Fennel/Aniseeds are these small seeds with a lovely mild licorish flavor to them. In India we have them sugar coated and used as a mouth freshener and also to calm a runny stomach. In Spain they have sweet biscuits flavored with them. I decided to flavor some chicken with them. Not many recipes use fennel seeds in them and i feel its one spice that needs to be used more often. I do use them to flavor my samosa filling tho…it gives it such a different delicate flavor.
So…if you do like fennel seeds , i am sure you will like this chicken
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of chicken legs and thighs, remove the skin and make gashes in them
4 cloves of garlic
1″ piece ginger
2 green chillies or a small piece of green capsicum
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 onion chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
1 tablespoon of roasted and slightly pounded fennel seeds(aniseeds/saunf)
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
4-5 curry leaves
extra chopped green chillies if you liek it hot
a pinch of turmeric and red chilli powder
4 tablespoons of either olive oil, cooking oil or butter
METHOD:
Blend the ginger garlic, green chillies in the blender with the lemon juice without adding water, I use my amazing bullet…its truly amazing.
Marinate the chicken with this and some salt  for an hour.
Heat the oil or butter in a good thick non stick pan…i use my ceramic cookware. Be careful not to burn it. Add the marinated chicken and cook till the chicken gets a bit brownish..you wil have to keep on turning it.
Once its browned add the onion in it and cover it. Let the onions start sweating and then browning. Keep stirring so that it doesnt get burnt. Once the onions have browned add the fennel seeds, some  salt, the red chilli powder, the turmeric and the curry leaves. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook till softened. Taste and check seasoning. Add about half a cup of water and let it boil so that you can have some gravy.
Serve hot with rotis, naans or basmati rice.
Which fennel seeds are best???? And what can you do with them?
Nitu Chugani©