Malwani Chicken with Tandlachi Bhakri(Rice Flour Roti)

Malvani cuisine comes from the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa and uses coconut liberally in most of its dishes. In this recipe as well, chicken is cooked in a rich coconut gravy along with a spicy malvani masala resulting in a stimulating chicken curry made in authentic malvani style.

Tandalachi bhakri is prepared using rice flour. It is very popular in the coastal part of Maharashtra where rice is grown abundantly. It goes really well with nonveg curry like Chicken, fish, mutton.

Recipe

Region/ cuisine: Maharashtrian(Konkan Region)

Main Ingredients:

For Malvani Chicken: 1 kg chicken cut into medium-sized pieces, 2 cups fresh coconut grated, 3 medium onions sliced, 2 medium onions finely chopped, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1tbsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp chili powder,1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder(optional), ½ tsp turmeric powder, 4 tbsp oil, Salt to taste.

For Malvani Garam Masala: 15 red chilies, ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp black cumin seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1” cinnamon, 1star anise, 5 cloves, 2 black cardamoms,

10 peppers, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp asafoetida, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp poppy seeds, 1 mace, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp oil.

For Tandlachi Bhakri: 1 cup of water, salt, 1 tsp Oil, 1 cup Rice Flour. (7-8 rotis)

Process:

For Malvani Garam Masala: Heat oil in a kadhai and sauté all the spices well till they spread their aroma and cool it. Once cooled, grind to a fine powder.

For Curry: Roast the onion and the coconut together till the coconut turn brown and cool it. Once cooled, grind to a fine paste. Heat oil and add the chopped onions and once they turn translucent add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté. Add both the chili powders, turmeric powder, and the malvani masala powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add the chicken and sauté till the oil separates. Add the coconut and onion paste and mix it well. Add a liter of water, salt, and cover and cook till the chicken is done.

For Tandlachi Bhakri: Keep the pan on a medium flame gas. Add water, salt, oil in the pan and let it boil. Once, the water starts boiling, turn down the flame, and start adding rice flour and mix it properly. Close the lid for around 6 minutes and let it cool. Now, take the dough in a bowl and start kneading it with the help of some water and oil. Knead it until dough becomes soft and then make small balls of this dough to make bhakris. Start rolling these small pieces of dough with the help of some rice flour. Take a pan on the gas, turn on the flame and place the rolled dough on it. Flip the rolled dough and then roast it on direct gas. In the same way, make the remaining bhakris too.