ERACHI CURRY / CHICKEN CURRY

This erachi / chicken curry is one of my favourite chicken recipes. This actually has two versions - one version I learned from my mom and the other from my mother-in-law. Both are awesome cooks and makes delicious traditional recipes. My Mother-in-law still grinds each and every masala in “Ammi”. She always quotes that ”when any curry is cooked in manchatti (earthen pot) and masala grounded in Ammi that recipe tastes more delicious”. But it’s true. The recipe I'm sharing in this post is my Mother-in-law version erachi curry or else I can say my husbandman’s favourite erachi curry. 

This recipe is the coconut based recipe and can be served with idli, dosai, appam, idiyappam or steamed rice. In my cooking, I cant skip coconut, coconut oil and curry leaves. If you are not a lover of coconut oil, you can use any oil of your choice.  

I'm using boneless chicken, you can use chicken pieces with bone and this same recipe you can try with mutton. If you are trying with mutton, pressure cook mutton with turmeric powder, salt and ginger garlic paste, and then add to the curry. 

Category: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4 

Total Time: 40 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time:  25 mins

Ingredients : 

For Coconut Paste : 

• 1 Cup grated coconut 
• 6 Shallots 
• 2 Tablespoon Chilli Powder 
• 1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder 
• 1 Cinnamon Stick 
• 1 Green Cardamom 
• 3 Cloves 

For Curry : 

• 500 grams Chicken 
• 10-15 Shallots 
• 7 Garlic 
• 1 Inch Ginger 
• 1/2 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Cinnamon Stick 
• 2 Bay leaf 
• 1 clove 
• 1 Green Cardamom 
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoon Coconut Oil 

To make erachi curry / Chicken Curry at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below

Step By Step Picture Instructions : 

For Marination : 

• In a mixer, add ginger and garlic, make a fine paste 
  
• To the chicken pieces, add half of ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Leave this covered for 10-15  minutes 
  

For Coconut Paste : 

• In a pan, add grated coconut and shallots 
  
• Add cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cloves 
  
• Start to roast them on medium flame 
  
• Roast until the coconut turns golden brown ( this takes almost 10 minutes ) 
  
• Add chilli and coriander powder to the coconut 
  
• Mix them well and roast for another 2-3 minutes on low flame 
  
• Don't burn them 
  
• Keep the roasted coconut aside till it cools down 
  
• In a mixer, add the roasted mixture and ground to the fine paste by adding little water 
  

Keep this coconut paste separate 

For Curry : 

• In a pressure cooker, add oil and temper bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cloves 
  
• Add shallots and roast for 2 minutes 
  
• Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and roast until the raw smell disappears 
  
• Add the marinated chicken pieces and mix well 
  
• Add salt required for the curry 
  
• Now add the coconut paste to the chicken 
  
• Add water and mix well, and pressure cook for 2 whistles 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Serve hot 

KANAVA PEPPER ROAST / KERALA STYLE SQUID PEPPER ROAST

Squid/ Calamari / Koonthal / Kanava is a popular seafood and my personal favourite. Squid is low in calories, contains no saturated fat and is high in natural protein. This recipe is similar to Kerala Pepper Chicken Roast. Can be served with parotta, roti, idli, dosa or steamed rice. 

I served this squid pepper roast with Steamed Rice, onion raita, sambar and some onion and tomato slices. 

Also, see other recipes

Goan Fish Curry

Meen Pollichathu - Fish Cooked in Banana Leaf 

THERACHI KARTHA CURRY / THIRANDI CURRY / STINGRAY CURRY 

Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Kerala, India 
Servings: 4 
Total Time: 40 mins
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients : 

Ingredients : 

For Marination : 

• 500 Grams Squid / Kanava 
• 5 Garlic 
• 1 Inch Ginger 
• 1 Tomato chopped 
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder 
• Salt to taste 
• Curry Leaves 

For Pepper Roast : 

• 1 Onion Chopped 
• 1 Green Chilli 
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds 
• 1 Tablespoon Red Chilli Powder 
• 1/2 Tablespoon Coriander Powder 
• 2 Tablespoon Black Pepper powder (freshly grounded) 
• Curry Leaves 
• Coriander leaves to garnish 
• 2 Tablespoon Coconut oil 

To make Kanava Pepper Roast / Kerala Style Squid Pepper Roast at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below

Step By Step Picture Instructions : 

• In a mortar, add roughly chopped ginger and garlic 
  
• Pound into a coarse mixture 
  
• Clean squid and cut into pieces
• To the cleaned squid, add the crushed ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt
  
• Mix them well and add chopped tomato. Marinate this for 10 minutes 
  
• Meanwhile, in a pan add coconut oil 
• Temper cumin seeds, slit green chilli and curry leaves 
  
• Add chopped onion and roast until golden brown 
  
• Add chilli powder and coriander powder to the onions 
  
• All the spices must be roasted well for about 5 minutes on medium flame 
  
• Now add the marinated squid and mix well 
  
• Cover cook for about 10 minutes 
  
• The squid itself will leave the water, cook them until the water disappears 
  
  
  
  
  
• Now add freshly grounded black pepper and mix well 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Roast the squid on medium flame so that the pepper powder coats the squid well 
  
• Check for salt and add accordingly 
• Garnish with coriander leaves 
  
• Serve hot 
  

UNNI APPAM / KAROLLAPPAM

Unni appam, also called Karollappam is a small round snack made from rice, jaggery, banana, roasted coconut pieces, ghee and cardamom powder fried in oil. 

Variations of this organic and spongy fried batter using jackfruit preserves instead of banana. It is a popular snack in Kerala. In Malayalam, unni means small and appam means rice cake.

Ingredients : 

• 1 Cup Rice Flour 
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour 
• 1 Banana 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 
• 1/2 Cup Jaggery 
• 3 Green Cardamom 
• 2 Tablespoon Coconut Pieces 
• Coconut Oil / Ghee for frying 

Method : 

1. Boil water and add jaggery. 
2. Boil on medium flame and make jaggery syrup with crushed green cardamom 
3. Drain the jaggery syrup and keep aside 
4. In a bowl, add rice flour and wheat flour, and mix well 
5. Mash the banana or in a mixer add the banana and make a smooth paste 
6. Mix the banana with the flour mixture
7. Add baking soda and jaggery syrup to the flour mixture 
8. Add coconut pieces 
9. Keep this batter for 30-45 mins
10. After 30 minutes, heat coconut oil/ghee in paniyaram chatti (pan)
11. When the oil is really hot, reduce the flame to low-medium
12. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the chatti 
13. Fry on both sides till golden-dark brown colour