Chemmeen Biriyani / Prawn Biriyani

   

  
           Celebrations in Malabar would not be complete with out a Biriyani. Whether it be chicken, mutton, beef or fish Biriyani, preparing one and presenting it to the loved ones is equivalent to saying 'this occasion is special. Enjoy!' It is as much as a synonym to celebrations that people would ask, "When will we get the Biriyani" instead of "When is the wedding due?" or  "When will your child come to this world?"

          Spicy condiments are a part  of malabar cooking... and there would not be another dish as uniquely delicious as this breath taking blend of spices and condiments. This must be why, no special occasion of joy nor a party where two souls join for life is left without  at least one item as the Biriyani in Malabar. When your stomach is content, so would your mind be ... "Elementary ! my dear Watson" :)

          No wonder the memories of Eid at home has the endearing flavours and fragrance of my mom's Biriyani. Till today she is the best to me. I haven't tasted more luscious biriyani elsewhere yet. And that is what I miss the most too in the solitary Eid celebration with my little family more than the hurly burly family gatherings back home. And so when ever I prepare Biriyani I feel like it is not as good as my mom's. Even my friends at college used to long for my mom's Biriyani and I can't help but smile at the memory of my friends snarfing it up when she at last brings it to our hostel, as if they haven't tasted food for a long long time...

         As for Prawn biriyani the preparation is much like Fish biriyani. Many people add curd to the masala to enhance the taste and thickness, but I don't. Here also my Ayurvedic knowledge is the villain. According to Ayurveda, curd should never be consumed along with fish. Not only that, eating curd after heating is considered to be 'virudda' or highly unhealthy,which may lead to the triggering of many skin diseases as well as auto immune disorders. If you plan to add curd to any of your dish you can add it after the dish is prepared and cooled. But you are not supposed to reheat it. Well, some of you might find this ridiculous but as for me experience is my teacher. While attending the OPs at the Ayurveda college hospital, we used to take the case history of patients. What I found from my 2 years of research was surprising. Most of the patients who came with skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema as well as diseases like rheumatoid arthritis had a long term association with one or more of the 'virudda ahara' habits mentioned in Ayurveda. So well, you can pitch my information in to your waste bin or follow my recipe :)  I add more lemon juice and cashew nut paste. This compensates the absence of curd,more or less.

      Coming to the recipe...

Chemmeen Biriyani / Prawn Biriyani



Things you need:

For rice:

Basmathi rice or any other biriyani rice  -  5 cups, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
Boiled water                                         -  10 cups
Salt to taste

For marination and frying:

Big to medium sized prawns      -   1 kg, cleaned,washed and drained
Turmeric powder                      -   1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder                      -   2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste                     -   1 tsp
Salt to taste
Fennel seed powder                  -   1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil                             -   1/4 cup

For the masala:

Vegetable oil                             -   1/4 cup
Large onions                             -   4, sliced thinly
Ginger minced                           -   1 tsp
Garlic minced                            -   1 tsp
Green chillies, minced                -   4
Tomato , sliced                         -   3
Turmeric powder                      -  1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder               -  1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder              -  1 tsp
Fennel seeds                             -  1/2 tsp
Poppy seeds/ cus cus                -  1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts                             -  1 tbsp
(Soak these three for at least 1 hour and grind into a fine paste)
Lemon juice                              -  of 1 lemon
Thick coconut milk                    - 1 cup
Coriander leaves , sliced            -  3/4 cup
Mint leaves, sliced                     -  1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Others:

Ghee / Clarified butter                -  1/4 cup
Cashew nut                                -  50 g
Raisins                                       -  50 g
Onion, sliced thinly                     -  1

Garam masala powder:

   4 Cinnamon sticks of 2 inch length
   8 Cloves
   8 Cardamom seeds
   1 Nutmeg
   4-6 maice/ jathipathri
   4  Star anise
   1 tsp fennel seeds
Dry roast all these and powder. Store in an air tight container


Method:

