Chicken is one of the most versatile ingredients as it absorbs flavor quickly and it cooks easily. I can honestly say that I often cook the same kind of chicken recipes on a regular basis. I stick to the ones I know and like, but this recipe really caught my attention. It is spicy in a unique way because of the fennel and the cumin seeds. It can make a good appetizer or a main course.

I also think that it would be a good idea to coat the chicken in the spice mixture and then bake it to form some kind of spice crust. I think that would definitely be an interesting touch. Now, if you want to use chicken fillets instead of a whole chicken, marinate the fillets for a few hours, to make sure that retains the peppery flavor.

 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large brown onion, sliced

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup water

 

Season the chicken with salt and white pepper. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the cumin, fennel and black peppercorns in a skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the skillet and let the spices cool.

Grind the spices in a grinder or using a mortar and pestle. Next, crush the garlic and the ginger until you form a paste like mixture.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir-fry the ginger garlic paste and the onions for 1 minute. Next fry the chicken in the skillet with the ginger paste mixture for 8-10 minutes until browned. Add the ground spice mixture and cook it for another 8-10 minutes. Pour in the water. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the saucepan to loosen the spices that may have been stuck. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the chicken is tender. Garnish with spring onions and chili before serving. Serve immediately with rice.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:   Navin75