Book Review "Gujarati Kitchen''; Murghanu Shaak (Chicken Curry)

Although this comes a lil late, here's wishing all my readers the best for the New Year. And I am back this New Year with yet another review. And the book reviewed is Gujarati Kitchen by Bhanu Hajratwala. I have had many a Gujarati friends and have had their typical Gujarati food  from their lunchboxes. I always assumed all Gujaratis to be vegetarians until I scanned through this book which denoted otherwise.

The book starts off on a very interesting read about the author's culinary journey throughout the world, her inspirations and so on and also on cooking authentic Gujarati cuisine despite the limited availability of ingredients. Following her Introduction comes three very important section which is beneficial to any amateur cook. It explains preparing and washing of Dals, meat, seafood, vegetables and so on; equipments and utensils and their uses; different spices and their uses. She even has a separate section on the preparation of different spice masalas. So those of you who prefer making masalas from scratch, this is the book for you. Then comes the recipes that are sectioned from starters to mouth freshners to end the meal. Very neatly put together, they are easy to replicate. I expected better pictures but the illustrations are much appreciated.

The recipe that I chose to do is from the non vegetarian section. Marghanu Shaak / Chicken Curry was my choice.

The chicken curry on its own is very mild compared to the Chicken curries of Kerala that my palate is so accustomed to. This curry makes use of very little spices but this curry can make you lap up every last bit of its remanants on your plate.

What you need for the recipe are: 
900 g Chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/3 C Oil
4x1" stick Cinnamon
8 Cardamoms
8 Curry Leaves or 4 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, Chopped
2 T Fresh Masala (For the recipe, find under fresh spice blends on pg 45 in the book. I made mine and have stored some in the refrigerator and also have freezed some)
1 t Chilli Powder
1 T Turmeric Powder
2 t Salt
1C Water
2 potatoes, quartered
1 tomato, diced
1 T Garam Masala
2T chopped Coriander Leaves
1T garlic greens, chopped

To hot oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, curry or bay leaves and brown lightly. Add onin to this and sauteuntil a light brown. Stir in the fresh masala, chilli and turmeric powders . Add chicken and cover and cook until the chicken turns colour. Add water and cook for a further 5 mins. Add potatoes, tomatoe and cook covered until the potatoes are tender. Stir in garam masala, coriander leaves and the garlic greens. Serve hot.

This review is a part of the http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank">Book Reviews Program at  http://www.blogadda.com">BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

This space of mine has been neglected for a really long time. No excuses, just very lame ones. But I did try to do a post for the Secret Recipe Club, an exciting event created by Amanda. In this club, one is offered a blog to choose a recipe from and then post about it without the assigned blogger or anyone else know about it.



This time, I was assigned Dana's Food for Thought . A new blog and a very interesting one at that. I chose to do the Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken. The only changes that I made was to pan fry the chicken. I know it isn't healthy but we couldn't resist having fried chicken. The spices used here are similar to the ones used in our Indian cuisine. I always do a taste test when the marinade is done and this was little less on the heat. Dana says this is mildly spicy but to suit our palate I had to increase the spices. In the same pan in the leftover juices of the chicken, I fried some julienned onions. Served with the chicken, they made a complete meal.

My changes are in brackets. So here goes the recipe.

Moroccan Spiced Grilled (Pan fried) Chicken [Adapted from here]

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons (2 T) ground coriander
1 T(2T) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons (1T) paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon (1t) salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 T) freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Mix the marinade ingredients . Make deep cuts on the chicken breasts. Marinade and let it rest covered in the refrigerator atleast for four hours. I let them stay for over 12 hours. In a pan,
to 3 T oil, Fry the chicken pieces on both the sides until they are browned as required. Once the chicken is fried, there tend to leftover juices of the chicken. So add in some julienned onions or whatever you please.

A great recipe and a wholehearty meal!

Methi Malai Murgh/ Chicken Flavoured with Fenugreek and Cream

My days fall into two categories. One where I wake up all happy and excited and the other being days where I wake up grumpy. The former being a result of no special reason though. The grumpy days want me doing  nothing. Cooking, a daily experiment for me is a toil on such days. Those days are when I want to get the task done really quick and go back and curl up in bed. 

However on the happy days are when I don't mind doing anything or everything that requires all my time and energy. One such happy day was when I made this chicken curry. Not that this recipe is an elaborate one. It has methi/fenugreek leaves in it. And I must mention I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time now and whenever I purchase these little bundles of greens, I have always woken up grumpy except for this very time! Owing to that reason, I resorted to growing these and there was someone or the other who delightfully plucked these off when these were ready not once but both the times. I am yet to catch the culprit. For now am I am done growing these for the pilfering hands :)

What you need for this Methi Malai Chicken are:
Recipe adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor. The only changes I made are of not using spring onions.