1. Marination and frying: Marinate the prawns with all the ingredients under marinade except oil. Keep it for at least half an hour. Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the prawns. Do not deep fry it. Remove from pan when both sides are just cooked. Drain the remaining oil into a glass vessel.
2. Making the masala: Heat this oil along with another 1/4 cup of oil in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onions and saute until translucent. Add the minced ginger and garlic and saute. Now add the sliced tomatoes and saute until it becomes mushy. Add the turmeric powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder and saute for another 2 minutes. Now add the lemon juice, salt and the leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes with the vessel covered. Add the fennel cashew paste and saute. Add in the fried prawns and mix everything  well. Finally add the coconut milk and heat until the masala thickens.
3. Making the rice: Heat another heavy bottomed deep vessel and add ghee to it . Add a thinly sliced onion and fry it until deep brown and crispy. Remove it from the ghee and keep aside. Now fry the cashews and raisins in the same ghee until brown and puffed up. Take out from the ghee and keep with the fried onion. Now add the basmathi rice to the remaining ghee and saute until it starts becoming translucent. Add hot water to it . When it comes to a boil add adequate salt and simmer the heat and cook it by covering the vessel. Stir the rice occasionally to ensure uniform cooking. Remove from heat when all the water dries up and the rice is almost cooked.
4. Layering: Heat a deep round vessel and add the biriyani masala to it. On top of it add a layer of rice about 3 inches thick. Spread some fried onion, cashews and raisins on top of it. Sprinkle a little garam masala powder also. Above this add another layer of rice,  then the onion cashew mix and go on until all the rice is layered. Now press the top layer with a spatula in such a way that the rice forms a dome shape. This helps in retaining the spicy vapour of biriyani inside the rice layers and gives the rice a nice fragrance. Now cover the top of the vessel with an aluminium foil and place the lid tightly on top. Simmer the heat and keep it for another 15 minutes. Then remove from heat.
5. Serve hot with coconut chutney,' ulli surka'(onion in vinegar) and pappad.

Zebra Cake

        

   Home made cakes always had been alluring for me though I had had not much of it in my childhood. May be because I was born in a land where baking cakes at home was not that popular. People turned towards shops which sold cakes rather than bake them at home. And rarely did the homes have a fellow called 'oven' where you could bake a cake like the Europeans did. Still there were traditional ovens where cakes were made in a deep pan with firewood at the bottom of pan and coconut husk embers on top. Traditional cakes like the 'Kalthappam' used to be prepared in it.

          Later when time went by, slowly the cooking cultures, thought to be immiscible, began to marry... and people started baking English cakes in the traditional ovens... Later electric oven came, a thing which had a weired look like a UFO and we children were warned not to approach it while in switched on condition. Thank God, it was not a hulk like the old computers or it would have scared our vits out.. Still, when the aroma of the cake being baked in it hit our nostrils, we used to get an urge to go and examine what's going on .. but the 'danger' 'inapproachable' orders held us back on second thoughts. I don't have an idea, where the 'UFO' is now, but it still imparts a faint and distinctive flavour to my baking thoughts... a flavour which leans more towards a nostalgia.

         Those cakes were not much like those bought from the shops but yet we children loved it nevertheless and took it to our play hub where we would act at being some child detectives eating the home made cake in a secret place like the 'secret seven'.

         I  have a feeling that if I where born in a western country I would have been the 'cake lady of the neighbourhood' because the love for baking is in my blood... though I didn't have much chances earlier. That was why I started experimenting with those recipes, as soon as I could keep a hand on the oven I call my own.

           While looking for cake recipes, the looks of the cakes were as seducive as their ambeance for me. So, beautiful cakes had a way  with me always. When I say, I collected this recipes of the Zebra cake after it caught me off guard by its enticing looks, it is not an over statement. This cake is a real stunner in looks. But don't think the looks deceived me ... It had an inner beauty too... was as yummy as it looked... I got it originally from Farida Azerbaijani's blog... By the way it's an awesome blog! I came across it when I was simply blog hopping.. If you are interested, have a look at it. But I made slight changes in the recipe to suit my taste. Here is the recipe...

