Fennel And Peppercorn Flavoured Dry Chicken

Ranadive Aunty shared this recipe. She says it is a dry chicken recipe with 'Badishop' which is none other than fennel. Made me think that this chicken can be cooked anytime of the year given that it is flavoured with the perennial herb, the Fennel. Indigenous to many lands especially around the Mediterranean and also in other dry lands, the Fennel boasts of many many many helpful values. Why, even H.W. Longfellow wrote a few words about the Fennel tree. May I quote him just a little bit...

Above the lower plants it towers,
The Fennel with its yellow flowers;
And in an earlier age than ours
Was gifted with the wondrous powers
Lost vision to restore..

To the recipe. Marinate about a kilo of chicken in a tsp salt, chilly powder, turmeric each and one and a half tbsp of ginger and garlic paste and 3-4 tbsp yogurt. You need about 3 hours of marination. 

Slice longitudinally 4 red onions and take about 4 whole chillies. In a warm pan, dry roast 1 tbsp whole peppercorns and fennel seeds each for about 2 or 3 minutes in medium heat. Once cooled, powder the mixture.

Next in a warm wokin about 2 tbsp oil, fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides. Keep aside. 

In the same wok, add 1 or 11/2 tbsp ghee. You can use oil instead. Once warm, throw in 6-7 peppercorns, 4 green split cardamom seeds, 6 cloves, 1 inch bruised cinnamon stick. Once these crackle, add the onions till light pink. Now add the green chillies and about 10 leaves of curry leaves. Now it is time to chop up 1 large tomato and put that in. In a minute or so, spoon in a tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, a dash of chilly powder if you like it zesty and salt to season. After another two minutes add the chicken pieces. Toss and turn the chicken in the seasoning and keep at low heat covered until the chicken is cooked. Once the chicken is tender, in high flame add a tsp and a half of the peppercorn and fennel powder and a few fresh leaves of curry leaves.