Chicken Varuval

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken (Cut into small pieces)

1 Bay leaf

3 whole Cardamom

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

5 Dry red chillies

5 cloves of Garlic (peeled and sliced)

2 Onions (Chopped)

1 Tomato (Chopped)

3 strands of curry leaves

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tbsp Chicken masala (Chicken curry powder)

1 tbsp special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

1 tsp garam masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean, wash the chicken and drain water from it completely.
• In a bowl, place the chicken, garlic ginger paste, chicken curry powder, special masala and salt. Mix everything and marinate for few hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise). Fry for a min and splutter the black peppercorns, fennel and fenugreek seeds. 
• Then add the onion, dry chillies, garlic pieces and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the chicken and tomatoes. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 10 mins under medium high flame.
• Then add the garam masala and stir fry on low heat till the chicken is cooked and turns crispy on the outside.
• Serve it hot with plain rice and lemon rasam.