Chicken Pickle

 
  















I was treasuring that last morsel of chicken pickle that my mother had given me for a long time....and once it got over,I had to think of making it....for September is still a long way for me to go home....So called up home and asked amma, the recipe!...Amma was laughing at the transition of her daughter....who most of the times only ate and never bothered to cook,unless the situation badly demanded, was here trying even pickle...Amma's greatest concern when my marriage was fixed was as to what I will cook for my husband....and here I am blogging my recipes!It was only my brother who said 'Chechi'will make a wonderful cook,the certificate came from a few trials I had done for him...and I would look at Amma with a taunting 'air' of a great chef!!...I was very much her daughter...I wouldnt ask her the recipe, but I would try to match the taste of the recipe in the best possible way!!...Then later I realised that I need to cut down my 'airs' and take her advice too...for the years of experience do matter...Here is the recipe for the chicken pickle....so the source of the recipe is my amma and her source is a friend in Guntur , the pickle capital of South India!!'Pachadilu ante Guntur Pachadilu!'....Guntur, in Andhra, is synonymous for its great variety of hot pickles...I think 'Gunturites' would pickle anything that comes to their hand!!...Here it goes...(hmmm...I'm drooling already!!)

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts-1 kg(cut into very small pieces,nearly minced)
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Ginger-2 inch piece-chopped fine,pounded fine(dont grind)
Green chilli-8-Chopped fine,pounded fine
Garlic-50g-chopped,pounded fine
Red chilli powder-2 cups
Coriander leaves-1/2 cup(chopped fine)
Curry leaves-2 sprig
Copra-1 half(cut into small pieces and pounded well)
Vinegar-1/2 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Salt-2 tbsp(or as required)
Oil- as required for sauting the ingredients
Oil-4tbsp oil for mixing the masala.

Method:

Marinate the chicken pieces with a small pinch of salt and turmeric.Heat oil in a deep bottomed wok.Saute curry leaves,pounded ginger, garlic,and green chilli,in a simmering flame, till they give a fine aroma(Do not grind these please, but pound very well)and slightly changes colour(it shouldnt get burnt).Keep it aside. Now in the same oil saute copra(I'm not sure whether the dessicated coconut that we get in the Indian store will do the trick, I would prefer you to use the real 'copra' that you get in the Indian shops).Copra and parsley gives a very tasty twist to the whole pickle.I was quite surprised to see it for the first time in a pickle,but was told by the Guntur aunty that they add it with chicken for a richer taste.Now keep the roasted copra aside.Dry roast(without adding oil) the required salt in a wok and keep it aside.Now heat 5tbsp oil in a wok.Add Red chilli powder,a pinch of turmeric powder and mix well.Saute the powders very carefully in a very low flame for a couple of minutes till you get a very strong aroma of the chilli powder.Now add vinegar and half a cup of water to it. Mix well...once it starts boiling add the dry roasted salt(abt 2tbsp).Mix well.Add the remaining roasted ingredients kept aside. Mix well and finally add the roasted chicken.Remove from the fire.Mix thoroughly with a wooden ladle,there should not be any trace of water.
You may mix it with hand for the masala to really seep into the chicken pieces, but sterilise the pickle by simmering it on the stove again for 3 minutes....Once cool, transfer it to a sterilised bottle with a tight lid.You can store it in the refrigerator as long as 6 months(provided you always use a dry spoon) and it still taste great, in fact greater!!

Here's a tip added by my 'sweet nellore girl',(my student),an easy way, she says, to make chicken pickle."Clean the chicken and add turmeric, chilli powder, salt and green chilli paste(little),cook it in pressure cooker (4-5) whistles.. no water
then take kadai with more oil ... add chicken.. deep fry then rest of ingredients... and at the end... add some cumin powder".Probably I will try this next time...