Chettinad Black Pepper Chicken

Chettinad is a region of the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu state in India. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India. Chettinad delicacies are well-known world wide for the spicy Chettinad masala.
   Black pepper corn is the main ingredient for the spicyness and hot taste required in this dish. Here, the tender chicken is cooked in a specific spice blend without adding any water to it. In the authentic style of chettinad preparation, you should always add half the quantity of chilli powder first and the remaining part freshly ground black pepper are added at the end to retain its wonderful flavor.
This is a perfect Chicken dish for them who loves to eat hot & spicy. Another advantage of this dish when you have cold, you feel like eating spicy food. Chicken is well known for curing cold and the role of pepper during cold needs no mention. So it is beneficial for those people suffering from cold.
Black Pepper is believed to cure illness such as constipation, diarrhea, earache, indigestion, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, tooth decay, and toothaches. Nevertheless, Black pepper either powdered or its decoction is widely used in traditional Indian medicine and as a home remedy for relief from sore throat, throat congestion, cough etc.

Now lets head towards the recipe : Note - This scrumptious dish is definitely on the hot spicy side, so adjust the amount of chillies and pepper to your taste.

You Need :

Chicken : 1/2 kg, cut into medium chunks
Mustard seeds : 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp. 
Cardamom : 2 to 3
Cinnamon : 2 sticks
Cloves : 3 to 4
Onion : 2, medium, sliced
Green chilli : 1 or 2(as per taste), chopped fine
Tomato : 2, chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 11/2 tblsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp
Curry leaves : a handful(7-8)

Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 2 tsp
Cumin pwd  : 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder : 1 tsp.(optional)
Freshly ground black pepper corns : 1-2 tblsp.
Oil : 3 tbsp

Salt to taste
Freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish

 How To :

• Cut chicken into medium chunks, not too big, whole parts of chicken can be used. I always give my fresh chicken a salt, turmeric and red chilli powder marination before every cooking, So did this time too, just for 1/2 an hour.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seed, when they crackle, add cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Saute till onion are light brown, then add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 1 minute, then add chopped tomatoes. 
• Add cumin, coriander and garam masala powder and cook till tomatoes softens and oil seperates from masala. Now add marinated chicken to the pan, mix well with the above prepared chettinad masala.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes in medium-low heat, stirring ocsasionally. Season with salt. DO not add water, as chicken itself will ooze out moisture and it will be cooked in this own moisture. Just don't forget to stir the whole thing to prevent burning. 
• Open the lid time to time and stir. When chicken is almost done, add freshly crushed or grounded black pepper powder to the chicken and stir. Add as per your tolerance level. Check the seasoning. 
• Cook in high heat for another 3-4 minutes and you are done. IF you wish, can garnish with fresh coriander leaves, but it's optional. 
• Enjoy with rice, roti, naan or Paratha but your chicken should be fresh out of heat. Tastes the best when still warm.