Malabar Chicken Curry

       

                     While making chicken dishes; especially Indian dishes, it takes time to get the hang on things. But eventually you would master it, with the most balanced blend of spices and the most exquisite outcome of flavor. And your chicken curry tells all, how great a cook you are or where you stand in the arena of food making. Oh yes! A chicken curry can speak volumes about your culinary skills. And, traditional Indian Chicken dishes is where you can try your hand at perfecting that art at balancing the flavors perfectly. Try your hand at this traditional Malabar Chicken Curry and you would find yourself making it again, if not for reaching that blissfully perfect apex of taste. This recipe is one which I make very often and has never proved wrong for me..

Coming to the recipe...

Malabar Chicken Curry Recipe:

800g chicken, skinned and cut into small pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground garlic
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli pdr
2 tbsp coriander pdr
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
1 sprig of curry leaves
3 tbsp coconut oil
       
Method:
 
    Heat coconut oil in a kadai or cast iron wok. Splutter fenugreek seeds in it. It shouldn't turn black. Add onion and saute until it turns slightly brown and translucent. Add freshly ground ginger and garlic and saute until aroma comes out. Now add the chopped tomato and saute until mushy. Then add the spice powders and saute until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil. Adjust salt and finally add the chicken. Cook in medium to low heat, covered ,until well cooked and the gravy is thick. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or Chapattis.

Capsicum Chicken (with minimal oil)

              This is one of those chicken dishes which I prepare whenever I am in short of time and has to make the lunch or dinner with haste. As it involves less ingredients and less procedures, it is one of the dishes which always comes handy when you are pressed for time. And also, it uses very little oil; yet has an excellent taste. So it is healthy too..

              I was introduced to this very simple preparation of chicken through my father in law. I  don't remember if I have mentioned earlier, about my father in law's exuberant enthusiasm towards cooking. It is one of those traits which most of the men from his generation lack on all accounts. Sometimes I tease Mr.KB asking why he didn't inherit his father's charm in cooking..

            As for him, my father in law is an excellent cook, an enthusiast in making simple dishes, as well as the most jovial person I have ever met in life! So I had enjoyed every moment of cooking together and learning the basics from him during my early days of marriage.

             My mom in law used to tell that all the ladies in the family had envied her for having a man who knew a great deal of cooking and helped her in it with unadulterated zeal, whenever he was at home.. :) No wonder they did!! I tell Mr.KB that if he was like his dad, I wouldn't have to hiss and hum in the kitchen like a pressure cooker ready to explode whenever we have guests at home ;) And Mr.KB would display a killer smile to the comment as if he was hearing some philosophical joke!!
        So here is the recipe of my father in law's Capsicum Chicken...

Butter Chicken / Murg Makhani



                 When we have guests for dinner, and I find that I have ran out of ideas of what to make, the one dish I end up with in confidence is the butter chicken with butter nan. I will post the recipe of butter nan in future, inshaallah but for now let me rant about the Butter Chicken. It is one of those dishes which has that tantalising look and smell and after tasting, has won me rave reviews.

 

 

           I am of the opinion that the presentation of the dish, its colour and its texture has almost equal importance to its taste. So if the dish is eye candy, you have half won! And if it is equally delicious, then you have  reason to rejoice. I have a friend who presents even the common place ordinary food with a great deal of creativity and often I have found people (including me) express their greatest adoration for her food. Though I am not that  good at presenting a dish with such perseverance, I have found some of my dishes winning admiration just by their texture and colour. Of course Butter Chicken is one among them.

 

Sweet corn Chicken Soup (Restaurant Style)

"Soup is liquid comfort. "

~Author Unknown

 



 

               Now that the temperature is still dropping, we are getting into the thick of soup season here. What more! the low temperature has made a lazy brat like me even lazier. So after sending the husband and son off to office and school respectively, I find it a waste of time to make breakfast for myself.
        Recently, I have found a queer interest in brunch! You guessed it right. I have the advantage of discarding all those extra works which comes in making breakfast and lunch separately and in time.

         What else? I have lately found a great interest in soups for brunch. Now, you always guess right! Again less time waste and less work.
         Yuck! Don't look at me like that! I'm not that lazy... It's the weather, you know.. I won't forgive you if you think, I am a disgrace to the food bloggers ;)
        So brunch is now adays filled with all kinds of warm comfort soups. And the kids too love it.

