Pepper Chicken Chettinad

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts or chicken drumsticks
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
8 golden shallots (small onion)
10 cloves of garlic
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
4-5 tomatoes
oil

Method

1. Clean and trim the chicken breasts. Season to taste with sea salt and sprinkle with turmeric and set aside.

2.Peel the shallots and garlic. Dry-roast half the fennel seeds with peppercorns over gentle heat, stirring constantly. Crush using a pestle and mortar. Crush the shallots and garlic in a blender, then mix in the pounded spices. Chop up the tomatoes roughly.

3.Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Put in the rest of the fennel seeds and then the chicken breasts. Seal well on all sides and remove. Add the tomato and some salt. Stir and cook well. Add the garlic, shallot and spice mix and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the chicken to the pan and simmer over low heat until it reduces to a thick sauce consistency.

4. Cut a big onion lengthwise and fry in a separate pan with curry leaves and butter and then mix into the gravy(optional).