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder.
• 4 tbsp oil.
• 4 tbsp pure ghee.
• Juice of two limes.
• Salt to taste .

Method :

• Marinate chicken with haldi and  ginger, garlic, chilli paste. keep for 1/2 hr.
• In a kadai heat oil and ghee and put the marinated chicken and stir fry it for a few minutes.
• Add about 5 cups pf water and cook till tender.
• In a kadai heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the sliced onions when golden brown add the dry coconut and fry add the various masalas except fresh coconut and chilli powders and let it brown.
• Put off the flame and add the fresh coconut, grind to a fine paste.
• Add salt to the chicken.
• Now add the ground masala and red chilli powder mix and cook for few minutes
• Add the kashmiri chilli powder and lime juice check seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves and serve