          (Well,  this cake was specially made for the 'official' launching of Kitchenboffin in my hubby's office. His buddies have been bugging him to bring something for them, ever since they saw my recipes on the blog :) )

     Zebra Cake

Things you need:
2 cups plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 cup castor sugar

1 cup vegetable oil ( canola or corn oil or sunflower oil)

2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup milk at room temperature

1 pinch salt

  

Method:

• Grease and line a 9 inch deep round cake pan. Preheat the oven to 160 degree C, ten minutes before baking.
• Combine sugar and eggs and beat with a hand whisk or electric whisk until it becomes thick and fluffy, and pale yellow in colour.
• Add in milk and oil and beat for 30 seconds until thoroughly combined. Add in vanilla essence and beat again.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder  and mix well.
• Add this flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined and no dry flour is visible. Take care to add the flour little by little to avoid lumps being formed.
• Divide the batter into half . In one half add sifted cocoa powder and mix well. Leave the other half plain.
• Now pour 3 tbsp of plain flour batter in the center of the pan. When it starts spreading out, pour 3 tbsp of cocoa batter in its center. Pour the two batters alternately until all is used up.
• Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake till done. Examine the cake by inserting a bamboo skewer in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.For me it took almost 45 minutes. Take care not to open the door of the oven for the first 20 minutes or the cake will not rise properly.
• Take it out and allow to cool on a wire rack. Mean while detach the sides of the cake from the baking tray with a knife. Transfer it to the serving plate. Cut and serve.

Rasmalai, made easy!

                                                        
         This dessert is a 'must have' in family get togethers...The easiness to prepare it and the 'melting in mouth' texture and taste,make it stand out among other sweets. Rasmalai is traditionally prepared by using 'paneer' or cottage cheese. This is an easier version of it using milk powder and egg.

         I originally got the recipe from one of my friends and LOL! how much more yummy and more easier! You must thank the time conserving, present day moms for such inventions..

        My son really loves this dessert and my better half always forget about his dieting when i prepare this at home:)


               Rasmalai

     
Things you will need:


   1 cup milk powder
   1 medium sized egg
   1/4 tsp baking powder
   1/2 Lr milk
   1/2 cup sugar
   1/2 tsp vanilla essence
   50g pistachios(thinly sliced)


How to prepare:


  Sift together the milk powder and baking powder and mix well in a bowl.Add egg to it and kneed thoroughly until a smooth dough is formed.Take small portions from this and make small balls about the size of a gooseberry using your palm.Flatten them a little and keep aside.You can make up to 16 pieces with this.
      Now boil milk in a vessel and add sugar to it and dissolve.Add the small dough discs to it and cook in medium flame for about 5 minutes.You can see the discs increasing in size and when it almost doubles in size, stop cooking and allow to cool.Add vanilla essence to this and stir gently.Garnish with sliced pistachios and serve after cooling.

Achappam

      
                    Yet another beautiful snack from Malabar. As the name implies, it is made with an 'achu' or mould which gives it the pretty floral pattern. The mould used to be traditionally made by the local blacksmiths. Now adays it is available in shops of Kerala. Women of wisdom say it should be made of wrought iron  or brass and must be a bit heavy. The lighter ones tend to make the Achappam stick to them while frying. So... Are they as delicious as they look? Mmm.. they are chipsy crispy yummy. A real treat for sweet snack lovers..
 Here is the recipe...


