Susheela Appaji of Madikeri is the maker of this Coorg meat masala. The tin is hers. We do not put another woman's name on her work.
It is not a red curry powder. It is a dark roast: coriander, pepper, mustard, cumin, fennel, a careful pinch of fenugreek, bay, cinnamon, clove. Finished so the powder stays a little coarse. That coarseness is the dish. It clings to the chicken instead of dissolving into gravy.
Use it the way Kodagu does, with kachampuli at the end of the cooking. Her name is printed on the tin. The money for this masala goes to her.
The ritual. Made in Madikeri. Ground a little coarse, so it holds to the chicken.
