Kerala Chicken Molee / Molly / Moli

       Easter and Christmas breakfast are never a fully special one without those creamy ,yummy Chicken stew or Fish molly right? Oh I can't even imagine one of those delicious curries and hot hot Appams. talking about Appams , my kuttanadan grandma makes a brown color appam with the Puncha Aripodi , the rice for which comes from our own paddy field , back home. 

      Chicken Molee is a blend of flavors from both Meen molee and chicken stew and comes out as a deliciously creamy and subtly spiced curry with the fullest flavors. I made this recently and served with Puttu and I m telling you , its a dynamite.

     Here in this recipe bite size chicken pieces are marinated with ginger, garlic and green chili and cooked in a creamy coconut gravy flavored with whole spices and a tomato. Its already rich and aromatic and can be made more exotic by adding raisins and cashew nuts fried in butter or ghee.

Recipe for Kerala style Chicken Molee / Molly / Moli

Ingredients:-

Bowl 1

Chicken - 1 lb

Garlic - 2 or 3 small cloves

Ginger - a very small piece

Green chilis - 2 or 3

Turmeric powder - a large pinch

Bowl 2

Oil - 2 table spoon

Cinnamon - 1

Cardamom - 4

Cloves - 5

Star Anise - 1

Bay leaves - 1 or 2

Mace - 1 ( optional)

Bowl 3

Onion chopped - 2

Garlic sliced - 1 or 2 cloves

Ginger chopped - 1/2 tea spoon

Curry leaves

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Black peppercorns - 1 tea spoon( lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle)

Thin coconut milk - 1 cup

Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon

Tomato chopped - 1 big

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 to 1 cup

Ghee/Butter

A handful of raisins and cashew nuts 

Directions:-

    Clean and cut chicken pieces into 1.5 inch cubes . Blitz ginger , garlic and green chili into a coarse paste and marinate chicken pieces with this paste , turmeric powder and salt to taste. Set aside for 30 minutes. If keeping for more than that refrigerate it.

     Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add all the ingredients in Bowl 2 and fry for a minute. Add chopped onions and fry for a couple of minutes and add garlic , ginger and curry leaves. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Add turmeric powder and toss well. Stir in marinated chicken pieces and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Stir in crushed black peppercorns and thin coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and cook covered for 15- 20 minutes. 

Uncover , add chopped tomato , sprinkle garam masala and cook it covered for another 5-8 minutes.

Pour the thick coconut milk ,adjust the salt and  simmer for a couple of minutes .

Add fried cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the curry and serve.