Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, or morning to those of you starting your day. We can squeeze-in some evening too – that’s okay with us. How have you been, and most importantly, what have you been cooking. If you have been following us closely, you’ll know we went road-tripping to the west coast of India, in Malvan, Maharashtra and Goa. This recipe is from Goa – although not authentically Goan – and it is possibly one of the most regarded/ordered non-vegetarian dish in Maharashtra. The hindi term sukha means ‘dry’. Cooked with toasted sesame seeds and browned coconut and reduced to perfection, Chicken Sukha is your go-to dish if you want something flavorful, tasty and predominantly Malvan. The best part is, it is extremely easy to cook and uses only three masalas or spices. Unbelievable? Believe it.
Malvani Chicken
Time taken: 30 min
Taste-o-meter: Spicy
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken (cubed): 1 cup
Large onion (chopped): 1
Cloves of garlic (chopped): 8
Large tomato (chopped): 1
Chicken masala: 2 tbsp
Garam masala: 2 tbsp
Bottle masala/Malvani masala: 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Sesame seeds (toasted): 2 tsp
Roasted coconut: 2-3 tbsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 sprig
Ghee: 1 tsp
Method:
Roast coconut until brown. Toast sesame seeds till fragrant. Keep aside.
In the same pan, add oil and let it smoke on high heat.
Bring down heat to medium and add onion, garlic, ginger-garlic paste and cook till onion is slightly browned.
At this point, add chicken masala, garam masala and the Malvani masala. You’d cook until the masala leaves oil or the onions are completely mashed.
Add the tomato, chicken, 1/2 a cup of water and cook in medium heat for about 2-3 min and cover it. You’d leave it for another 2-3 min before you lift lid.
Lift lid, add toasted sesame and roasted coconut and cook on high heat till the gravy complete dries up.
Add salt, chilli powder, ghee and coriander leaves to finish.
Eat with bhakri or chapatti.