Saturday, December 15, 2012

Southern curried chicken

                                                                                                                      
   
                   

Southern curried chicken is packed with spices and flavour and surprisingly simple to prepare.I just love to have this with hot apams
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 mins
Ingredients
  • 1/2 kg chicken curry cut pieces , skin removed
  • 1tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1/2 freshly grated coconut ( ground to paste)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 Green cardamom pods
  • 6 cloves, whole
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 12 curry leaves
  • 3 to 4 whole green chiles
  • 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
  • 6 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • 1tbsp chilly powder
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or coconutoil
  • salt to taste
  • 10 Cashew nuts for garnishing
  • Small handful chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, leaves and stems
Cooking Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon,cardamom pods, and cloves, and fry for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the spices are fragrant. Add the onion, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown.
  2. Add the curry leaves, chilles, ginger, and garlic, and reduce the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic has softened. Add the chicken pieces, and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Season the chicken, with salt, chilly powder and freshly ground black pepper
  3. Add the garam masala and enough boiling water to reach halfway up the chicken pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to a low heat and simmer the mixture for 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid from the pan, turn the heat up to a high heat, and boil off any excess liquid, stirring continuously.
  5. Once the liquid has almost completely boiled away, add the coconut paste,a cup of boiling water and the lemon juice, and stir well. Cover the pan again and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender, and completely cooked through.
  6. Just before serving, stir in the chopped coriander/cilantro.
Note: Use drumsticks in this recipe to make ideal outdoor party food - the bones will also add maximum flavour to the dish.


Butter Fish sambar curry


Butter Fish sambar curry



I only cook fish when I can find extremely fresh product at the market. I discovered some wonderful looking Butter fish at the market.this is a tasty fish packed with essential, healthy, fatty acids.I pan-fried some of the fish which are bigger in size and then i tried this gravy for the remaining, it's creamy and very flavourful due to the use of sambar powder and curry leaves . If butter fish isn't your thing, you could replace it with other fish, It's just as delicious.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 10 (1/2kg) Butter fish( soundale in konkani)
  • 1/2 Coconut,grated
  • 2 heaped tsp Sambar powder
  • 2tsp Chilly powder
  • 2tsp Ginger ( chopped)
  • 1 Marble sized ball of Tamarind
  • 3-4 Green chillies
  • 2 Onion ( medium)
  • 2 Tomatoes chopped
  • 5-6 Garlic cloves ( finely chopped)
  • 1 spring Curry leaves
  • 1tbsp Coconut oil
  • 1/4tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
Cooking Directions
  1. Ask your fishmonger to chop the head and and tail. Make sure the fish skin is scaled.
  2. Now Wash and clean the fish. Place the fish in a small, shallow dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt ,haldi and 1 clove of crushed garlic. Make sure the spices coat the fish. Marinate the fish for no more than 10 minutes.
  3. Now grind coconut,chilly powder,sambar powder,ginger and tamarind to smooth paste and our masala paste is ready.
  4. Heat oil in a sauce pan ,add onion and fry until translucent .
  5. Add chopped remaining garlic and saute for a minute till light golden brown.
  6. Drop some tomatoes chopped and chopped green chillies, saute again till the tomato pieces are well cooked and mushy.
  7. Now pour the ground masala paste into the sauce pan and add 11/2 cup of water and some curry leaves cut into small pieces into the gravy.
  8. Add little salt and be careful as we added salt while marinated the fish.
  9. Bring to boil for 4-5 mins on low flame and switch off the gas.
  10. Serve hot with Red boiled rice or plain white rice