Things you need:
Raw rice flour(should be very fine) -  4 cups
All purpose flour(maida)                -  3 tbsp

Egg                            -           1 whole

Thin coconut milk       -           4 cups

Thick coconut milk     -           1 cup
Sugar                         -            as needed

Black cumin seeds( karimjeerakam) - 1 tbsp

Salt                            -           a pinch

 Method:

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a deep vessel, to form a uniform batter with no lumps. The batter should have the consistency of  dosa batter, or even thinner. Heat oil in a wok or katai and dip the mould in it, holding its wooden handle levelly. When the mould becomes desirably hot,(it should not be too hot. This makes the flour stick to it) dip it in the batter up to the top. The top side of the mould should not be immersed in the batter because it makes the batter difficult to be separated while dipping in the hot oil. Now carefully dip the mould into the heated oil, keep it for a few seconds and then shake it slowly. This will detach the cooked batter from the mould. When the achappam becomes golden in colour take it out from the oil and drain. Again dip the desirably heated mould in the batter and continue making the snack until all the batter is used up. Transfer the snack into an air tight container and can be used as needed.

Leek Soup

                              
          The hotness has gone from the days. It's no longer muggy in the evenings... Feels good to be in a soothing climate... to comfortably cook and dream with my mind's outpourings...

           Looks like the summer has gone for good. It's already a bit cold at nights and for our air conditioner, the 'off days' has started. It left me thinking about comfort foods. Well, are there any, more comfy than soups? Mmm.. a hot soup on a cold evening is something you call' homely' or 'pure bliss'...
 
            I thought of making chicken soup... but later I had better ideas. Let it wait for the more colder days. As Ayurveda says, chicken comes in the 'hot food' variety, and is better to have in colder climates..You may be wondering how chicken becomes hot, even if no hot spices are added? Well, Ayurveda has a concept called 'vipaka',which deals with the transformation of food after entering the body.It brings to light, the true colour of food which you have consumed... ie) the property of the food before you consume it could be entirely different from that after the digestion... Haven't you felt hot and sweaty at night when you have slept after a meal of chicken? Well, am I boring you with my Ayurvedic 'know how'?s. Let it rest for a while.. Back to the soup.. How about Leek soup, which is completely vegetarian? Very simple to prepare but unequivocally relishable...

               Leek is a vegetable which comes in the onion family. It looks like a bigger version of green onions and taste some what like green onion, but is more mild in flavour..The lower portion up to the dark green part is used for food. It is used as a vegetable in many countries and is the national vegetable of Wales( this knowledge was new to me.. Wikipedia my guru :) ) If you want to know more about leeks or it's nutritional value, click here.

                             Coming to the recipe...
Things you need:

Leeks, sliced into small pieces  -   2 cups
Onion(preferably white) sliced into small pieces    - 1 cup
Butter      -  1 tbsp
Water      -  2 cups
Salt as required
Black pepper powder  -  1/2 tsp
Milk       -   1 cup

Method:

         Heat a wok and add butter to it. Add leeks and onions and saute until tender. Add water and salt and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool down. Then blend it in a blender and pour this to a heated wok through a sieve. Add milk and pepper powder. Adjust the salt and serve hot.

     Sending this to Dr. Sameena Prathab's Soup event

Poori Bhaji

         
           
                       Poori is the puffed up Indian fried bread.. An inevitable breakfast dish to savour. Don’t be misguided by its haughty demeanor, with a lot of air inside… he is such a nice fellow and would certainly please your palates..‘Bhaji’ is the side dish to go with Poori. It’s usually made of potato or mixed vegetables and will be kind of thick like a masala. This is my mom’s recipe and is more like a curry.We used to love it when we were kids and still do..

                  It reminds me of my mischievous childhood, when we used to invent different ways to eat Poori in our own freaking ways. My favourite was to eat it by making a hole in the center and pouring the curry inside to fill it. When you bite it the curry splashes all over your face and you will have to smack out good to get all the curry in.. This was a procedure which our mom hated most and used to drive her into a troublesome temper. My son loves Poori a lot, but let me hope he doesn’t invent annoying ways to eat it or I will be bushed. The innumerable little pranks he practices presently is more than enough to drive me crazy.. :)

Coming to the recipe…

Things you need:

