Minty Coconut Chicken

Mother would fret at the thought that we knew little cooking. The Med school produced doctors-not cooks. So she enrolled us in a “cooking school”-the lady who taught us-a small group of 5-was someone well known for her food and was,Mother thought, well established in kitchen wisdom. We had to make notes on all that she told us. We cut and chopped-it was hands on. We baked for fun and learnt the nuances of the culinary world.It was there that this coconut craze caught up with me. There was coconut in everything.Well, almost.She sneaked it in for her version of crème caramel!She couldn't help herself,I suppose-.it was the prima donna of food around those parts.

I remember her fondly. Her recipes. Her kitchen - which always smelt divine with the subtle aroma of roasted coconut, spice and fresh baking.

Minty Coconut Chicken

500 grams boneless chicken thighs (use chicken on the bone if you want)

Marinate overnight in a mixture of:

5 cloves garlic+1 tablespoon ginger ground together to form a paste

4-5 green chillies crushed (de seed if you want less heat)

1 cup fresh mint leaves, crushed in a mortar and pestle

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves similarly crushed

3 tablespoons thick yogurt

4 green cardamom+ 1” piece cinnamon+6-8 peppercorns+1 tablespoon  fennel dry roasted together and ground

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion thinly sliced

½ cup grated coconut-dry roasted-do not brown

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons oil

Salt

A little water/stock

Heat oil-sauté onions till they are a very light brown colour.Remove from oil.

Grind the onion and roasted coconut using as little water/stock as possible. Set aside.

In the same oil, add the marinated chicken. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Allow cooking in its own juices .When almost done; add ground onion-coconut mixture. Adjust consistency. Simmer till the masalas blend well.

Goes well with rice…