                If there is anything, the children would have with ardent appetite on our visits to  the restaurants, it is the sweet corn chicken soup. Each bowl would be licked clean before the main course came( though the main course is not welcomed with equal zeal):) I remember that being kids, we too used to love this soup so much that our dad had to order a bowl for each of us on every visit to the restaurant.
           When I tried it at home, I found it too easy to make and was horrified at the price they put up for it at the restaurants. No doubt, restaurants are good business. Should seriously plan about starting a restaurant,some day ;)

Chicken Chettinad

                         Another chicken dish after a long time. It was photographed long back and was not posted due to lack of time. Nowadays majority of my time is spend, moderating the fights between the brothers. Gasp!! It seems they have no other games to play, nowadays. If anybody had to see me standing between them, hands outstretched in a ninja style, I would more or less look like a pressure cooker ready to explode. And it's a pleasure that no body can see me wiggling in between them like a wrestling referee. What's more, they have managed to loosen the space bar (the space bar of all keys!!)on my computer's key pad; and typing a few lines is another kind of wrestling!! phew! It's easier to post a dish with no write ups and ramblings on my part, but I hate to sound like an old cook book. That's the reason why they get procrastinated every now and then.
                         I think I have mentioned earlier that we are a family  which is not very much fond of chicken dishes and gets weary of them too soon unless you try different dishes all the time. So over the years I have learned to experiment on newer flavours and preparations of chicken every time I have to make it.
                     Chettinad cuisine is a South Indian cuisine which is one of the spiciest and most aromatic cuisine in India. The chefs of chettiyar community in southern Tamilnadu were considered as master chefs.

                         We have a restaurant here called Anjappar which specialises in Chettinad cuisine and we were actually smitten by this chicken curry we had from there; and I had to make it, the next time we prepared chicken at home. Luckily I got a magazine which had it's current edition introducing Chettinad cuisine, and I dived in for my chicken recipe. It tasted, very much like the restaurant version and I was quiet pleased with the out come. Very different from other Indian chicken preparations and yes,  very spicy. I made it by the slow cooking method, not pressure cooking it and the result was fantastic. The gravy was nicely coated on the chicken and the flavour was outstanding.. Try cooking it slow on the burner top if you have enough time.. it would be worth spending all that energy and time.

The Recipe:

1 kg chicken, skinned with bone in

2 onions chopped

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tomatoes chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp veg.oil

1 cup water

Salt to taste

For grinding:

One cup grated coconut

6 dry red chillies

1/2 tsp pepper corns

1 tsp kus kus or poppy seeds

2  tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 stick of cinnamon (4 inch length)

4 cloves

1 cardamom

Method:

  Heat a little oil in pan and roast the grated coconut till light brown. Add the rest of the ingredients for grinding and roast till aroma comes out. Make sure you don't burn the coconut and spices by stirring now and then. Allow it to cool and grind to a fine paste.

                  Heat oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and fry onions till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes. Add turmeric powder, tomatoes, curry leaves and salt. Cook till the tomatoes become mushy and the oil separates. Now add the ground masala, water and chicken pieces. Mix well. Cover and cook slowly, till done. Stir in between to ensure even cooking and to prevent the gravy from burning. Switch off when the gravy is thick and coated evenly on the chicken pieces. Garnish with curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chappathis.

Jeeraka Kozhi / Jeera Chicken

                Some dishes had been reserved for special occasions, back home. Such dishes doesn't come in every day lunch and dinner. They just seem sort of detached from the normal world of goodies and always reminds of those special occasions when they would be served. But the time has changed and we are privileged to have any dishes we like at any times we wish at any time of the year.

                 Food and drinks after child birth had been (and still is) so different from normal in my home land. The woman who gave birth to a baby was treated with much care and attention. Right from what she wears to what she eats was decided by Ayurveda (the Indian system of medicine) and age old theories of older people of wisdom. Right from drinking the 'Kashaya' (medicinal decoction) early in the morning to the glass of warm milk before going to bed, was all part of the routine. So why am I telling you all these things? Well, to explain the background of this particular dish, Jeeraka Kozhi which was of course prepared specially for the new mother on her days after child birth.

                 So why was this dish selected for that special occasion? Because it helps enhance the digestive fire (agni) which is said to be in a decreased state after child birth ( Ayurveda says 80 percent of the diseases occurs due to a fault in the 'jataragni' or digestive fire) and facilitates lactation. The main ingredient, cumin in this dish is both carminative as well as lactogenic. The other main ingredient, black pepper helps enhance the digestion. It was mostly made with organic chicken bought from local farms.

