EASY CHICKEN KOZUMBU OR GRAVY

EASY CHICKEN KOZUMBU OR GRAVY
This is my MIL’s recipe. This is a Sunday breakfast special at my in-laws place. We usually have this as a side dish for idlis or dosas. This can be had a side with rice and rotis too but this dish is super spicy. The spice level can be adjusted according to personal preferences. We usually add a lot of heat to non-vegetarian dishes. The chicken can also be substituted with lamb but the cooking time for lamb should be increased accordingly. The time taken to cook this dish is usually 20-25 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, 1 lb.
Red onions, medium-sized 4.
Roma tomatoes, medium-sized, 3.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Chili powder, 4 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 4 teaspoons.
Ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon.
Garam masala or chicken masala (optional), 1 teaspoon.
Curry leaves, 1 spring.
Chopped cilantro, ½ cup.
Salt as per taste.
Thalipu vadakam (optional), 1/4 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Clean the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Take a pressure cooker or pressure pan and add the chicken pieces, diced tomatoes, onions, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt and mix everything once. Pour water in the cooker just enough the cover the chicken. Cook the chicken for up to 3-4 whistles and switch off the stove to let the pressure down. Heat another pan with a teaspoon of oil. Add the vadakam and let it fry for a few seconds. Then add the cooked chicken gravy along with ground pepper, curry leaves, and cilantro and let it cook for 5 more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Serve hot with rice, idlis, dosas, or breads.

NOTE: Thalipu vadakam is a mixture of fenugreek seeds, cumin, mustard seeds mixed with dried pearl onions and garlic. We usually add it as a seasoning for gravies like sambar, rasam etc. Another seasoning method used by my MIL is that she fries a teaspoon of very finely chopped onions until they are brown and adds it on top of the gravy. This also gives a good flavor to the dish.