Chicken - 1kg (Cut with bones)
Yogurt-1 C
Fresh Cream-1/2 C
Onion-2 medium sized ones -Sliced /or 1C
Fenugreek Leaves- washed, drained and chopped-2 C
Green Chillies-4 chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste-2T
Coriander Powder-2T
Turmeric Powder-1t
Black Pepper Powder-1t
Garam Masala Powder-1t
Salt
Oil-5T
Water- 1 C

Make a marinade of yogurt, turmeric powder and salt. Marinate the chicken for an hour.Heat oil, add saute the onions and the green chillies.When the onions turn translucent add in the methi leaves. Cook this for about 5 minutes on medium heat and then add the chicken. Cook on high heat until they are half done. Lower the heat and add in the spice powders. Add in the water. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is done. Stir in the garam masala powder. Just before taking it off the stove stir in the cream. Check the seasoning and serve it hot.

A wholesome and rich gravy flavoured beautifully with fenugreek and cream.

A homestyle chicken curry

What is simple, spicy and truly comfort food? To me it is definitely the cuisine that reflects my heritage-Kerala Cuisine. Although not brought up in the beautiful land of Kerala, I grew up and still survive on the food typical of Kerala Cuisine. There are innumerable dishes and naming my favourites would be a task at hand. Each is unique in their own class.And my palate is definitely partial to this cuisine. Coconut is an essential part of this cuisine and the chicken curry that I have for you today has coconut in it.

Coconut scrapes are fried using spices and shallots/small onions and then ground to a paste. It is this paste that lends the flavour to this chicken curry. Another thing in this recipe that I found novel was the tempering of onions and curry leaves in oil, which are added at the final stage almost in the similar manner of tempering for dhals and the like. She had used potatoes, which weren't used here.

What you need for this chicken curry are
 Note the spice level. Eyeball to suit your taste.

Chicken-1 kg

Onions-4- Chopped

Tomatoes-3 Chopped

Garlic Paste-1t

Ginger Paste-1t

Turmeric Powder-1t

Chilli Powder- 1T

Coriander Powder-2T

Grated Coconut-1C

Shallots/small onions-6 peeled and sliced

Curry Leaves

Green Chillies (slit)-5

Salt

For tempering

Shallots-3 peeled, sliced

Coconut oil-1T

Curry Leaves

Heat some oil. Add the sliced shallots and the curry leaves. When they turn soft and a golden brown, add in the coconut scrapes. Fry until the coconut tunrs brown. Add in the spice powders and saute for a few minutes. Take this off the heat and set aside to cool. Once cool, blend the mixture to a thick paste.

Meanwhile in a pan, to oil, add in sliced onions and the slit green chillies. Saute until soft and add in the tomatoes followed by the ginger and garlic paste. When the oil leaves the sauteed mixture add in the ground paste. Add the chicken and a cup of water and cover and cook until the chicken is cooked.

In another pan, heat oil for tempering. Add in the sliced shallots and the curry leaves. Saute until the shallots are done. Pour this into the chicken curry.

A comforting curry with succulent pieces of chicken cooked to perfection among the spices and onions. Coconut and the curry leaves lend a very authentic Kerala touch to the curry. Anyone who has a favouritism towar this cusine... this chicken will win you over.

A prized recipe....chicken stir fry

I contemplate a lot on my childhood now, more so because I am a mother now. I find it hard to bring up a single child when she made it look easy  bringing up both my siblings and me..three of us- a year between each other.

Many a times, i have wandered aimlessly, she brought me back on track. She set me free the day I got married and it was when I moved away that I realized how much I missed her. A day has never passed without calls to and fro. 

Her most precious gift apart from he limitless love, care and suppot is a handwritten book of recipes given to me the day I got married. Neatly categorized, it is my most prized possession. When I was doing my graduation, there were a lot of people who urged my mother to teach me cooking because according to them every girl should learn cooking or the mother is blamed at a later stage for not doing it. My mother on the other hand believed otherwise. She believed in bringing up a daughter and not a cook.  I have only evolved at cooking. And the book has played a major role in doing it.

What I present today is one such recipe from my prized possession, chicken stir-fry.

