Mangalorean Chicken Sukkha / Combo Fugath

Whenever we have a get-together at home, especially for non-Mangalorean friends, this is my go-to recipe for chicken. Chicken tossed in a spiced coconut mixture with a tinge on tanginess makes the taste buds come alive. Popular with the Catholic and the GSB population, this dish is common on any Mangalorean restaurant menu.

I have taken this recipe from Isidore Coelho's book - The Chef. This recipe is very simple and it tastes best when made the previous night. I didn’t have the best of pictures to attach to this post. But I promise to do it the next time around.

 

Ingredients

1 chicken (approx. 1 kg)

1 coconut, grated (I use anywhere between 1 – 1 ½ cups)

1 medium sized onion, sliced

3 -4 tbsp coriander seeds

¾ tbsp jeera

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp of raw rice

8 red chillies (I use about 2 spicy red chillies and 6 of the bydagi variety)

3 tbsp ghee

2 cups water

Salt to taste

2 tbsp of fresh thick tamarind extract

 

Method

Clean the chicken and cut into small pieces. Cook the chicken with water and salt till done. Be careful not to overcook it.

In the meantime, dry roast coriander seeds, jeera, pepper, red chillies and raw rice separately. Cool, add the turmeric and powder. Mix together coconut, onion and the spice powder.

In a non-stick vessel, heat the ghee and fry the coconut – spice mix till the raw smell goes away and a fragrant aroma arises. This takes about 3-5 mins. Now, add the cooked chicken and mix well. I usually drain out the stock while adding the chicken and only as much stock as needed to bring the dish together. Adding all the stock will give you a semi-gravy consistency which is also good. However since the dish is called ‘sukka’ meaning ‘dry’, its recommended to keep the dish dry. Add in tamarind extract as per taste. I usually add about 2 tbsp. You may also want to add a little salt at this stage as per your preference. Let the chicken simmer with the coconut masala for a few mins before turning the flame off.

Chicken sukka goes very well with neer dosa, roti or as a side dish with rice.