Spicy Chicken with Mint and Coriander / Kozhi Curry

Source : This chicken curry is inspired from Manju's Biriyani Recipe.

You Need

Chicken - cut into medium peices, 1.5 kg

For Marinade You Need :

1. Ginger -  2 inch peice

2. Garlic - 12 pods

3. Coriander Leaves - 1 cup

4. Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup

5. Garam Masala - 1 tbsp

6. Curd - 1/2 cups

7. Green chilly - 4

8. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp

10. Salt - To taste

For Gravy You Need :

1. Cinnamon - 2 inch peice, cut into small peices

2. Cloves - 4.

3. Green cardomom - 4

4. Star anise - 2

5. Mace - 1 tsp

6. Bay Leaves - 2

7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

8. Onions - medium sized, 5, finely chopped

9. Ginger - 2 inch peice, crushed

10. Garlic - 12 pods, crushed

11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

12. Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

13. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

14. Garam Masala - 1 tbsp

15.Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

16. Tomatoes - 3 , chopped

17. Salt - To Taste

18. Thick Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup

For Tempering You Need :

1. Oil - 1 tbsp

2. Shallots - 5, slit in half

3. Dry Red Chilly - 2

4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method of Preparation

1. Clean, wash and drain the chicken.

2. Using a blender, roughly blend all the ingredients under marinade. Be careful with the salt since the soya sauce is also salty.

3. Pour the mixture into bowl, add chicken peices and mix well.

4. Cover the bowl and refridgerate overnight.

5. Heat oil in a wide based vessel and throw in cinnamon, cloves, green  cardamom,  star anise, mace,  bay leaves and cumin seeds. 

6. When the spices start emitting aroma, add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till golden brown.

7. Add crushed ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw smell is gone.

8. Add garam masala, turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute for 5 minutes.

9. Add the chopped tomatoes, let it cook till they are soft and mushy.

10. Add the marinated chicken and mix well with the spices and onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Let it cook for 5 minutes.

11. Add water only if you want more gravy. Normally there will be enough water from the marinade and chicken without the need to add more water.

12. Check salt and add more if required.

13. Cook till the chicken is done and you have obtained the desired consistency for your curry.
14. Pour the thick coconut milk and bring to boil.
15. Switch off heat.

16. Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds.

17. Add shallots, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Saute till done.

18. Pour this onto the chicken curry.

17. Serve hot with rice or chappati.

King Fish Cutlets/ Meen Cutlets

Ingredients

1. King Fish - 1 kg
2. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
3. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt - To taste

5. Potatoes - medium sized, 4

6. Onions - medium sized, 5, finely chopped
7. Curry Leaves - 4 sprigs, chopped

8. Ginger - 2 inch piece, chopped
9. Garlic - 12 pods, chopped
10. Green chillies - 8, chopped

11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
13. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

14. Coriander leaves - 1 fistful, chopped

15. Egg whites - 2
16. Bread crumbs
17. Oil to fry

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and clean the fish.
2. Boil water in a vessel, enough to cover the fish.
3. When the water boils add the cleaned fish pieces, turmeric powder , pepper powder and salt.

4. When the fish is being cooked, peel and wash the potatoes.
5. Boil them in another vessel without adding any salt. Keep aside to cool.

6. When the fish is cooked, remove from fire, drain the water and keep aside to cool.
7. When the fish has cooled, remove bones and shred into small pieces.

8. Smash the potatoes in a separate bowl.

9. Heat oil in a vessel and add the onions and curry leaves. Saute till golden brown.
10. Add the  chopped ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Saute till the raw smells goes.
11. To this mixture, add the shredded fish, chilly powder, coriander powder , turmeric powder and mix well. Saute for 5 minutes.
12. When done, add the chopped coriander leaves and mix. Add more salt if required.
13. Switch off the fire and let it cool.

14. Now mix together the potato and the fish mixture.  Check and add salt if required. 

15. Make small balls with the dough.
16. Flatten each ball , dip both sides in the egg white and then in bread crumbs covering all sides evenly.
17. Shallow fry the cutlets in oil, browning all sides equally.

18. Serve hot with curd-mint chutney.

Note : The cutlet mixture is best when refrigerated overnight and used the next day.

Aromatic Chicken Pulav using Rice Cooker

This is an easy pulav recipe. Best when you have unexpected guests or on a cooking-lazy day. My daughter P loves it with plain curd. I alway cook this with a rice cooker to get the perfect consistency, somehow I dont get it right when I use the cooking pot.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 3 cups (I use Jeerakashala Rice, its very aromatic)

2. Whole Spices

• Cardamon - 4
• Cloves - 4
• Bay Leaves - 3
• Mace - a little
• Star Anise - 1
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

3. Onions - 2 medium , thinly sliced
4. Green chillies - 4, chopped
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
6. Garlic - 6 pods, chopped
7. Green Peas - a handful.
8. Carrot - 1, chopped.
9. Corn - a handful.
10. Raisins - 10
11. Coriander Leaves - a handful, chopped
12. Mint Leaves - 6 leaves
13. Chicken Fries - 10 pieces, chopped into cubes.
14. Water - 4 cups
15. Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
16. Saffron - 1 pinch

Method of Preparation

• Wash the rice and soak in water and set aside until required.
• Heat oil in a non-stick kadai and add all the whole spices.
• When the spices starts sputtering and an aroma is emitted, add the thinly sliced onions.
• Saute till the onions are transparent and then add the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute until the raw smell is gone.
• Throw in the raisins, chopped carrots, corn and green peas and keep sauteing for another 2 minutes.
• Add the rice along with the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, saute for 5 minutes. 

• Take 4 cups of water in the rice cooker's bowl, add the contents of the  kadai into the bowl.
• Sprinkle a pinch of saffron on top and add salt.
• Close lid and start cooking.
• When the rice is done , mix in the cubed chicken fries.

• Serve hot with curd or salad.
• Note : You can use any garnish you prefer - cashews, fried onions and the like.

Love Letter (Madakku Dosa)

This one used to be my favorite tea-time snack when i was in school. I would gobble up 3-4 love letters in just one sitting. And its so easy to make.

Ingredients

For Dosa

1. Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 cup

2. Salt to Taste

3. Water

4. Gingerly Oil

For Filling

5. Freshly grated coconut - 3/4 cup

6. Sugar - 1 tsp

7. Cardamom - 3-4 split open

8. Banana - cut into small semi-spheres (i like to use  palayamghodan)

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients (5  to 8) in a bowl and keep aside.

2. Mix maida and salt, add enough water to make a batter of medium consistency.

3. Heat a dosa pan, brush some oil  and prepare dosas.  

4. As soon as the dosa is done, place it on a plate, spread a generous amount of filling on top of it and roll it up.

5. Repeat the steps for each dosa.

6. Serve hot.