What you need ae:

Chicken-500g

Onion-6,sliced(use more if you want more masala)

Green Chillies-6 chopped (this depends on the spiciness you can handle)

Tomato-1, chopped

Ginger-2T, chopped finely

Garlic-5 or 6 cloves, chopped

Chillipowder/Cayenne-2T (again this depends on what you can handle because of the fact that green chillies are already added)

Turmeric Powder-1T

Coriander Powder-3T

Masala Powder-1T (Seena has a version that we use at home too)

Curry Leaves-2 sprigs

Salt as per taste

Coconut Oil-3 T (Use any oil but coconut oil lends a distinct flavour, which works well for this kind of preparation)

Saute the sliced onions and green chillies and curry leavesuntil they turn a golden brown. Add in the ginger garlic and saute for another few minutes. Stir well at this time because they tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add in the  powders and the chopped tomato. Stir this until oil emerges from this masal mixture. Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat them well. On high heat, cook the chicken until they are half done. Lower the heat, close the pan and allow to cook for almost half an hour. It is best that water is added but if the masals starts to stick to the pan add water only in tablespoons. 

This is what I sent over to my mother's place for lunch and her advice was to let the chicken sit for atleast 15 minutes in the cooking pan for the flavours to seep in.

This stir fry is my entry to the event Celebrating Mother's Day . 

And yes, BBD#20 and MEC are hosted right here all through this month. So please bookmark this event.

A Cold Salad....

I sure had a lovely Easter break enjoying food cooked by my mother. Finding it real hard to get back to the mundane routine back home. The daughter is keeping herself busy with her new found interests. I spend time buried in cookbooks only to glance at the pictures and not cook anything until meal times wishing and hoping A says we'll order in. I wonder if everyone goes through these phases. I do and am still in that phase.

In two days I'm on a weekend trip and to finish the perishable goods, I had no other go but use them up and this is what I came up with.

A cold salad consisting of some of my favourite ingedients: potatoes, boiled chicken and scallions with mayo.

Scallions for their mildness and I tend to use them a lot in mysoups and salads to a larger extent.

I like chicken the most in its simplest form i.e. boiled with salt and pepper.

Potatoes are a main stay for my family; whether grilled, mashed or just plain boiled, it is definitely a favourite.

Mayonnaise a favourite among a lot of people and though it has a high fat content, I chose to ignore that fact sometimes.

What you need are:

• 2 cups of boiled chicken (cubed)
• 2 cups of boiled potatoes (cubed)
• 1 cup of scallions(chopped)
• Mayonnaise- 4 tbsp
• Salt and pepper- to suit one's palate
• Lettuce Leaves

Add the boiled chicken and potates to a bowl. Season it with salt and pepper. Add in the mayo and toss it gently ensuring that you do not break the chicken or the potatoes. Refrigerate until you serve.

Wash and pat dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in a bowl. Allow this to chill.

Before serving, spoon the salad onto the bed of lettuce leaves. Arrange sliced of boiled eggs if you choose to.

A simple but a beautiful looking salad. You could always substitute the calorie loaden Mayo with pureed cottage cheese, sour cream or any dressing. It works with all of them.

Chettinad Pepper Chicken **Taste and Create**

I am paired with Ranji this month for Taste and Create.

Her blog has an array of food and it was difficult to choose..I must have browsed through her space atleast 10 times :). I love her collection of chicken recipes and my obvious choice was this.

Chettinad is a place I love to visit for its art, architecture and food..The sprawling mansions and its magnificent temples are a sight to behold.

Chettinad cusine is known for its spiciness or rather the pungent factor. Pepper is widely used in their cuisine along with most other spices and this chicken recipe that I chose is an apt example of the cuisine.


I followed her recipe exactly but used chicken pieces with bones and even added green chillies for that extra zing!!!

An awaited appreciation from the little one!

It is in two days that my toddler's school closes for vacation.. She is awaiting her move to a bigger school by June and already proclaims to be in that school. I wonder why I get emotional on her leaving this school..could be due to the lovely teachers, the lovely ambience..,cheerful attenders...and their wonderful activities..et al. My DH just brushes me off saying I am too stupid to get all emotional about this!

Anyways getting my post back on track, I have approximately 350 hand-written recipes catering just to Chicken...Yes..You heard it right..that is a huge collection....and the one I am posting is a scribbled scrap that I found among the many...

It is for a kerala chilli chicken...I twisted the original a wee bit using the ingredients that were available. Whatever the ingredients,it was enjoyed by the three of us..especially the little one who couldn't stop telling her grandparents that finally she liked the chicken that her mother made :D




What you need are

500 g of chicken pieces
2 dsp Oil
1 1/2 tsp Soya sauce
1 1/2 tsp Chilli sauce
1 1/2 tsp Tomato sauce
2 tsp each of Ginger and Garlic paste
2 tsp Pepper Powder
Ajinomotto- a pinch (optional)
7 Chopped Green Chillies
2 Onions- chopped
2 sprigs of Curry Leaves
Water-3/4 cup
Salt -to taste

Fry the chicken until it turns a light brown Add in the suaces and stir them in well. Follow this by adding the ginger, garlic and the ajinomotto.Allow this to cook for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them in well and cover and cook until done.

