INGREDIENTS
2 x 450g (1 lb) free range chickens or 4 small quails
3 Tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
10 curry leaves
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons coriander seeds
2 Tablespoons cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 large red onion – finely chopped
1 inch ginger – finely chopped
4 green chillies (or more) finely chopped
6 cloves garlic – smashed and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon red chilli powder
1/2 dried and grated coconut
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
500ml coconut milk
4 Tablespoons cream
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon garam masala
Juice of one lemon
3 Tablespoons chopped mint leaves
In a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat, dry fry the poppy seeds,coriander seeds,cumin seeds, cinnamon and cardamom seeds until they begin to smoke.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.
Now put the ghee in the frying pan. When the ghee melts, add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add the chopped onion.
Fry until the onions turn light brown and become translucent.
Add the spice powder, ginger, green chillies, garlic, chilli powder and grated coconut and continue to fry for another 2 minutes.
Stuff your chickens with this stuffing and then truss the birds to keep all the stuffing in.
Add the vegetable oil or ghee to the pan. When the oil is good and hot, add the chickens and fry them all over so that the skin turns a shiny, crispy brown.
Pour in the coconut milk and cream and simmer until the chickens are cooked through – about 20 minutes.
to serve
Cut each chicken into eight pieces. Scrap the stuffing into the coconut sauce and mix well.
Add the garam masala and salt and pepper to taste.
Place a couple pieces of chicken on each plate with a little sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice and top with chopped mint leaves.