              So you must have pictured this dish by now, as something which is a torture to the taste buds and tastes just like the nauseating 'kashaya' and something which the normal people decline to eat...  Not at all! If you try this once, you will be hooked to the very different and vibrant flavour, enough to tempt you to try it again and again. Let me know, if you are not :)

              I have even a suspicion that the older generation women got pregnant sooner and frequently just to relish this lip smacking preparation after delivery to their fill...(just a guess you know ;) ) As for me, I don't wait to get pregnant, to make this rich and spicy chicken again and again :) It comes often into our dinner table to go with rice and chapattis with out explainable reasons..

Jeeraka Kozhi / Jeera Chicken Recipe

Things you need:

1 small chicken , preferably organic chicken/nadan kozhi( 600 to 700g)

2-3 tbsp cumin seeds / cheriya jeera

2 tsp black pepper

7 to 8 shallots/cheriyulli, skinned

2 to 3 garlic cloves

A small piece of ginger

1 green chilli, split lengthwise

1 large tomato, sliced to medium pieces.

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

For seasoning:

2 shallots, sliced

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 tbsp Coconut oil

Method:

• Skin and cut the chicken to small pieces. Wash and drain.
• Grind the black pepper and the cumin seeds in a mixer until fine. Add the shallots, garlic  and ginger and pulse until a coarse paste is formed.
• Transfer the chicken to an earthen pot and add the spice paste. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, green chilli , tomato and salt. Mix well and cook covered in medium heat adding little water. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot. When well cooked and tender remove from heat and temper with seasoning.
• For seasoning heat a pan and add coconut oil. Fry shallots in it until brown. Add curry leaves and immediately pour this seasoning over the cooked chicken. Serve hot with rice or rotti.

Linking this to Heart & Soul, Teusday Blog Hop co-hosted by Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Chicken & Oats Soup

                                                   Cup of delight... Sip it hot

               A hot and delicious Chicken soup had always been my weakness. When my mom used to prepare her special chicken soup for us, fighting with my bro and sis, for a greater share of it was almost always inevitable. Mom used to cook her chicken soup in a pressure cooker with bony chicken pieces and removed the bones after cooking. Added pepper and salt while serving garnished with strands of egg whites. It was always a winner and ended up with me and my siblings fighting to lick the serving bowl and mom commenting on investing in a larger pressure cooker.

              For a lazy brat like me, cooking chicken in a pressure cooker, then removing the bones just seemed sort of painful. Also pressure cooking the bones (so that the marrow comes into soup)of oestrogen fed chicken is not a good idea unless you want to include half a dozen of life style diseases in your buddy list. Mom always prepared her chicken soup with organically fed chickens ( from local farms) which in turn is far from affordable nowadays especially when you are living abroad.

                                                       ..the comfort food..

             Every time we had chicken soup from our favourite restaurant, I had noticed that it had small chunks of chicken breast in it. Without doubt, they never cooked chicken with bones like my mom used to do and consequently took no pains to remove the bones either. So I inferred they added flavour enhancers and probably MSG to make it all the more yummy (which is what comes to my mind whenever I have tasty food from outside, though I don't consider myself a pessimist ;)

             So I was in search of a more easy and healthy chicken soup which ended at Zainab's soup at Arabic Bites and was more than thankful after I made it, in a matter of minutes. Slurp!Slurp! It just bowled me over. A perfect 'Chicken soup for the soul'.Visit her gorgeous blog for more finger licking Arab delights.
Here is the soup I made..

Chicken & Oats Soup Recipe:

Things you need:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (finely chopped)
black pepper powder - to taste
1/4 tsp  Cumin powder(jeera powder) or to taste
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup red or yellow lentil(quick cooking)
5 tbsp quick cooking oats
4 cups water
Fresh parsley or coriander leaves (to garnish)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the chicken and saute until lightly browned and almost cooked. Add salt, pepper and cumin powder.
2. Now add lentil, oats and water and bring to boil. After that, simmer the heat and cook  for about 20 to 25 minutes.
3. When the soup starts to thicken, remove from heat,garnish with leaves and serve hot.

Kadai Chicken

            It’s time for chicken dishes again. I prefer to eat chicken in the cold season rather than in the hot. In fact it helps fighting the chill to some extend. I made Kadai chicken the other day to kick start my enthusiasm.. to pull myself up in this cold weather. When you are engrossed in making a food you love, you seldom notice the surroundings or how horrible the climate is. The only thing that exists then is the dish you prepare, its delicious whiff and the warmth of your much cherished stove.