For Poori:
Whole wheat powder - 1 ¾ cups
All purpose flour or maida - 1/4 cups
Warm water - as required
Salt to taste
Sugar - a pinch
Vegetable oil   -2 cups, for frying

For Bhaji:
1. Potatoes - 2 , skinned and cut into medium pieces
2. Onion - 1, diced
3. Green chilli- 2, split
4. Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Water - ½ cup
7. Thick coconut milk - 1cup

For tempering:
Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Vegetable oil  - 1 tbsp

Method:
              Make a smooth dough with the flour and warm water adding adequate salt and a pinch of sugar. It should be harder than the dough made for chapattis. Keep it covered for half an hour. Make small balls, the size of lemon out of it and press each one in a chapattis press or roll out. It shouldn't be very thin. Heat oil in a kadai or wok and fry the Pooris one by one until puffed up and golden brown. Drain in a kitchen towel.
Making Bhaji:
           Put all the ingredients from 1 to 6 in a cooker and cook until done(about 10 min). After opening the cooker smash it up a little avoiding the green chillies. Add the coconut milk and heat. Remove from heat before it starts to boil and when the curry becomes thick. For tempering, heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it.When it pops, add curry leaves. Pour it into the curry and stir. Serve hot with Pooris

Kozhi Ada / Chicken hot pockets

  

                      It is the crispy, tiny delight of malabar... A nice snack to simply munch on or to go with tea. This sizzler which may be called 'the little brother of Samosa', is a celebrity in ifthars and family gatherings... Yes! you can make the bet! You wouldn't stop with one.. :)

The recipe..

Things you need:

To make about 30 'adas'

For making pastry:
All purpose flour or maida - 2 cups
Water    -    as needed
Salt        -   as needed

For the filling:
Chicken or beef with out bone - 250 g
Onion               - 1, medium sized , sliced into very small pieces
Ginger, minced  - 1 tsp
Green chillies     - 2, cut into very small pieces
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Vegetable oil -  2 tbsp

Others:
Oil for frying  - 2 cups

Method:

Making the pastry:
Make a smooth dough with the flour and water. It should be harder than that for making pooris. Now divide it into small balls, the size of a gooseberry.Keep them aside by covering them in a clean clothe or cling film.
Prepare the filling:
Cook the chicken or beef adding adequate salt and a little turmeric powder. Mince it using a fork or blender and keep aside. Now heat a wok and add 2 tbsp of oil to it. Add onion and saute until transparent.Add the minced ginger and green chillies and saute. Add the minced meat and saute. Finally add all the spice powders and saute until the filling becomes dry and crispy.
Filling:
Take the dough balls and roll them out into thin circles. Keep a little chicken filling in the middle and fold into half moon shape.Join the ends by pressing with a fork.
Frying: 
Fry them in heated oil in a wok until golden brown.Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot.

Chicken fried rice

                     Like childhood days, I am still obsessed with Chinese.. I mean their food...  They have a way with simple foods. Have always wondered, how such simply prepared goodies could be that yummy...! Sounds far away from logic. right? Yet once you try them out, you get hooked! 

                     And they have those fantastic sauces which leaves each dish deliciously different from the other. Yum Yum!! Think about the Oyster sauce or Fish sauce or the universal Soy sauce. Recently I have got into this wacky habit of adding one of it simply to even stir fried veggies and LOL... suddenly you are "such a gifted cook...anything you prepare is finger licking good"... Wink ;)

                     So what about the 'fav' lists? Fried rice certainly beats others. Think about the preparation.. 'Stir fry everything.. mix them up..' it's that easy.. Wow! Have it for lunch with some Indo-chinese side dishes like Chicken Shezwan or Gobi manjurian... It's real bliss!
                     Fried rice recipe? Here you are...

