Chicken Sukka / Chicken cooked in dry roasted Coconut

This dish name "Chicken Sukka" is very much Mangalorean (Mangalore is a place in Karnataka , neighboring to Kerala) but the recipe here is little different, as I watched a cookery program where they had a Chicken dish, the Chef in a Resort in some forest in Kerala explained that he got this recipe from tribal People there , they during the olden days used to dry roast coconut with ginger and some spices , grind these and used to carry it with them while on their way for hunting,
as roasted coconut stays for some time even without refrigeration, Interesting isn't it ?

I decided to give it a try the same day itself and searched of a similar recipes in the net, this name "Sukka" -meaning Dry or water-less in Hindi and the Mangalorean way of preparing it seems almost similar. And it came out really well but others who tried it here said it goes good with Rice alone , as I served it with Chapathi/ Indian Bread :(

Ingredients 

For Marinating

Chicken - 1/2 Pound (Small Pieces)
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Lime Juice - juice from 1 Lime
Salt to taste

For Roasting and Grinding 

Coconut - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 Tb Sp (chopped)
Coriander seeds or Powder - 1 Tb Sp
Fennel seed Powder /Uluva podi - a pinch
Meat Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp (Recipe Follows)
Dry Red chili's -  5 No's (I used chili Powder 1/2 Tb SP) -Adjust as per your preference
Curry Leaves - 2 Springs
Tamarind Paste(Valan Puli) - 1 tsp

For the Gravy 

Oil - 2 Tb Sp (I used Coconut Oil)
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sliced
Garlic - 2 no's crushed
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Meat Masala - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method 

* Marinate the Chicken Pieces with the ingredients given for marination , keep for 1/2 an hour to 1 hour.(Better to cut chicken to small pieces as it helps'em to cook faster,especially if using chicken with its bone, as this recipe doesn't need water for cooking hence may take little longer to get cooked)

* In a pan (Preferably Non stick pan) dry roast Coconut till they look brown , when its starts to become brown add in the rest of the ingredients given under roasting (Other than Tamarind) and stir vigorously , keep the heat to low , roast again for about 2 minutes in low and switch off the heat. Grind these roasted ingredients along with tamarind to make a thick paste(Use little water to help'em get ground easily)

* In a thick bottom pan , heat oil , shallow fry the chicken pieces (2 to 4 minutes on each side , remove the pieces and keep aside. Then pop the Mustard seeds in the same oil ,  add crushed garlic(Traditionally they use garlic with its skin just crush the whole garlic and use) then add sliced onion, saute till the onion turns nice Golden brown in color , add in the shallow fried chicken pieces and the roasted and ground - coconut mixture and some salt, stir and cover this dish for  7 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally(Cooks faster if boneless)

* May sprinkle little water in between as this dish tends to go dry and sticks to the bottom easily, when the chicken is all done sprinkle Meat Masala and the curry leaves,Then Serve with Rice.

Meat Masala - Kerala Style 

Fennel Seeds - 1/4 cup
Pepper Corns - 1 Tb Sp
Cinnamon - 2 inch size Pieces
Cloves - 5 to 7 Pieces
Cardamom - 7 to 8 Pieces

Dry Roast all these ingredients in low heat and grind to make a powder , store these in an air tight container.

Notes :

          Even though the chicken pieces are shallow fried , do not add more oil as the roasted coconut will release more oil while cooking ,do sprinkle little water in between if the dish tends to become dry.

          Cut chicken in to smaller pieces as mine was little bigger and it took more time for them to get nicely cooked or else use boneless pieces.

Cheers
TN