           My earlier experiments in kitchen were more often, trying out the dishes I had from the Muglai and Arabian restaurants we frequented in Kuwait. It so happened that the Kadai chicken which we had from one of the Muglai restaurants hooked us to the extend that we visited it frequently just to have that little kadai(iron pot) of delight once again. By much trials and errors I reached a recipe some where near to the original.


            Kadai Chicken is a traditional Muglai dish prepared by cooking chicken with spices and condiments in a Kadai or special cast iron wok. Cooking it in an iron wok gives it a distinct flavor which is essentially the ‘Kadai chicken flavor’. Using freshly ground red chillies and coriander seeds is the key to attaining the original piquant taste.

Coming to the recipe..

Kadai Chicken

Things you need:

Chicken ,cut to small pieces - 1kg
Dry red chillies                    -  4 to 5
Coriander seeds                  -  4 tbsp
Ginger,finely chopped          -  2 tbsp
Garlic,finely chopped           -  2 tbsp
Oil/ghee                               -  45 ml
Tomatoes,finely chopped      -  7
Red chilli powder                  -  2 tsp
Turmeric powder                  -  1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder          -  1 tsp
Corriander powder                -  1 tsp
Kasoori methi powder           - 1 tsp
Green peppers/ Capsicum      -  2 (optional)
Corriander leaves                   -  to garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

• Grind the corriander seeds and dry red chillies in a blender. Wash and drain the chicken pieces. Heat an iron wok or Kadai and add 3 tablespoon of ghee to it. Add the powdered corriander and red chillies to it and stir in low heat .Add ginger and garlic to it and stir until aroma comes out. Add the tomatoes , red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Cook this in medium heat until the tomatoes become mushy. Now add the chicken pieces and salt and cook it in medium heat covering the Kadai with a lid. Stir occasionally to avoid the gravy from sticking to the bottom of the kadai.
• Add 1 tbsp of oil to a frying pan and add coriander seeds and chopped green peppers. Soate for a few minutes and add this to the chicken gravy. Add garam masala powder and kasoori methi powder and mix well. Remove the kadai from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chappathis, nan or parottas

Home made Chicken Pizza

           

               This most widely popular and incredibly soft bread with generous toppings of vegetables and sauces topped with admirable slathering of cheese is said to have an Italian origin.... Though I'm too much fond of its Pizzeria variety, I hadn't dared to try it at home for so long fearing I would make a disaster of the most popular topped bread in the world which has the greatest appeal among kids and adults alike. But the fact that the restaurant variety is far too costly and more towards the oily side made me think again. Now I had to do the undoable. My experiments on this incredibly versatile bread started right from the microwave ovens and after a couple of failures and disappointments, I slowly started to get the hang on things.

                 One thing I learned (the hard way) was microwave oven is not suitable for making pizza if you really want it to have a nice golden crust on which you would go gaga over. At home you have a plethora of choices on inexpensive toppings which would turn out quite fantastic that you would have to succumb to the temptation and hanker of making it again and again until you get a Pizza Hut clone. Making the bread light and airy is one thing while getting the admirable crust is another... Most of the cook books specify a 3 hour rise for the dough but leaving it overnight to leaven is a trick I learned from the rave reviews of pizza enthusiasts after too many fizzers. Also the fact that pre cooking the dough before topping would make it even more rattling was something I learned on the way..

Coming to the recipe:

Things you need:-

Makes two large Pizzas

For the Pizza Base:

All purpose flour / Maida           -      2 cups
Yeast                                        -      1 tsp
Sugar                                        -      3 tbsp
Salt                                           -      1/4 tsp
Butter                                       -      25 g
Warm Milk                               -      1/2 cup

Sauce:

Tomato Ketchup                      -       1/2 cup
Onion Powder                         -       1 tsp
Garlic Powder                         -       1 tsp
Origano                                   -       1/4 tsp
Salt                                         -       1/4 tsp
Sugar                                      -       1/2 tsp

Topping:

Tender Chicken breasts                        -    250 g
Black pepper powder                           -    1/2 tsp
Onion sliced                                         -    1 medium
Cabbage, sliced                                    -    1/2 cup
Bell pepper sliced                                 -    1/2 cup
Tomato, seeded and diced                    -    1/2 cup
Black salted olives, pitted and sliced      -    1/4 cup
Mushrooms, diced (optional)                 -    1/4 cup
Salt  to taste
Garlic, minced                                       -   1/2 tsp  
Powdered origano                                 -   1/2 tsp                  
Shredded mozzarella cheese                  -     2 cups

