Combination Dinner - 3 - Kerala Chicken Curry
This is a series of 3 receipes so the introductory paragraph for all three is the same.
Been a longish time since the last post. I do hope that this series of posts will help a lunch / dinner too many !!
Been a longish time since the last post. I do hope that this series of posts will help a lunch / dinner too many !!
Some dinner receipes just click. You know what i mean ? The combination of flavours and textures prompts you to go for second helpings. Yesterday's dinner was just that - simple yet a perfect combo.
While you can certainly try out each of these receipes separately with other accompaniments, this combination of peas pulao (green peas rice), aaloo palak (boiled potatoes in spinach gravy) and kerala chicken curry is a delight to the palate.
While you can certainly try out each of these receipes separately with other accompaniments, this combination of peas pulao (green peas rice), aaloo palak (boiled potatoes in spinach gravy) and kerala chicken curry is a delight to the palate.
Receipe 3 - Kerala Chicken Curry
This is a receipe that might look long and complicated but is definitely not. However, can't convince you until you have attempted it yourself. If the long winding receipe intimidates you, I suggest you avoid making the curry powder (masala) and coconut milk and rely on store bought substitutes.
Once again a receipe that has no parallel when my mom in law makes a dry chicken version of it, however, i am partial to gravy's and hence end up cooking this coconut milk receipe.
Ingredients:
Marination
(for atleast 1/2 hour to 4 hours or overnight):
1 kg chicken (cut into curry pieces) washed well
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic green chilli paste (i omit the green chilli since we do not prefer spicy curry)
Salt approx. 1 or 1 1/2 tsp
Try and strain all the water from the chicken by putting it into a steel sieve and then marinate it with the remaining ingredients. Keep covered in the refrigerator until use (atleast for 1/2 hour).
For the chicken gravy:
1 tbsp oil
3 medium to large onions - finely sliced (not chopped)
3 sprigs of curry leaves (kadipatta)
2 large tomatoes - finely chopped or pureed
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 heaped tbsp corriander powder
1 tsp black pepper powder (kali miri)
1 tbsp Kerala Garam Masala (kerala curry powder) * or any other curry powder (garam masala)
Coconut milk of 1/2 a coconut ** or 150 ml readymade coconut milk **
The note for both masala and coconut milk is given at the very end to enable you to focus on the receipe.
Method:
Once the marination is done for atleast 1/2 hour, proceed to the gravy.
Ideally use a vessel with handle on each side. Heat the vessel and add the oil. Once the oil heats, add the sliced onions and fry on medium to low heat. The onions should be fried till soft and translucent.
Then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute till raw smell goes and then add 2 sprigs of curry leaves. Fry a bit and add the tomatoes or puree. Fry well. Once again, you may want to fry this mixture for 2 minutes or until the oil starts oozing out.
Then you add the powders viz. corriander, red chilli and pepper. Fry well. Then add the Kerala Garam Masala / Meat Masala (curry powder) and salt to taste. Salt seasoning needs to take into account that the chicken has already been seasoned but also that there will be an addition of coconut milk later on.
Mix well. Add the final sprig of curry leaves and then add the marinated chicken. Mix well. Do not add any extra water at this stage. Cook the chicken on medium flame by turning once in between for atleast 15 - 18 minutes. In about 5 minutes the chicken will start cooking in its own juices.
When the chicken has had its 15 - 18 minutes cooking time, its time to add the coconut milk. If using store bought, mix 2 tbsp of coconut milk in 1/2 cup of water OR add the 2nd extract (and 3rd if you have it) of coconut milk made at home and mix well. Bring the curry to a nice boil.
Now is the tricky bit. Next, if using store bought, add remaining coconut milk as it is OR add the first extract (thick version) of coconut milk made at home. At this stage please do not stir with the ladle as it will split the coconut milk. With the help of a kitchen towel pick the vessel (holding both handles of the pan) and swirl the entire contents such that the coconut milk gets gently folded into the curry. Just do this once or maximum twice.
When the gravy gets its first boil, its time to switch off the stove and get the vessel off the heat. Let it rest a while either open or with a wire-mesh lid. Please do not cover with ordinary lid since the water droplets from the steam will make the curry go stale faster. You can cover the chicken gravy with ordinary lid once it has completely cooled down.
An important thing to note is that this curry would taste better after half a day and even better the next day.
Serve this curry with either rice or rotis/ chappatis (indian flat bread). Serve it along with the other two receipes for a nice meal.
Now for those who would like to spend an extra half hour and give the receipe an authentic taste:
* Kerala Garam Masala / Meat Masala (curry powder):
Although you can opt to use any garam masala (curry powder) for this receipe, i strongly recommend the kerala curry powder also called meat masala (either ready mix or ground at home). If visiting Kerala, please remember to buy ready made meat masala packets.
Dry fry each of these ingredients separately:
2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
8 nos. cloves (lavang)
2 green cardamoms
2 inch piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
1 petal of star anise (chakri phool) - not the entire
both the following are optional:
1/4 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal)
1 small petal of mace (jaipatri)
Cool them all and blitz them in a blender / mixie and use 1 tbsp for this receipe. Make more of this masala and stock it up. It won't go bad for atleast a few months and more.