Chicken fried rice

Serves 3-4
Things you need:

Basmathi rice or any long grain rice   -  3 cups
Water               -     6 cups
Vegetable oil     -    1/2 cup
Chicken breast   -     500g, cut into small rectangular pieces
Egg                  -     2
Carrot               -    1, diced into small pieces
Cabbage           -     1 cup, diced thinly
Green pepper     -     1 , diced into small pieces
Garlic                -     2 cloves, diced into small pieces
Spring onion       -    2 stalks ,diced
Celery               -    1/2 stalk, diced thinly
Salt to taste
White pepper powder  
Soy sauce (optional)

Preparation:

            Cook the rice with water and adequate salt and keep aside.You can add 1 table spoon of oil into the water while cooking to keep the rice from sticking. Now heat a medium sized wok or frying pan and 1 tbsp of oil. Saute the garlic and transfer to a large wok. Add more oil to the frying pan and saute the chicken adding adequate salt and sprinkling a little pepper powder, until well cooked.Transfer it into the large wok. In the same frying pan scramble the eggs adding adequate salt and pepper powder and transfer to the large wok. Then saute the vegetables one by one adding salt and pepper powder and transfer to the large wok. Finally saute the cooked rice in little oil and pour over the vegetables in the wok. Mix every thing well until evenly distributed. Add soy sauce if needed. I usually doesn't add soy sauce to rice because it dulls the white colour of rice. I prepare it separately by adding equal amounts of soy sauce, vinegar and water added with adequate salt and garnished with sliced green chillies. This is kept in small bowls to be used with the rice as desired.

Embarrassments

                                     When it comes to embarrassments, we may laugh about it later on in life, but at that critical time when fate beckons you to make an ass of yourself, it is a very very difficult situation. It was such a situation which made me hate a 500 rupee note. The fateful morning, I was late as usual and did not have time to check my purse as I marched to the bus stand to catch the bus to college with all the life sustaining air in my mouth. As I puffed and panted up the stairs into the moving bus, the conductor had already started collecting his fare. He was speaking crossly to a woman behind me for not giving him change. She had given him 10 rupees instead of 6. He was coming towards me and I checked my purse to give him my change, that was 2 rupees, the minimum fair. To my horror, I saw only a 500 rupee note in my purse. I searched all its nooks and corners, but alas! that was it! a 500 rupee note.

Palak Dal Curry

           This is a simple, yet delicious vegetable curry you can prepare with ease.. It is made using the nutritious palak leaves which are rich in vitamins and the yummy red lentils which are highly protienatious.This is a curry which goes well with plain rice and can be made often to let your little ones have their share of green leafy veg  with out much faces made nor too much  of coaxing...





  
Ingredients:


         Palak leaves( a kind of spinach abundant in India)- a big bunch/250g
         Red lentils   - 1/4 cup
         Garlic         -  2 cloves,diced thinly
         Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
         Tomato        -  1 small, cut into 4 pieces
         Green chilli   -  1 or 2, slit
         Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
         Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
         Water -1 cup
         Salt to taste
         Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp


Preparation:
              Wash the palak leaves properly and drain. Cut it into small pieces and keep aside. Wash the lentils and cook it in a pot or cooker adding 1/2 cup of water and turmeric powder, until done.(almost 15 min in pot). Heat a sauce pan or wok and add oil to it. Now add the cumin seeds and garlic and saute in low heat. Add the cooked lentils to this and add the rest of water. Increase the heat and when it starts to boil add salt, slit green chillies, tomato and the diced palak leaves. Cook it in medium heat keeping the saucepan covered until the palak leaves get cooked properly. Now add the coconut milk and remove from heat before it starts to boil. The curry should be thick and not watery. Serve hot with basmathi or motta rice.

Kozhi Nirachathu / Malabar Stufffed Chicken

                                    As far as food is concerned, they are like live, breathing and walking men. Each one has got its own personality, its own character and its own weaknesses. While being acquainted with one, some may leave a lasting impression on you, some leaves you boring dead, some gives you genuine entertainment and still some are queer in their whereabouts.

                        This is a malabar dish which left a lasting impression on me, the one which you feel towards someone who stands out in the crowd with her character no matter how far you have gone or what diverse characters you have seen. The impression which brings you back to the one in comparison, when you see different personalities.

