Chicken Sukka is a specialty dish of where I come from ; South Kanara region of India. This is the coastal region of Karnataka State. This region has a culture that is very unique to the region. Tulu is the local dialect. This region also has the origin of the Bunt ( Shetty) community, to which celebrities like Ms. World Aishwarya Rai and Bollywood stars like Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty hail from. They also have their very distinctive cuisine. Chicken Sukka is a dish that belongs to their cuisine. In Tulu, they would call the dish " kori aajadina". Another famous dish is Kori rotti, where crisp, dried rice crepes are served with chicken curry. While I never cared for kori rotti, chicken Sukka is something I would die for!! Really, it is that delicious! This dish can also be made using clams, mussels, crabs and for vegetarians, using black chick peas and gherkins. While there are several different versions of chicken Sukka, the essential ingredients are the coarsely ground coconut, all the different spices, curry leaves, red chilli, onion, ginger and garlic.
I personally think it is the coarse coconut mixed with all the spices and the aroma of the curry leaves that gives this dish so much texture and flavor.
There are several different recipes and methods to make the Chicken Sukka. The one I am sharing with you today is what I have found to be the easiest and one of the tastiest!
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs: 2 lbs/ 1 kg.
Lemon juice: from 1 small lemon
Coconut oil: 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Onion : 2 medium
Tomato : 1 large
Curry leaves : a handful
Chilli powder : 1 tsp ( can be adjusted as per individual spice level)
Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds (jeera): 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder : 1 + 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder (haldi): 1 + 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Freshly grated coconut : 2 cups
Salt: as per taste.
Method:
Clean the chicken. Marinate it with salt, lemon juice and black pepper powder. Cover and place it aside ( preferably in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a sauté pan or kadai. Sauté curry leaves lightly and keep aside.
Add 1 cup freshly grated coconut,coriander seeds and cumin seeds to the same pan. Sauté until i turns light brown. Let it cool down completely. Once it cools down, grind it with pepper powder,chilli powder and garam masala powder. Keep it aside.
Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to the pan . Add chopped onions and tomato to the same pan. Sauté until lightly brown and oil separates. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes .
Add the ground paste and mix well. Add the marinated chicken and mix well. Add one cup water and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked thoroughly ( around 20 minutes).
When the chicken is cooked, add the remaining fresh coconut and cook for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with the roasted curry leaves.
Serve hot with rice/roti or bread!
I am bringing this delicious dish to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118 and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health
Cooking made easy:
You can cut the cooking time of the above dish by half if you make it in a pressure cooker. Once you add the chicken in with 1/2-1 cup water, let it come to a boil, cover the lid of the cooker, add the weight/whistle. Cook on medium flame until you hear two whistles. Turn off the flame. Wait for the pressure to be completely released before opening the lid. Add the freshly grated coconut and cook for 5 mins.
Garnish with toasted curry leaves!
Another way to make this dish faster is by using chicken breast instead of thighs. You can cook it in a sauté pan or kadai and the chicken will be cooked in under 15 minutes!
Tip for healthy living:
Always make sure that you marinate the chicken and let it sit in the fridge in a covered container as opposed to on your counter-top. You might think that you are going to cook it right away, but it might take you sometimes longer than you thought. Raw meat can go bad very quickly in hot temperature. It is much safer to leave it in the refrigerator.
Food for thought:
If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest. Publilius Syrus
