Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 6 members
Description
I just love the aroma from the road side parotta stalls. As a kid I remember we used to dine in these small eat outs on our way back from Bangalore to Coimbatore near hosur. I used to always order for don don parotta… That Was my nick name for kotthu parotta. The music and sizzle it generated while it was made used to melt my heart. Then came the Burma Bhai eat outs in Coimbatore with its authentic tasting yummy food. That is where I got to taste this pichu poota chicken pepper roast. Pichu poota in Tamil means shredded. This eat out street stall was located in a dark place and quite difficult to see how things are done. So just eating and tasting was done always. Then in the famous coutralam border kadai when waiting outside for a seat in the restaurant ( it’s just a shed with tables and stools ) near the parotta griddle. I got to see them make this pichu potta pepper chicken roast. I did save it in my mind. who will miss the opportunity of getting an easy to follow recipe for free. Back home. I made sure to give it a try when I had guests for dinner. I made slight changes by adding a few ingredients. The final result was wonderful making me realise Indian food is delicious as it is varied. The beauty of this dish is that it doesn’t require fancy ingredients to be impressive. To me , the best kind of cooking involves experimenting with every day common ingredients you are sure to find in your pantry. A dash of this, a spoonful of that and you have got yourself a meal with just a few ingredients. The key is minimalism. The more you let each individual ingredient shine, the greater your chances are of ending up with a winning dish. Maximum flavour with minimum fuss. Make sure to try this simple rustic wonder of our street stalls and I assure you it will be added to your regular menu at home.
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Chicken | 1 kg |
| Ginger and garlic paste | 1/2 teaspoon each |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Lemon | 1/2 a lemon |
| Garam masala | 1 teaspoon |
| Coconut oil | 3 tablespoons |
| Curry leaves | one hand full |
| Pepper powder | 2 tablespoons or more to taste |
| Cumin powder | 1 teaspoon |
Method
- Pressure cook 1 kg chicken with bones ( only then it tastes good ), ginger and garlic paste, turmeric power and salt with little water for one whistle.
- Once the whistle sound subsides. Open lid and cool completely, shred the meat from the bones. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the chicken and mix with Garam masala powder.
- Heat coconut oil, top with curry leaves. once they crackle. Add shredded chicken, pepper powder and cumin powder.
- Roast in high flame for 5 minutes, then in low flame for another 5 minutes letting all the flavours infuse together. Check seasoning, remove and serve hot.
