Naadan Chicken Curry/Kerala Quick Chicken Curry

Heyloo Everyone!!

I am back!! I can't believe I am already writing my second blog :)

Am I  finally turning into a non vegetarian ?!!.  I was a pure vegan till my college. My younger brother being the non vegetarian enthusiast he was, like all siblings, would do his best to disgust me with his exaggerated displays of enjoying non vegetarian. One of the indelible memories from my childhood involves him sitting right in front of me and chomping and tugging at the chicken leg with expressions of utmost delight. I swear I used to think that this must be how rakshashas (demons) of lore must look like!!

I am from Kerala in India, a state which is generally known for their fondness towards fish and to top it, I am from Calicut in Kerala, one of the most famous place in kerala for non veg food. This is a place where when ladies in the neighbourhood meet up, they do not start the conversation by hi or how are you but with - "innu eda meena kittiyedu" (which fish did you get today) and then, the conversations proceed to talk about the preparations and so on. Suffice to say, non vegetarian food was an important part of the social fabric here and I was an outcast :D!!

Post my college, I started to have egg and small fish fries occasionally. I began cos I had started to lose weight  since I wasnt staying with my folks anymore and so, in order to make up the nutrition deficit I started to have a little non veg. My preference still remained curd rice or chamandi(chutney) and choru (rice). The thought itself is mouthwatering..sigh!! Anyways, I still continued to tell people that I was a vegetarian, since egg and small fish are not non vegetarian now, ar, are they??!!

Then I go and get married to a hardcore non - veg lover !! The sweet guy that he is, he has never asked me to cook for him, knowing that I dont like it myself. He has his fill whennever we eat out.

I quit my job after marriage, and so I get a lot of time in trying out new dishes and slowly I started enjoying the results. So much so that, I prefer eating things which I have cooked, rather than eating from outside. With this, has come the realisation, that maybe it was not fair to the hubby to eat nonveg from outside all the time.

On an experimental basis, we decided to take the plunge and got home some chicken the other day. I made chicken chicken curry and at the risk of sounding immodest, it came out really nice. And I had some too!!!

The recipe is :

Chicken 250 grm
Onion 2
Ginger crushed 2 teaspoon
Garlic crushed 2 teaspoon
curry leaves 1 stem
green chilli 1 or 2
Chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric small pinch
Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut grated 5 to 6 teaspoon
Salt
Coconut oil preferred.  Can use other cooking oil also
For seasoning dry red chilly and mustard.

First marinate the chicken pieces with salt, pinch of turmeric and half a teaspoon of chilly powder and keep it aside.  In a cooker add 3 teaspoon of coconut oil and heat it and add onion, salt, crushed ginger garlic, curry leaves and green chilly.  Fry it nicely and make sure it does not stick to the vessel. Add the remaining chilly powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, mix well and then add marinated chicken.  If it is sticking too much to the vessel add little water, may be two to three spoons and take out all the masala which is stuck to the cooker.  Mix it nicely and then add half a cup of water.  Close it with a lid and let 1 whistle come and then keep it aside.

In a pan add grated coconut and keep stirring till it is golden brown. Do not burn it. You have to keep stirring. Once it is done you can keep it aside and let it cool.

You can open the cooker now and check for salt and chilly.  Add more if you feel the need as per your taste. Let it cook with open lid for some more time till oil secretes on to the sides.  Now you can grind the fried coconut.  Make sure that you are grinding it without water.  Grind it nicely till coconut oil starts to separate from it.  Add this mixture to cooker, stir nicely and slightly close it with the lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and keep it aside. Season with 1 teaspoon oil, mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.  Aaand, you are done!!!

You can have this with ghee rice / roti / appam / pattiri.  I had it with roti and it was yumm..

Will I have to stop telling everyone that I am a vegetarian! Guess so..until next time.

Take Care all,
Shruti

Quick Palak Pulav/Spinach Rice

Hello Everyone,

I am Shruti and I am new here, both to the place and the world of blogging !!! I am reaaally excited about this.  So, a little bit about me - I am a housewife and I recently shifted to Saudi Arabia from India. Had lots of time in hand and so thought why not write a blog which is useful for people like me.

The reason I am here today is because my husband is not coming home for lunch.  Its like a relaxed sunday for me!! From morning till evening, sitting in front of my laptop, googling and listening to songs..ahhhh the little pleasures of life. During such days I always wished that I could spend the entire day without a break, with just music and blogs to fill my soul..unfortunately the same would not fill my tummy..hence MyJoyofCooking was born :D..cheesy..I know..anyways, on these days I have few recipes which I usually cook. They are healthy and yet can be made very easily.  Check them out..
  

Basmati rice 1/2 cup
Palak/Spinach 10 to 15 leaves
Coriander leaves 2 to 3 stem
Mint Leaves 3 to 4 leaves (Optional)
1 small onion thinly sliced lengthwise
Garlic 2 to 3 cloves
Cooking oil 2 teaspoon (I use sunflower oil)
1 teaspoon ghee
Green Chilly 1 to 2
Green peas 1/4 cup
bay leaf, cinnamon and cumin seeds (use very little, just for the flavor).

Take the pressure cooker and add oil and ghee.  Once it is heated, add the spices. Add chopped onion and garlic. Let the onion fry well.  In the meantime you can grind the chopped palak coriander mint leaves and green chilly. You do not have to make it a really fine paste.  By that time, the onion would have gotten cooked well.  Now you can add this grinded green mixture and green peas into the cooker and stir it nicely for a minute. Now add basmati rice and use water; double of the quantity of rice.  Check salt and add accordingly.  You can squeeze 5 to 6 drops of lemon juice and then close it with its lid.  I usually keep it for 4 whistle on an induction stove.

So thats it!!  It will hardly take you half an hour.  You can have it with curd - with little onion, coriander leaves and green chilli put in it and of course salt.

And now, back to feeding my soul !!

Take Care
Shruti