Others:

Extra virgin Olive oil                         -    2 tbsp

Procedure:
    
To explain the procedure, I think I would start right at the bottom and work my way up to the toppings..
Prepare the Pizza base:
Mix the yeast  with half teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of warm milk and keep for 10 minutes to raise. The milk should not be too hot. Hot milk would kill the yeast where as moderately warm milk provide adequate condition for the yeast to flourish and raise. Mix the flour, remaining sugar, salt, butter and the raised yeast and kneed by adding warm milk little by little, until a smooth dough is formed. Keep it overnight in a closed container to raise.
Prepare the sauce:
Mix all the ingredients given under Sauce and keep aside. You can alternately use just tomato ketchup as the sauce.
Prepare the topping:
Cut the chicken breast into small and thin pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken by  adding little salt and black pepper powder and sauting in oil for 10 minutes or until the water in the chicken dries up. Remove from heat. If you are using mushroom, then cook it like wise. Mix all the sliced vegetables and chicken and mix it with minced garlic and a little salt.
Final cooking:
Preheat the oven at very high temperature(about 450 degree F) for 10 minutes. Grease the pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle it with a little flour. This helps to bake the under side of pizza to a golden brown crust which is very lovable. Take the raised dough and press the air out and kneed until smooth. This dough is for 2 large pizzas. So divide the dough into two, take one part and press it on to a pizza pan and roll out with hand or a rolling pin. If you have a pizza stone it is much better. In that case preheat the stone in very high temperature for some 5 minutes and then press the dough on to it. Then bake the dough for 5 to 10 minutes at 450 degree F or more and take out from oven. If you are making it in a pan, then roll out the dough on the pan and preheat at the highest possible temperature for 5 minutes.Then apply the sauce over the base. Over this spread the vegetables and chicken. Sprinkle with powdered origano. Top it with as much cheese as you like.Top it with some more olives. Dribble some olive oil on to the edge of the pizza. This helps to make a nice crust. Then keep the pan with the pizza again into the oven and bake at high temperature(450F or more) until the cheese melts and the edges become golden coloured and blistered. Take it out and transfer it to a serving plate. Repeat this with the other part of dough. Cut and serve hot.

                                 

Chilli Chicken fry

         Who says cultural collaboration degrades the heritage? I disagree.. Atleast in the case of food, it is not true. Thinking about Indo-Chinse recipes.. who can ever say it degraded the Chinese cuisine. Infact it is such a fascinating marriage of flavours that none can turn their heads away from the collaborated version if they have tasted one. How the addition of Indian spices or green pepper or the ever wonderful curry leaves could transform the actual version into a pure delight is interesting. Ample subject to research upon.. for a kitchen scientist!

         I have always been the greatest fan of Indo- Chinese and I do not remember when I started this crush.. Feel like it was there when I was quite small. So whenever I got these from restaurants, I have the history of devouring an awful lot without giving the slightest concern to my bewildered stomach and many a times had ended in throwing up. It must sure have had MSG!(Mono Sodium Glutamate/Ajinomoto) Other wise why should I throw up? So well..."It would be better to prepare that at home" I decided ..and started collecting all Indo-Chinese recipes which came in my way.. This particular recipe is from one of my friends who managed to lure it out from a cook who made it at their home on a special occasion. I skipped only two things from the original recipe and they are MSG(that again!) and yoghurt. (I have already explained why I do not add yoghurt or curd in my previous post, Prawn Biriyani). Still it tasted fantastic.

Coming to the recipe..

Things You Neeed:

1. Chicken (with bone or bone less) -   1  kg
2. Ginger  garlic paste                      -   1 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder                         -   1/4 tsp
4. Red chilli powder                         -   1 tsp
5. Coriander powder                       -   2 tsp
6. Garam masala powder                 -   1/2 tsp
7. Coriander leaves                          -    a bunch, cut into small pieces
8. Lemon juice                                 -    2 tbsp
9. Corn flour                                    -   2 tbsp
10. Maida/ All purpose flour               -  2 tbsp
11. Egg                                              -   1
12. Red food colour (optional)            -   a pinch
13. Salt to taste
14. Dark soy sauce                             - 2 tbsp
15. Tomato ketchup                            - 3 tbsp
16. Vegetable oil                             

