Chicken Curry (Malabar)

 

If people are able to take advantage of a system, do you blame the people for that or the system itself?  I have several times come across people who complain about immigrants being able to claim benefits from the government here in Belgium even though the locals are unable to profit from those same benefits as easily.  But then do you blame the people for that because they use and/or abuse those benefits or should you blame the government and system itself for having flaws in their procedures which enables people to abuse the benefits?  

I am sure there are genuine cases where people are in need of help and might not even survive were it not for the help from the government and its agencies.  On the same hand, we have people who abuse these benefits and people who really need this assistance are denied it or it becomes more difficult for them to get it.  Were people to be more honest, even if the system had flaws, it would not be abused.  However, it is rare to find honesty these days and hence the system itself needs to then be fool proofed.  But in any case I would not support comments where we generalize a group of people when actually it is just a small part of that group or population that is to blame.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 chicken

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 red chillies

6 peppercorns

¼ teaspoon turmeric

5 grams cinnamon

5 grams cloves

5 grams cardamom

1 tablespoon aniseed

1 tablespoon oil

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

Salt to taste

4 medium sized red onions

2 cups coconut milk

500 grams potatoes

2 sprig curry leaves

1” piece ginger

Temper:

1 tablespoon butter

1 small red onion

1” piece cinnamon

6 cloves

Method:

1. Clean and joint the chicken.  
2. Roast coriander seeds, red chillies, peppercorns, aniseed, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.  Grind together to a paste and keep aside.  
3. Peel and slice onions and keep aside.  
4. Peel and quarter potatoes and keep aside.  
5. Peel and slice ginger and keep aside.  
6. Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel.  
7. When hot, fry the onions and mustard seeds.  
8. When the seeds splutter, add the ground masala and the chicken pieces.  Fry for 5 minutes.  
9. Add salt and cover and cook on a low fire till the chicken is nearly done. 
10. Add the coconut milk, potatoes and ginger.  
11. When potatoes are cooked, and the gravy is thick, remove from fire.  
12. For the tempering, in another vessel heat butter.  
13. When hot, add the sliced onions and slightly crushed cinnamon and cloves.  
14. When onions are brown, pour over curry and serve hot with plain boiled rice.