Serve with chapathis!

A fried rice!

Microwave cooking has its benefits…some of them being the use of fat to a minimal extent, lesser loss of nutritional values and faster cooking time.

In the intial stages, though following the instruction for microwave cooking to the “T”, the result was not up to the mark. But practice has made me perfect in cooking the below fried rice. I wouldn’t call it perfect…but near perfect would be the fact.


This is adapted from the book of Indian microwave cooking by Rohini Singh.




The recipe requires

Chicken-bite size pieces
Cinnamonn- 2”
Cloves-15
Whole peppercorns-25
Cardamoms-black or green-6
Water-3 cups
Salt to taste
Stock Cubes-2
Oil-5 tbsp
Onion-4 sliced
Ginger-garlic-4 tbsp crushed
Carrots-1 cubed into small pieces (boiled)
Beans- cut into small pieces (boiled)
Green chillies-according to one’s taste
Rice-2 cups
Egg- 2 scrambled

Put the chicken, whole spices, water, salt and the stock cubes in a large microwave dish. Cover the dish and microwave at 100% for 10 minutes. Let this stand for another 5 minutes. After this, remove the chicken pieces and if needed the spices as well. Discard the spices if removing.

On the stove, to the oil, add the onions and fry until a light brown and follow this by adding half the amount of ginger and garlic and fry until they turn a light brown. Now add the chicken pieces and fry until it turns light brown. Add the remaining ginger-garlic and fry for 5 mins.

Into the stock, add the chicken and the washed and drained rice, chillies and microwave uncovered at 100% for 15 mins. Reduce the power to 50% and cover and microwave for a further 5 mins.. Stir in the boiled carrots, beans and the scrambled eggs.

Serve warm.

This fried rice goes over to Srivalli's MEC Event which is Rice for this month.

Roast stuffed chicken !

I always stayed away from roasting chicken….Seen my mother do it for twenty years…but I always stayed away only to make my presence at the table.

I took the plunge a couple of days back..Followed my mom’s recipe to the T.

A roast chicken is a simple meal and the leftovers are stashed away for rolls, shredded salads and the like. All one needs for the simple meal are the basic spices, nuts, vegetables and an oven. The chicken is stuffed with ingredients mentioned below and are browned to one’s taste…The juices are sealed in by the stuffing and the end result is a soft, moist chicken with a crispy outer skin. Mind you, I like mine browned with a lot of butter!





Don’t get weighed down by the elaborate text below…It is easy….

What you need is
1. Whole chicken with skin-1 ½ kg
2. Salt-1/2 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Juice of 1 lime
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
3. Ginger-1” piece
Garlic-1 clove
Onions-3 (large cut into small pieces)
Green chillies-6 (adjust for spiciness)
Celery-2 ribs (cut into small pieces)
Mushroom-6 (cut into small pieces)
4. Oil-1 Cup
5. Vegetables- 50 g each (I used peas, beans and carrot, cut into small pieces and boiled)
6. Nuts-30g each (I used raisins, almonds and cashewnuts)
Bread-5 slices (cut into small pieces)
Potatoes- 2large (boiled and cut into small pieces)
Salt-1/2 tsp
7. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
Worcestershire sauce-1 tspN
Salt-a little
Pepper Powder- ½ tsp
Chicken stock cubes-2
8. Eggs-2 (boiled and cut into small pieces)
Juice of 1 lime
Coriander/cilantro leaves-a bunch
Mint leaves-5 or 6 sprigs
9. Butter-2 tsp






Clean the inside of the chicken and wash well and dry it well. Poke the entire surface of the chicken with a fork for better absorption. Coat 2. the marinade and rub it in and let it stay at least for an hour.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and saute 5..add salt and set aside.

Heat ½ cup of oil and fry 6 well and add salt if needed and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and add 3 and saute well .

Add all the fried set asides to 7. Follow this by adding all this to 8. Stir them in well and allow to cool.


Now comes the fun!

Pull out the pretty-looking marinated chicken and stuff with the rich mixture and sew the opening… Melt some butter (A generous amount in this case because I love butter) and brush the chicken all over and cover with a foil and set aside for an hour.

Remove the foil and bake until done.








I served it with mashed potatoes piped all around and the remaining stuffing along with some vegetable sticks…

One hearty meal it was!

