Chicken Pickle

A friend shared with me this recipe to make chicken pickle, which i wanted to try from a long time. It was relatively easy to make and a very tasty pickle to have with rice. Also same recipe can be followed to make prawns pickle.

Ingredients

1 lb - Chicken, boneless or with bone, cut to small pieces
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

To dry roast

10 - Cloves
2 '' long - Cinnamon sticks
4 to 5 - Star anise
5 to 6 - Green cardamom

For masala

2 tbsp - Poppy seeds
3 '' piece - Ginger
1 whole clove - Garlic
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1.5 to 2 tbsp - Red chili powder
1 tbsp - Vinegar Or 1 tbsp - Lemon juice Or lemon salt

To season

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Jeera seeds
2 to 3 sprigs - Curry leaves
1 to 1.5 cup - Sesame oil / vegetable oil

Method

1 ) Cook chicken with turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mostly you will not need to add water, some water will come out of the chicken. Cook on low heat, covered with a lid till all the water is evaporated. Take off stove and cool.

2 ) Dry roast ingredients listed for that, cool and grind to a powder, set aside. Grind poppy seeds to a fine powder, set aside. Make a paste of ginger and garlic.

3 ) Heat 1 cup oil in kadai or wok, add cooked chicken pieces in small batches and fry lightly. Take off the oil and drain. To the same oil, add mustard seeds, jeera and then curry leaves. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry until golden brown.

4 ) Lower heat and add poppy seed powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, mix and fry for a second. Add the dry roasted masala powder and fry in oil for a second. Add chicken and mix with masala. Add vinegar, salt to taste and mix well. Take off the stove and cool. There should be good enough oil in the pickle. If not heat 1/2 cup more oil and add to the pickle. Oil will act as a preservative. You can add 1 tbsp more vinegar or lemon juice if you like the pickle to be a little more sour. If you want more gravy then increase poppy seeds and garlic-ginger amount.

When completely cool transfer to a sterilized bottle and store in fridge. You can keep outside for a day or two if you want and then keep in fridge.

Serve the pickle with rice, curds and pappad.