Chettinad chicken curry

Ingredients :

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium size pieces
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10-12 curry leaves
4 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 cup coconut milk (extract from 1/2 coconut)
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil

Make a paste:
 2 green chillies
8 garlic flakes
2″ ginger
1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in water for 10 min to grind easily)

Roast and make a powder:
1/2 tsp pepper corns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 cardamoms
4 cloves
1″ cinnamon
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 tsp oil

Preparation :

1. Drizzle oil in a vessel and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from stove, cool and grind to a powder.
2. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,curry leaves, dry red chillies and let them splutter then add chopped onions and saute till transparent.
4. Add the ground paste and cook for a minute then add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and cook until tomatoes are soft.
5. Add ground masala powder and chicken mix well and cook on high heat for approx 4 minutes and do stir the chicken once in a while.
6.  Reduce to medium heat and cook until all the water evaporates from the chicken. 
7. Now add the coconut milk and cook for 5 mts or until oil floats on top and chicken is fully cooked
8. Finally check for the seasoning and turn off heat and serve hot with rice, biryani, chapatis or dosas.