In this article I am giving you two chicken recipes - one from south India and another one from north. Main ingredient of Chettinad dishes is pepper and Mughalai dishes uses fresh cream, cashew nut paste or both to make it royal.

Chettinad pepper chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces - 1/2 kg
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Garlic - 8 cloves
Black pepper - 4 teaspoon
Coconut - 1/2
Oil or vanaspathy - 50 gm
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cloves - 3 or 4
Water - 1 cup
Salt - As needed
Ghee - 2 table spoon

Method of preparation:

Make a fine paste of coconut, ginger, garlic and pepper.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry cinnamon and cloves.
Add chicken pieces and coconut paste to it and saute it well.
Then add 1 cup water to it and cook it for 15 minutes.
Heat ghee in a pan and add 2 table spoon ghee to it. Add cooked chicken to it and fry it till dark brown. Cook it only in low flame.
Your Chettinad pepper chicken is ready to serve.

Bedami Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg
Yogurt - 1 cup
Onion - 6
Ginger - 1 big piece
Garlic - 10 cloves
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon - 2 pieces
Cardamom - 6
Cashew nut - 10
Almond - 10
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or as needed
Salt - As needed
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method of preparation:

Cut chicken to small pieces and add yogurt to it. Mix it well.
Make a fine paste of ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cashew nuts and almonds using a mixer.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry onion till it turns brown colour. Add masala paste to it and saute it again for a few minutes.
Add chicken pieces to it along with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Cook it in medium flame.
When chicken is well cooked, add coconut milk to it and when it just begin to boil, add coriander leaves. Put the flame off.

These 2 chicken dishes can be served with roti, chappathi or boiled rice.