Pepper Chicken (Dry)

A yummy dish, great with rice, chapati, dosa . . . This dish does not have any gravy but will be slightly "dry".

Pepper Chicken


6-8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 head of garlic
1" piece of ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2-3 teaspoons red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 large tomato, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 onion, sliced (1 cup loosely packed)
1 stem curry leaves
3 red chiles (whole)
black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Chop chicken into bite size pieces (approx 1/2-1" pieces).  Set aside.

Remove skin from 1 head of garlic and grind together with the ginger piece with a little water until it comes to a smooth paste.  From the paste, take out one tablespoon and mix with chicken pieces along with lemon juice.
Grind together the fennel, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chil pdr, turmeric and salt.  Rub into chicken until chicken is well coated.  Allow to marinate for at least a 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, in a pot heat 2 tablespoons oil.  When hot add chopped onion.  Saute until onion is translucent then add remaining ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a minute.  Add chopped tomatoes and saute until tomato is very soft and pulpy.  (This will take a good 7-10 minutes.)  Add marinated chicken to this, stir well then over medium heat allow the chicken to cook through.  (15-20 minutes)   Do not add water, as the chicken cooks, water will come out.  If any liquid remains once the chicken is cooked through, increase the heat and stir fry for a few minutes or until water is evaporated.

While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small frying pan.  To this add the curry leaves, red chiles and sliced onions.  Cook until onions are soft.  Once chicken is cooked, stir the sliced onion mixture into the chicken and garnish with freshly ground black pepper (about 1 teaspoon) and cilantro leaves.