One tip that my mom suggested was to roast the chicken breast down to aid in retaining the moistness.


Though this meal takes a longer time to cook, its simple yet tasty principle is definitely a success when perfectly done.

A happy weekend to all! You could try this over the weekend :)

Spicy chicken lost among boiled potatoes and carrots

Back from a long road trip..Every time I return from a road trip, I vow never to take one in the next few years..and very soon I am back again on another road trip..The four days of the trip was hectic...loads of things crammed together...glad to be back home in my very own abode .

Famished and the family of three was craving for a quick snack...The only requirement being a non-veg one....This is what I came up with





(note: ....randomn measurement. of the ingredients.)

Chicken- bite-sized pieces
Oil-to fry
Potatoes-boiled
Carrots-boiled

For the marination

chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger/garlic paste..

Make a paste of the ingredients mentioned above for the marinade and coat the chicken pieces Add some curd too. Reserve for a few minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile boil the potatoes and carrots and set them aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add a sprig of curry leaves. (This is a tip that I learnt recently from my mother. There is a heavenly aroma when you fry the chicken or any other meat. Try it..You'll know what I mean))

Fry the marinated chicken pieces and lay them on a bed of the boiled vegetables.

Enjoyed by the young and the old...

Sunday Special Lunch With Mom's..Chicken in Garlic Sauce

We were a family of five before my brother and I got married…and those were the days when mother made Sundays special and a day that was remembered. The three of us, my brothers and me stayed home on Sundays for mother's special Sunday lunch. But with time, I got married , soon to be followed by one brother. He moved places and so did I, but the tradition of Sunday lunch still continued at home with the three of them. According to the mother, it gets even better when all her children visit when they find time.

One particular factor that mother insisted was the family coming together at every meal. Coming back to the Sunday lunch, mother cooked up a feast while the maid and I helped in chopping and laying the table and mother's table wares..The lunch usually extends to more than an hour after which everyone watches a movie together.

I miss those Sundays and now since I have moved back to the same city, I try my best to make it home for lunch..My daughter loves the family time too more because she is pampered to the core all because she is the first grandchild and the only one as yet…

Coming back to the special Sunday lunch, chicken in garlic sauce was one dish that we all devoured on and still crave for..I do make it when I can but am yet to achieve mother’s standard..



Note: This is not for the diet-conscious as you see the amount of oil that emanates from the chicken, but I can guarantee you that this is a good dish,,,no harm in succumbing to it once in a while..)

1 kg Chicken (boneless cut into bite-size pieces)

For Marinating
4 tbsps Oil½ tsps Pepper powder
4tbsps Cornflour
Salt as needed
2 Eggs

Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade and reserve aside for some time.

For the Sauce
4 tbsps Chopped Garlic
2 Onions Chopped
4 tsps Chilli Powder
1 cup Water (Stock can also be used)
½ cup Tomato sauce
Salt as per taste
2 tsps Sugar
1 tsps Ajinomoto (optional)
4 tsps Vinegar
4 tbsps Cornflour
1 Cup Oil
½ Cup Capsicum chopped



Heat oil and fry the marinated chicken for a couple of minutes and remove and set aside.
To the remaining oil, add onion and saute until translucent; add in the garlic and chilli powder and saute further for a few minutes. Now add the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt and add in ajinomoto if using it…Follow this by adding in the chicken pieces.

Into the 1 cup of water or stock , stir in the cornflour and add it to the above stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from fire and garnish with chopped capsicums.



This special dish is off to Sunita's Think spice event, which is Garlic this month.

Chicken Stew/ Arusuvai Friendship Chain and a Plate of Appams!

Lissie from Salt and Spice sent me a surprise ingredient! And the surprise was a pack of:



There is a lot a person can cook using coconut milk powder and the Keralite in me wanted to go with stew and only stew.. There are a lot of recipes for stew in the blog world...

This is a recipe again courtesy my family that has been handed down the generations.



Chicken stew
1 kg Chicken cut into bite sizes
4 Potatoes cubed
3 Onions sliced
7 Green Chillies slit (more for extra pungency)
2 tsp Ginger Paste
2x2" Pieces of Cinnamon
4 Cardamoms
4 Cloves
4 Shallots sliced
2 tbsp of Appam batter (ref. below) (optional. if no batter, use maida)
Salt and pepper powder to taste
A sprig of Curry Leaves
1/2 Cup Oil
6 tbsp of the Maggi Coconut Milk Powder

The coconut milk added was of a thick consistency. I mixed 6 tbsp of the powder to 2 cups of warm water. For a thinner consistency, reduce the amount of the powder and the water.

