Chicken Malvani
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Spicy chicken simmered in a coconut gravy - this dish comes from Western coast of India. Served with cumin - pomegranate rice!
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Ingredients
  • Dry Spice Mix For Chicken Malvani
  • 1 large bay leaf or 3-4 small bay leaves, dry
  • ¼ whole nutmeg
  • 6-7 cloves
  • 3-4 dry red chillies (If you want less spicy, lower the amount)
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
For wet spice mix for chicken malvani
  • 1-2 green chillies
  • 5-6 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup freshly grated coconut (found in frozen sections) or dry shredded coconut
  • ¾th inch of ginger
  • For the gravy for chicken malvani
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, chopped in small pieces
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 2 tsp olive oil or ghee
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of sugar (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • Cilantro for garnishing
Cumin-pomegranate rice
  • 1 tsp oil
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼-1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
Instructions
  1. Dry Mix
  2. Dry roast all the above ingredients on a skillet for 3-5 minutes at medium heat. Grind to form a spice mix. Keep aside.
Wet mix
  1. Grind all the ingredients and keep aside.
Gravy
  1. In a deep pot, add oil. Once hot, add chopped onions and the wet spice mix. Saute for few minutes until raw smell goes away. Add 3 tsp of dry spice mix and stir around. Add 1 cup water and bring it to a boil. Add salt, lime juice and pinch of sugar. Stir it around and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add ½ cup water if the gravy looks to thick. Add chicken pieces and cook covered on lowest setting for 12-17 minutes or until chicken gets cooked through that is there is no pink left inside the chicken. If gravy looks too thick, add more water but remember chicken will loose some water too so add little water at a time only.
  2. Once done, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  3. Cumin-Pomegranate Rice
  4. In a pot, add oil. To it add cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add onions and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add washed rice along with 2.5 cups water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil. Cover and let it cook on medium gas until cooked through. Add pomegranate seeds and stir around.
  5. Serve chicken malvani with cumin-pomegranate rice.
Notes
You can devour the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Dry spice mix and wet spice mix can be made a day in advance.
You can even make the gravy in advance and just before dinner, add the chicken pieces and cook.
Recipe by Naive Cook Cooks at https://www.naivecookcooks.com/chicken-malvani/