Andhra Chicken Fry is a delicious & simple dish from the lovely South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located along India’s south eastern coastline. The food from this region is fiery hot, as in “off the hook” spicy. But feel free to adjust the spice levels to suit your own palate. I have made this recipe using chicken but feel free to make this dish with any meat, seafood, vegetables, paneer or tofu. Just note that cooking times will vary accordingly.

When it comes to chicken, I personally prefer dark meat (chicken thighs & legs). These pieces are generally more flavorful & tastier than the white meat (chicken breasts) but feel free to use your favorite chicken pieces for this recipe.


ANDHRA CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken, cut into 1½” pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1” piece of ginger, peeled & finely minced
8-10 dried red chilies, to taste
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
6-8 fresh curry leaves
pinch of asafetida (hing)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
½ tsp red chili powder, to taste
½ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
salt & pepper, to taste
juice of ½ lemon or lime
3 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
freshly chopped cilantro leaves

METHOD:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with the turmeric, red chili powder, paprika, ground coriander powder, garam masala, salt & pepper. Add just 1 tbsp of the oil & mix well to combine all of the ingredients. Let the chicken marinate in the spices for at least 1 hour, the longer the better. Do remember to cover and refrigerate the chicken.

Now in a large deep skillet or wok on medium high heat, add the remaining 2 tbsp of the oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds along with the fennel seeds, dried red chilies & asafetida. Sauté for just a few minutes and then add the chopped onions, garlic & ginger. Stir fry until the onions are golden brown & then add the tomatoes. Let cook until the tomatoes have softened and broken down. Now add the chicken pieces and mix well to combine making sure all the chicken pieces are fully coated with the spices. Then add about ¼ cup of water, cover, reduce the heat to low and let cook for 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked yet moist & tender. Finish the dish with the lemon juice. Stir well & garnish with the fresh cilantro leaves. Serve hot with fresh rotis & fragrant Basmati rice.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables to the dish such as baby spinach, carrots, corn, green peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, snow peas….