** Coconut milk: I have long back converted to using freshly made coconut milk and i am sure if you start making it fresh at home, you will too. There is simply no comparison of preservatives filled store bought and the home made. However, you can always still opt for store bought until you familiarize with the basic receipe :-)
1/2 coconut grated
1 cup water
Blitz both these in a blender / mixie and then strain the mixture through a thin sieve to get the thick milk (called 1st extract). Keep aside.
next,
Put the strained coconut back into the blender / mixie and add another 1 cup water, blitz well and strain once again to get the thin milk (2nd extract). You may want to repeat this process to get the last and final 3rd extract but i simply do not have that much patience. Keep aside.
This is a receipe that might look long and complicated but is definitely not. However, can't convince you until you have attempted it yourself. If the long winding receipe intimidates you, I suggest you avoid making the curry powder (masala) and coconut milk and rely on store bought substitutes.
Once again a receipe that has no parallel when my mom in law makes a dry chicken version of it, however, i am partial to gravy's and hence end up cooking this coconut milk receipe.
Ingredients:
Marination
(for atleast 1/2 hour to 4 hours or overnight):
1 kg chicken (cut into curry pieces) washed well
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic green chilli paste (i omit the green chilli since we do not prefer spicy curry)
Salt approx. 1 or 1 1/2 tsp
Try and strain all the water from the chicken by putting it into a steel sieve and then marinate it with the remaining ingredients. Keep covered in the refrigerator until use (atleast for 1/2 hour).
For the chicken gravy:
1 tbsp oil
3 medium to large onions - finely sliced (not chopped)
3 sprigs of curry leaves (kadipatta)
2 large tomatoes - finely chopped or pureed
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 heaped tbsp corriander powder
1 tsp black pepper powder (kali miri)
1 tbsp Kerala Garam Masala (kerala curry powder) * or any other curry powder (garam masala)
Coconut milk of 1/2 a coconut ** or 150 ml readymade coconut milk **
The note for both masala and coconut milk is given at the very end to enable you to focus on the receipe.
Method:
Once the marination is done for atleast 1/2 hour, proceed to the gravy.
Ideally use a vessel with handle on each side. Heat the vessel and add the oil. Once the oil heats, add the sliced onions and fry on medium to low heat. The onions should be fried till soft and translucent.
Then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute till raw smell goes and then add 2 sprigs of curry leaves. Fry a bit and add the tomatoes or puree. Fry well. Once again, you may want to fry this mixture for 2 minutes or until the oil starts oozing out.
Then you add the powders viz. corriander, red chilli and pepper. Fry well. Then add the Kerala Garam Masala / Meat Masala (curry powder) and salt to taste. Salt seasoning needs to take into account that the chicken has already been seasoned but also that there will be an addition of coconut milk later on.
Mix well. Add the final sprig of curry leaves and then add the marinated chicken. Mix well. Do not add any extra water at this stage. Cook the chicken on medium flame by turning once in between for atleast 15 - 18 minutes. In about 5 minutes the chicken will start cooking in its own juices.
When the chicken has had its 15 - 18 minutes cooking time, its time to add the coconut milk. If using store bought, mix 2 tbsp of coconut milk in 1/2 cup of water OR add the 2nd extract (and 3rd if you have it) of coconut milk made at home and mix well. Bring the curry to a nice boil.
Now is the tricky bit. Next, if using store bought, add remaining coconut milk as it is OR add the first extract (thick version) of coconut milk made at home. At this stage please do not stir with the ladle as it will split the coconut milk. With the help of a kitchen towel pick the vessel (holding both handles of the pan) and swirl the entire contents such that the coconut milk gets gently folded into the curry. Just do this once or maximum twice.
When the gravy gets its first boil, its time to switch off the stove and get the vessel off the heat. Let it rest a while either open or with a wire-mesh lid. Please do not cover with ordinary lid since the water droplets from the steam will make the curry go stale faster. You can cover the chicken gravy with ordinary lid once it has completely cooled down.
An important thing to note is that this curry would taste better after half a day and even better the next day.
Serve this curry with either rice or rotis/ chappatis (indian flat bread). Serve it along with the other two receipes for a nice meal.
(oops....the peas pulao n aaloo palak were nearly over when i remembered to click this snap. thankfully the chicken was made in excess quantity)
Now for those who would like to spend an extra half hour and give the receipe an authentic taste:
* Kerala Garam Masala / Meat Masala (curry powder):
Although you can opt to use any garam masala (curry powder) for this receipe, i strongly recommend the kerala curry powder also called meat masala (either ready mix or ground at home). If visiting Kerala, please remember to buy ready made meat masala packets.
Dry fry each of these ingredients separately:
2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
8 nos. cloves (lavang)
2 green cardamoms
2 inch piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
1 petal of star anise (chakri phool) - not the entire
both the following are optional:
1/4 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal)
1 small petal of mace (jaipatri)
Cool them all and blitz them in a blender / mixie and use 1 tbsp for this receipe. Make more of this masala and stock it up. It won't go bad for atleast a few months and more.
** Coconut milk: I have long back converted to using freshly made coconut milk and i am sure if you start making it fresh at home, you will too. There is simply no comparison of preservatives filled store bought and the home made. However, you can always still opt for store bought until you familiarize with the basic receipe :-)
1/2 coconut grated
1 cup water
Blitz both these in a blender / mixie and then strain the mixture through a thin sieve to get the thick milk (called 1st extract). Keep aside.
next,
Put the strained coconut back into the blender / mixie and add another 1 cup water, blitz well and strain once again to get the thin milk (2nd extract). You may want to repeat this process to get the last and final 3rd extract but i simply do not have that much patience. Keep aside.
Your comments are valuable so feel free to write in.
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