Kolhapuri Chicken

Chicken – 1 kg./2 Pounds approximately

Curd – 1 bowl

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th Tsp.

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tb.sp.

Kolhapuri  kanda-lasun masala – 1tbsp or as per your taste

Red chili powder -  1 Tbsp (use byadagi mirchi powder or Kashmiri red chili powder for this recipe to have that wonderful  red color)

Onions – 2 sliced

Dry grated coconut – 1 bowl

Tomato - finely chopped, ½ bowl

Coriander seeds powder – 1 tb.sp.

Cumin seeds powder – ½ tb.sp.

Coconut milk – 1 bowl

Handful of coriander leaves – finely chopped

Lemon/lime juice – 1 tb.sp.

Oil – 3 tb.sp.

Salt to taste

Procedure –

1. Marinate the chicken for atleast half an hour with turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, kanda Lasun masala, red chili powder and curd.

2. Heat 2 tb.sp. oil in a pan and fry sliced onions will light brown. Keep them aside.

3. Roast grated coconut in the leftover oil and keep it aside.

4. Grind onion and coconut into fine paste in a mixer grinder.

5. Heat 1 tb.sp. oil in a pan and add onion and coconut paste. Sauté till it leaves oil.

6. Add chopped tomato and sauté till they become mushy and leave oil.

7. Add marinated chicken, salt, half of the chopped coriander, coriander and cumin seeds powder and sauté for 5 minutes.

8. Add 4 cups of water and let the water boil on a high flame.

9. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with lid and cook chicken for at least 20 minutes.

10. Adjust the salt and red chili powder as per your taste.

11. Add thick coconut milk and some water as per your consistency and let the chicken boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add remaining chopped coriander leaves and lemon/lime juice.

12. Serve hot with ‘jwarichi bhakari’ (Jowar roti), bread or white rice.

Note :

 Actually Kolhapuri chicken is more spicy and hot. Kolhapuri people use oil and masala generously. This recipe is medium spicy. You can add more kanda-lasun masala and oil as per your taste. ‘Vanaspati ghee’ tastes fabulous in this chicken, though I have used oil here.