Puttu n Nadan Tharavu Curry- Spicy Duck Curry – Kerala Style

Ingredients

1. Duck – 1 kg, cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces and drained to remove excess water (do not remove the skin)
2. Onion – 2 medium, thinly sliced
Ginger –garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Green chilies – 5 , slit
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
3. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder – 1.5 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1.5 tbsp
Fenugreek powder – 1 pinch (optional)
Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp
4. Tomato – 2 small, sliced
5. Coconut milk – 1 cup, medium-thick
6. Salt – To taste
7. Coconut oil – 2 – 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dried red chilies – 2, broken
Thenga kothu / sliced coconut – 1/4 cup
8. Whole spices – cloves – 4 – 5 , cardamom – 1, cinnamon stick – 1 inch, vazhanayila / bay leaves – 1 – 2, slightly crushed whole pepper corns – 1/2 tsp
9. Hot water – 1/2 cup
Vinegar – 1 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan / cheena chatti at medium heat. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dried red chilies and thenga kothu until golden colored. Add the whole spices and saute until fragrant or for a few seconds.

2. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, curry leaves and thinly sliced onion. When the onion turns light golden, add the spice powders numbered 3. Mix well and saute until the raw smell of spices is gone, about 30 seconds or so.

3. Add 1/2 cup hot water, 1 tsp vinegar, sliced tomato pieces, few curry leaves, enough salt and the duck pieces. Mix well. Bring to a boil and bring down the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the duck is half-done, stirring once or twice in between. Open and cook for 5 minutes at high heat until the gravy almost dries up, stirring in between so that it won’t stick to the bottom.

4. Add 1 cup coconut milk. Mix well. The curry would be light brown or orangish in color now. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking for another 10 – 15 minutes, until the curry changes to a brown color and oil starts floating on top. (The coconut milk should get cooked and release coconut oil). Switch off. Serve this super-delicious nadan tharavu curry with porotta, appam, chapathis, puttu, pathiri, rice etc.