Garnish:
Green bell pepper                         -   1 , sliced into medium sized pieces
Onion, sliced                                 -   1
Curry leaves                                  -  1 sprig

Method:

            Cut the chicken to small pieces, wash and drain. Mix it well with all the ingredients from 2 to 13 and keep for atleast one hour in the marination. Heat a wok and add oil to it .Put the chicken in it and fry until reddish brown.Take out from the oil and drain on a kitchen towel. Immediately transfer it to another vessel. Now fry the onions, green pepper and curry leaves in the same oil just for a couple of minutes and add it over the fried chicken. Add the sauces over it when the chicken is still hot and mix well. Serve hot with rice or chapattis or with noodles.

Chicken Chow mein / Stir fried chicken noodles

              I think I had become verbose about my love for Chinese dishes some recipes back. May be it's time for a wind up. Don't ask me for compensations if you are bored to death.. because it's a weakness in me that whenever I ponder about Chinese food, I become a lot more talkative about its deliciousness..., its vibrant flavours.. and its yum yum texture. I think the habit goes a long way back to my secondary school days when I was a boarding student at Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala. On the very few occasions our matron allowed us to go to the city, me and my friends used to visit a chinese restaurant in town which was called 'Ming Palace'. I had believed then that it was run by real Chinese people coz the waiters had chinky eyes and they never spoke malayalam. When we spoke to them in malayalam, they used to look at us as if they had a bone in their throat. So we dropped our mother tongue at MP's door and were relieved at finding  they understood English...

               There were a lot of dishes we were too much fond of at MP but Chowmein and American Chopseuy were my favourites. For Chinese people, they served the food with chopsticks  and for us they gave spoons and forks. It was sheer curiosity which prompted us to ask for chopsticks one day while dining at MP. They gave it to us with a queer look. We didn't understand what it meant until we started eating with the chopsticks.. After several attempts, the chopsticks came off easily and the food remained in the plate very adamantly. Seeing the delicious hot food and feeling its invigorating smell, our gastric juices had already started boiling vehemently in our stomach and we gave up our attempts at using chopsticks and asked for the spoon and fork again. It was one of my friends who commented, " Well, If curiosity didn't kill the cats, it would certainly have starved them" :)

              Home made noodles were never like the restaurant ones. They were mostly made with the ready to cook noodles available in market with taste makers provided with it. I must admit I was fond of it too but lately I have avoided making it because I am scared of Ajinomoto. Ajinomoto which is also called 'Mono Sodium Glutamate', had never been in good terms with me ever since I found out its health issues. We avoid each other like plague..  :) If you ask me, "Then, how about restaurant food?"  Well, I always like to think positive. Like..... the restaurant cook is too kind and never add Ajinomoto in the food he gives me ;) So I started experimenting with the plain noodles at home and was quite taken by surprise as it turned out to be almost the same taste as that of the restaurant ones (without adding MSG!). So may be, my optimism have some hope after all...

             'Chow mein' is the Chinese name for stir fried noodles. You can replace the chicken with beef or canned tuna, or any kind of mushrooms if you are a vegetarian. Here is the recipe..

Things you need:  

250 g wonton noodles / spagetti / any other type of plain noodles
4 cups of water
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of carrot cut into thin long strips
1/2 cup of  bell pepper, cut lengthwise
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 onion sliced
1 stalk of celery
2 stalks of green onions
2 eggs
250 g of boneless chicken cut into small pieces
2 tsp of black pepper powder
2 tsp of soy sauce
2 tsp of oyster sauce
Salt to taste
6 tbsp of cooking oil

Method:

          Boil the noodles as per instruction on package in 4 cups of water until well cooked and tender. Drain on a mesh and immediately pour cold water over it to stop the cooking and add a teaspoon of oil to avoid  sticking. Heat a large wok and add 4 to 5 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and saute. Then add the onions and saute until transparent. It need not turn golden. Then add the carrots, cabbage, bell peppers and celery one by one and saute in medium heat. Add adequate salt and pepper powder. Meanwhile you can cook the chicken in another pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and adding adequate salt and pepper powder. Cook the chicken until all the water in the chicken dries up. Add this to the vegetable mixture and mix well. In the same pan heat a little oil and scramble the eggs in it adding adequate salt and a little pepper powder. Add this to the veg-chicken mixture. Finally add the cooked noodles along with soy sauce and oyster sauce and mix well by tossing on medium heat. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

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.

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!!  :)