                                  While planning to make my occasion special and while pondering over the lists of outstanding recipes, Kozhi nirachathu always comes in front because I know it is less likely to be a flop and it's gonna be a hit whatsoever. The same insight would have cajoled our epicurious aunts and nannies to make this stuffed chicken variety as the star attraction in salkarams, the post wedding parties.

                                  Kozhi nirachathu is a stuffed chicken variety where in chicken is stuffed usually with boiled eggs enveloped in onion masala or simply cashews, raisins and onion sauted in ghee. Sending deliciously prepared home made food to relatives is ceremonial in many functions of malabar. Whether it be sending delicacies to a newly wedded girl who became pregnant, or to the in laws just after wedding, Kozhi nirachathu outranks others in selection. When aunts send them to nieces who became pregnant, they are usually stuffed with love...while being send to the in laws, it's a matter of pride...

                                   Coming to the recipe..

 Kozhi Nirachathu / Malabar Stuffed Chicken

      Things you need:

A small chicken(whole ) of 700 g, with the giblets removed and skinned.

Marinade:
     2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder or paprika

     1/2 tsp turmeric powder

     Salt to taste
     1 tsp lime juice
     Adequate water
For stuffing:
     1 or 2 eggs
     2 medium sized onions sliced

     1 or 2 slit green chillies

     1 twig of curry leaves
     1/2 tsp ginger, minced
     1/2 tsp garlic, minced
     1/2 tsp chilli powder

     1/4 tsp turmeric powder

     1 tsp coriander powder
     2 tbsp vegetable oil
     Salt to taste
For gravy:
     3 medium sized onions, sliced
     2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

     1/2 tsp ginger, minced

     1/2 tsp garlic, minced

     2  slit green chillies

     1 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
     1/2 tsp turmeric powder

     2 tsp coriander powder

     1/2 tsp powdered fennel seeds

     1/2 tsp garam masala powder

     2 twigs of curry leaves

     A bunch of coriander leaves
     3 tbsp oil
     Salt to taste

    

Preparation:
       Marination:

 Wash the chicken properly and drain. Make deep slashes on the fleshy parts with a knife. Marinate it with all the ingredients under marinade. Cover with a cling film and keep in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. You can also keep it overnight.

   

     Stuffing:

1. Boil the eggs and peel. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions, curry leaves and green chillies until the onion turns brown. Add ginger and garlic and saute. Now add  all the spice powders and saute. Add egg and mix well. I usually take one egg because, I use small chicken. There are more advantages in using small chicken. First of all the flesh of small chicken is more tender and hence would be more tastier. Secondly the masala gets fast into the chicken if it is small.

2. Stuff chicken with this mixture. Insert the eggs first and then the onion masala. Take care not to over stuff the chicken. Now tie its arms and legs with a twine.

I know it looks funny.. but that's how you tie it.. :)

     Shallow frying: 

Now shallow fry the chicken in a frying pan or wok, using very little oil by turning it on all sides until all sides are equally brown. Remove the chicken from the pan.

      Making gravy:

In the same pan saute the sliced onions, curry leaves and green chillies until the onion turns brown. Add ginger and garlic and saute. Now add tomatoes and saute in medium flame. Add all the spice powders and saute till the tomatoes become mushy. Add a little water if the mixture is dry. Add salt. This is where you must be cautious while adding salt. You must add salt, little bit lower in level than your taste buds think is adequate because when the chicken gets cooked and the gravy gets reduced to coat the chicken, it always tends to be more salty. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

       Final Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Pour half of the gravy on to a baking tray and keep the stuffed fried chicken on top. Pour the rest of the gravy over it. Cover the baking tray with an aluminium foil and bake for almost an hour on the centre rack of the oven. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes until the gravy reduces to the desired level.
                                       or
You can cook it in a wok on low heat covering with a lid and turning the chicken on all sides until all sides are equally done.

 Serve:

Bon appetit!!  :)