To a little oil in a pan,fry the shallots and curry leaves. Remove this from the fire and add to the coconut milk. In the remaining oil, saute the onions, spices,green chillies and ginger until they turn a golden brown.

Follow this by adding the potatoes and chicken. add in the salt and pepper and stir well. Now add the required amount of water for the chicken to cook.

Add the appam batter to the coconut milk and pour this over the chicken curry. Cook until the required thickness is arrived at on a slow flame. For tanginess add vinegar if needed.

For the Appams



Appams are traditionally made using Toddy. But since toddy is not widely available, yeast replaces it.

Soak 1/2 tsp yeast in lukewarm water and set aside. Mix 20g of rice flour in water to a medium thick consitency. To 300 g of scraped coconut, add 500 g of fine rice flour. Now mix in the rice flour paste, yeast, 150 g sugar, salt as per taste and 500 ml water.Leave to ferment preferably overnight.

Heat a griddle aka appam chatti and smear with a little oil. Ladle batter to make appams. They should be golden brown on either side when done.

Ok now go ahead and have a virtual piece of the appam, mop it in the stew and relish!

Shella of Kitchen Art gets a surprise package!

Have fun Shella.

While on transit, found a treasure and the outcome!

Pics aren't clear..my apologies!



Country Style Chicken

What does one do when one is in transit at an airport and your flight is not in another 5 hours?
a) doze (I couldn't because I had my 3 year old with me)
b) observe people (how long? I did that for an hour!)
c) Window shop (I did that!)


I found my way blissfully into a bookstore! There was this entire corner at the store devoted to a treasure trove of books relted to cuisines from around the world. Since cooking and art are the books that interest me most and since the other people were more interested in fiction etc. , I had the entire space to me.

Among the treasure trove, I found a very interesting book.. The cover was what attracted me to it! It had a smiling face of an elderly woman dressed in the chatta mundu-Syrian Christian attire.The book referred here is Kerala Syrian Christian Favourites. I definitely bought this book and it contained lovely recipes and photographs.

What i present here is Kozhi Piralen aka Chicken Curry Country Style
from the above-mentioned book with my inputs.

1 kg Medium pieces of chicken
500 g Finely sliced onions
2tsps Ginger Paste
2tsps Garlic Paste
2 tsp Chilli Powder
5 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Powdered Meat Masala
Salt, Water for cooking and oil for cooking
1 sprig of Curry Leaves

Mix all the powders and make a fine paste and set aside.

Saute the ginger and garlic paste in oil until the raw smell decides to leave :). Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add in the curry leaves and leave this aside too.

In another pan, to the oil fry the paste until they are done. At this stage add in the above-sauteed mixture. Finally add some water, salt and the chicken pieces and allow it to cook covered. Whe done, cook for a few minutes uncovered.

What I Loved
1) lovely chicken curry..I did not get the colour though of the chicken that was displayed in the book.

2) I am glad I judged a book by its cover!
3) Lovely book and a nice book to own!

Chilli Dry Chicken Nestled Among Capsicums

What do I do when I have leftover fried rice or noodles with nothing left to accompany it!

Find below what I would conjure up!!
A dry version of Chilli Chicken!



Chicken pieces (bite-sized)- 500 g
Capsicum-1 large
Spring onion-1 stalk
Ginger, chopped finely-1 1/2 tsp
Cornflour- 1 tbsp
Cooking oil-5 tbsp
Salt- as per taste
Chilli Powder- 1tsp
Ajinomoto-1/2 tsp (optional)
Sugar-1 1/2 tsp
Soya sauce- 20 ml

Marinate the chicken pieces with 1/2 tsp of oil, cornflour and chilli powder and let it remain so for 10-15 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil, fry the green capsicum for a few minutes. add salt o it and set aside.

In another pan, add 3tbsp of oil,saute the ginger, spring onion and after a few minutes, add in the chicken pieces. Add the sugar , ajinomoto and a little more salt if necessary. Mix the soya sauce and capsicum and add to the pan. Let it simmer for a few minutes and serve hot!


Recipe, courtesy -My mom!

Biriyani in no Time

Yesterday, being a Sunday, I was in no mood to cook forget even entering the kitchen..After a late breakfast, A suggested we either go out or order in lunch from any restaurant..the choice was left to me... An hour later, there was such a heavy downpour and the roads were flooded..sigh!!

Ultimately, it was destined for me to make lunch...A suggested I make biriyani...

The toil that goes into making a nice delicious biriyani is too much to handle especially on a day like this...That is when I decided on why not use a pressure cooker to make biriyani!

