Chicken Mappas / Chicken in rich coconut milk gravy

A typical Kerala Spicy Chicken curry with coconut milk........

Ingredients

Chicken: ½ Kg
Whole Pepper Corns: 1½ Tea Spoon
Fennel seeds: 1½ Tea Spoon
Cardamom: 2
Clove: 2
Bay Leaf: 1
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch Piece
Chopped Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Onion: 1 big
Tomato: 1 Big
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Chicken Masala Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Thin Coconut Milk: 1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk: ½ Cup
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves
For Seasoning
Coconut Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Shallot: 2 - 3
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces and marinate it with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and salt
To a pan pour coconut oil and add pepper corns, fennel seeds, cardamom, clove, bay leaf and cinnamon stick
Saute for 2 minutes in low flame and then add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute for a minute and then add sliced onion.
Saute till the onion becomes translucent
Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and chicken masala
Saute for 6 to 8 minutes on low flame till the raw smell of the masala is gone
To this add the marinated chicken and stir well
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes so that the masala gets well coated on the chicken
Add thin coconut milk, tomato and curry leaves and let it boil
Once it boils well reduce the flame and cover and cook till the chicken is done (around 20 minutes)
In between open the lid and stir
Once the chicken is cooked and the gravy has achieved the required consistency add the thick coconut milk and give a good stir
After a minute switch off the flame
For seasoning pour coconut oil to a pan and add the mustard seeds.  Once it splutters add sliced shallots and let it change color
Pour this to the curry and mix well
Serve hot with appam, idiappam, vattayappam, puttu, ghee rice etc.