Name: Tart Chicken with Roasted Chiles, Tamarind, and Coconut Milk (Puli Kozhi)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons canola oil; 1 tablespoon yellow split peas (chana dal), picked over for stones; 2 red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate; 12 to 15 medium-size to large fresh curry leaves; 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt; 1 chicken (3½ pounds), skin removed, cut into 8 pieces (see box); 4 large cloves garlic; 3 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2½ inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛ inch thick); 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk; 1 medium-size red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

The Moppalahs, inhabitants of the southwestern state of Kerala who follow the doctrines of the Islamic faith, consume chicken, mutton, fish, and other seafood as part of their special-occasion meals. This curry combines roasted and ground spices—a typically southern Indian technique—with coconut milk, the other Keralite staple, to provide the base for plump chicken. Serve it with the nutty and aromatic basmati rice Kaaju badam chawal for a sati