Apart from the usual chopping, this is a quicker way..and tastes as good too!




What you need is:
Chicken pieces-1/2 kg/or vegetables
Basmati Rice-2 Cups
Ghee-1/2 Cup
Onions-3 medium (chopped)
Tomatoes-3 (chopped)
Green Chillies-4 slit lengthwise(add more for spiciness)
Curd-1/2 Cup
Turmeric Powder-1/2tsp
Ginger/Garlic paste-4tsps

Spices
Cardamom-4
Cloves-4
Cinnamon-2" pieces
Bay Leaves-2

Leaves
Coriander (Cilantro)Leaves- 1 bunch (Chopped)
Mint Leaves-1/2 a bunch otherwise the flavour would dominate

For Grinding
Cashewnut-6 or 7 (grind to a paste)
Khus Khus (Poppy seeds)-to make 1tbsp of paste

Salt-according to taste
Water-3 cups
Fry the washed rice in 1 tbsp of ghee and leave aside. In a pressure cooker, add the remaining ghee and fry the onions till they turn a golden brown. Add the whole spices now and fry until you see the cardamoms bloat..This is when a nice aroma emanates from the cooker....Next, add in the tomatoes and fry until they turn soft and the oil begins to leave the masala..This is when you add the ginger-garlic paste..Cook this until the raw smell disappears..This is followed by the entry of the leaves, turmeric powder and the green chillies...after 2 or 3 minutes of mixing, in a separate bowl mix the ground paste into the curd and add this into the masala..Then add the chicken pieces that have been waiting to go in!!!
Mix well until the masala coats all the chicken pieces..Follow this by adding the water and salt..Stir in the rice..and pressure cook for 2 whistles.. Turn off the fire and let the rice stand in the cooker for 30-45 minutes..

Remove and serve with raita..


I enjoyed it...Try it!!

A bowl of Chicken Fried Rice served with a bowl of yummy Schezwan Chicken

I am at a loss of thoughts..have been staring at a tree with its rustling leaves for quite some time now...Having said that and still at a loss of thoughts, let me get down to posting my favourite dish> Chicken fried rice and schezwan chicken to go with it.

This is recipe that is a mix from several books and newspaper clippings,,But put together makes up for a nice fried rice..

For the fried rice

Oil-1 cup
Basmati Rice-2 cups
Water-enough to cook..I used about 4 cups..when it was half cooked, I transferred it to a colander to strain the remaining water..

Chopped vegetables-1/2 cup each (I used carrots, cabbage,capsicum,beans)
Celery-chopped-1/2 cup
Spring Onion- chopped-1/2 cup
Green Chillies-3 or 4,chopped
Soya sauce-5tsps
Ajinomoto-1tsp
Pepper Powder-1tsp
Salt-as per taste
Sugar-1 1/2 tsp

Cooked and Shredded Chicken-1 cup

Wash the rice and add the rice into water for cooking. Add a little oil and salt to the cooking water.The oil is to prevent the rice from sticking.Drain and leave the half-coked rice aside to cool.

In a pan, heat some oil and fry the chopped green chillies. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the chicken shreds,salt,sugar,pepper, ajinomoto and soya sauce and mix well. Then add the rice and mix carefully without breaking the rice.

Finally sprinkle the spring onion and celery.

Serve hot. I served it with a saucy Schezwan chicken.

Saucy Schezwan Chicken




Recipe> Courtesy- My mother

Chicken pieces-500g

For Marination

Egg-2
Soya sauce-20 ml
Pepper Powder-1/2 tbsp
Salt-to taste
Cornflour-2 tbsp
Ginger Paste-10 g
Garlic Paste-10g
Ajinomoto-1/4 tsp

Cube the chicken pieces and marinate them with the ginger/garlic paste, salt, ajinomoto, pepper powder,and soya sauce. Then add cornflour and the eggs and mix well.

After a few minutes of marination, heat oil and in a medium heat, fry the marinated chicken cubes for 2 or 3 minutes (not any longer) because then they tend to get hard.

For the sauce
Chopped ginger/garlic-20 g
Chopped green chillies-3-4
Red chillies-halved-5 or 6
Soya sauce-40 ml
Oil-200ml in all..(for the frying of chicken and for the sauce)
Spring Onion-50g-julienned
Chicken stock-200 ml
Cornflour-2 tbsp


In the remaining oil from frying (or use fresh oil), add the spring onions, ginger/garlic past, green chillies, red chillies and cook until the raw smell escapes.. To this, add the soya sauce and cook for another minute. Mix in the chicken stock and when it starts boiling add cornflour and stir so that no lumps are formed and cook until a thick sauce is formed. Add the fried chicken in now. Garnish with the spring onion greens and serve.

happy cooking!

