CHICKEN CHUKKA FOR A STARTER OR A PERFECT MEAL
Chicken chukka or sukka, is a semi-dry gravy dish. This chicken sukka is really mouth-watering and cooked very tender. It is usually prepared using chicken pieces, cut into desired sizes, cooked along with spices. This dish can be made as gravy or semi-gravy or a completely dry starter.
Chicken chukka recipe is quick, easy and simple. Boneless chicken is cooked along with a good amount of shallots and basic Indian spices which add a beautiful flavor to the dish. The important ingredient is using gingelly oil which adds traditional flavor. It varies a little based on the ingredients used.
Kerala Chicken chukka is aromatic, slow-roasted chicken that can be either pan fried or baked in the oven. The chicken is well coated, with fried onion masala. The key to making delicious chicken chukka is the marinade. Thinly sliced onions are deep-fried, till crispy golden, and added along with the marinade. The masala is delicious with the mild sweetness of caramelized onions, the heat from black pepper and chilies, and aromatic earthy spices.
Kori sukka from Mangalore is a dry chicken fry, where the meat is cooked with freshly prepared aromatic spice blend and fresh coconut and tempered with curry leaves and green chillies. The pan-fried chicken is slightly crispy on the outside and soft and succulent on the inside. The heat is from Kashmiri chili powder, and it also adds rich color. Mangalorean chicken has very thick almost non-existent gravy and a dry consistency. Fragrant and just moist enough, this dish brings together all the great flavors of the Konkan coast. Mellow tanginess of tamarind, subtle sweetness of coconut, unmistakable flavors of fried spices, and warm notes of dried chilies, this recipe has it all to make a great chicken delicacy
The stand out flavor of chicken curry is fresh curry leaves. Fresh curry leaves quite literally smell and taste like the essence of curry. Chukka chicken can also feature a minimal amount of whole spices, keeping it relatively simple with cardamom, pepper and cumin. As with any good Indian curry, the chicken chukka curry sauce is quite dry, with all spices used to increase in intensity, and leave a rich, glossy texture that clings to the juicy chicken pieces.
Chicken Chukka is also sometimes called a curry leaf fry, similar to a stir-fry. The dish is always finished off with copious amounts of fresh curry leaves and sweet, tart cherry tomatoes. They counteract the richness of the dish and bring it back to lightness and freshness. It tastes awesome when eaten with rice, jeera rice, veg fried rice, egg fried rice, chapathi, dosa, or paratha or any other breads. It also makes a very great starter. When eaten with rice and sambar, it makes a perfect meal!
Visit your nearest Amma’s South Indian Restaurant to have chicken chukka as a starter or a side dish.
