Chettinad Chicken and Mushroom Curry/Kulambu
Today’s post is about a great dish and a sob story! The great recipe is this Chettinad Chicken and Mushroom Curry. Easy to put together and robustly spiced. It is a treat for spice lovers like my husband. This recipe is adapted from Health South Indian cooking,
It is called a Kulambu, the mushrooms are my addition to the dish, and I feel that they do a great job of absorbing the flavorful assortment of spices. And yes, modification tip, go right ahead and make a vegan curry with just the mushrooms.
And the sob story. Well, something very unexpectedly went wrong at the tail end of a juncture! It happens and life goes on… It will hopefully sort itself out. And if not, as they say no matter how bad the issues life does go on…Chicken is often comfort food for me. We in the house find it comforting to cook. A safe choice, in our household. No allergy issues. Not too heavy.
What is the Chettinad Regsion and what is a Kulambu
While we often think of South Indian foods as things like Dosa and Idly. Well, that is honestly often just the tip of the amazing plethora of dishes that South Indian cuisine offers. There is a huge diversity of culinary richness and regional variation in the Southern States of India. The Chettinad region is in Tamil Nadu is one such region.
The culinary heritage has a few unique spices like star anise. The general flavor profile is bold with generous use of garlic and black pepper. All of these and more make up this lovely bold recipe. A kulambu is a tangy stew like dish from the South.
Now onto to the good recipe, which despite the somewhat blah picture is indeed very good. I have a close instant pot version. Adding the mushrooms into the mix is my variation. They are often hanging around my refrigerator asking to be used. Chicken and mushrooms are a perfect marriage for chicken. Soft and comforting this makes for a love dish on a cooler evening or not.
Since it comes together quickly it is just as good on a busy warm evening. An interesting note about the combination of chilies is that this ensures nothing is too singular in flavor, but rather a harmonious balance of heat. This is a well-seasoned recipe.
It is great over rice, or something like a lemon quinoa. The gentle flavor in the quinoa balances the heat and complete the meal. And those peanuts add just the perfect crunch. So here is to a spicy meal.
A simple essential Chettinaad Style Chicken and Mushroom curry, adapted from Healthy South Indian Cooking.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 6 to 8 Curry Leaves
- 1- or 2-Star Anise
- 2-3 pieces cinnamon broken (about 1-inch pieces)
- 1 or 2 dried red chilies
- 1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 green chilies, minced
- 2 pounds of chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoon coarsely crushed black pepper
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil on medium heat and add the cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, star anise and cinnamon and cook for about 1 minute. The spices should be crackling at this point.
- Add in the dried red chilies.
- Add in the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté lightly for about 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add in the green chilies and the chicken with the turmeric and red chili powder for about 10 minutes until the chicken is browned and almost cooked. Add in the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
- At this point the chicken is very soft and the sauce is nice and thick.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the black pepper and chopped cilantro