Chicken Biriyani

The myriad uses of spice and the varied spices set Indian cooking apart. Indian dishes are by far the most aromatic...atleast according to me..and i know that most of you out there would agree to it as well.. What I have discovered is although a lot of spices go into the making of an indian dish..they are not too hot for the palate..

Green chillies are lot less hot than red chillies and larger chillies are very mild in their hotness..To minimize the hotness, it is best to remove the seeds before use..

Always make sure you wash your hand after handling chillies, because you dont want your eyes burning...I have been through several instances of this..
Also, remove whole spices before serving, because you dont want end up being in tears at the dining table..

Indian cooking involves spice mixtures or better known as masalas..Spices release their flavour more when they are ground.. The traditional pestles are now replaced with mixers and the like..Whole spices are better than ready crushed ones because the former has more flavour..

Indian cooking also uses fat for its cooking..basically ghee ;.With the growing trend of healthy eating, fat has been replaced by vegetable oil, etc.

Hence, here I present a dish that makes use of a lot of spices the Biriyani - a chicken version with boiled eggs..

Mind you the biryani I present here is not for people who are health conscious..I used a lot of ghee..But there is no harm in indulging in it once in a while...


Basmati Rice-2 1/2 cups
Water-8 1/2 cups
Salt-to taste
Chicken-1 kg
Egg- 2 boiled (increase as per the number of people)
Curds-2 1/2 cups
Ghee-2 cups

For grinding
Onion- 3 medium (chopped)
Green chillies-5 or 6
Ginger-2"
Garlic-7 pods
Coriander Leaves-1 bunch
Pudina/Mint Leaves-1/2 bunch
Turmeric Powder-1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon-1"
Mace-3
Clove-3
Cardamom-5
Saffron threads- A large pinch
Food colouring-Optional

Wash chicken pieces. I always dab some turmeric powder on the chicken pieces to remove any impurities.. This is a step that I always follow for any meat I cook.

Grind the above-mentioned ingredients and add the curds and salt. Mix well. Marinate the chicken pieces with the mixture and leave it in room temperature at least for 2 hours.

After this take the rice and wash it well and set aside. Meanwhile in 1/2 a cup of ghee fry sliced onions until brown along with a tsp of sugar and add to the marinated chicken including the ghee and mix in well.. (Optional). Meanwhile boil the eggs.

In a thicked bottomed kadai, add 1/2 a cup of ghee and fry the washed rice for some time. Remove the rice and set aside.

When the chicken has marinated, allow it cook on low heat until it becomes soft.After this, add in the rice, and cover and cook until the rice is done.

Soak saffron threads in boiling water and pour into the rice and mix using a fork (Using a fork prevents the rice from breaking).


For garnishing
Nuts- fried
raisins-dried and fried

or

Fried onions


Serve the biriyani and add in the boiled eggs.. Halve the eggs for a better appeal.

Pizza

On certain days (most days) when I get lazy to cook dinner..i decide to serve my own version of a fabulous pizza...
I buy readymade pizza bases...the medium size is ideal for one person..I lay the base on a grill.. and the sauce that i use is a sauce that i make from two tomatoes of medium size..i blanche the tomatoes..deskin and deseed them..and run it in a blender to get a smooth paste..I then boil this paste in a pan along with some ginger/garlic paste, sugar and a piece of cinnamon. I use this as the sauce to pour on the base..I then add finely chopped capsicum, spring onions and corn..i then add the canned minced meat...(usually prefer d'costa's)...i then sprinkle cheese over it and bake it in a preheated oven..for about 5 minutes...sprinkle some chilli flakes and serve....

Quick recipes

Some quick recipes that have saved me in the nick of time….

Fried chicken A: Into a pressure cooker, add chicken pieces, chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger/garlic paste, soya sauce, and a little water and cook for a few minutes. All the water should have evaporated. To a little bit of oil in a pan, add sliced onions, when done, add the chicken pieces and fry.

Fried chicken B: Marinate chicken pieces with pepper powder, chili powder, ginger/garlic paste, and salt for some time. Heat oil and fry the chicken pieces until desired. In another pan to the same oil, add curry leaves, green chilies, and onion. Mix in the chicken and fry well.

Quick stir-fry veggies: Chop capsicum, carrot, onion, spring onions, or any veggies of your choice. Fry these in oil. Mix a little corn flour with water to make a paste and add to the vegs. Add chilli sauce, stir fry sauce, tomato sauce into the vegs and stir well. Tastes yumm with noodles and fried rice.