Aromatic and Creamy chicken curry in coconut milk

This chicken curry is made with slight variation. Whole spices are used with fresh coconut milk. Combination of whole spices bring unique aroma and chicken drumettes enhance the taste in curry.

Ingredients :

• 10-12 Chicken Drumettes - (1.5 pounds) Marinate in salt for 20 minutes. (You may use other chicken parts cut into small pieces)
  
• 1 Medium sized Onion - cut lengthwise.
• 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil.
• 1 inch piece of Ginger - cut into small pieces.
  
• 5-6 Garlic cloves- cut into small pieces.
• 1 Cup fresh grated Coconut - Add one cup warm water and grind coconut to fine paste then strain the mixture through tea strainer or cheese cloth. Use extracted milk or you may use 1 Cup canned coconut milk.
  
• 1 T.spoon raw coconut oil - (optional)
• 1 T.spoon red chilli powder - (Used Aashirvaad red and hot)
• 1 T.spoon corriander seed + 1 T.spoon Fennel seeds - make fine powder.
  

Whole Spices:

• 15-20 whole black pepper.
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon.
• 1 small Bay leaf. ( 2 inch long)
• 5 whole cloves.
• 1 Star anise.
• 2 whole cardamom.
  

Method of cooking:

1. Heat 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil in heavy gauge pot. Add all whole spices and stir in hot oil for 30 seconds. This will infuse oil with aroma of whole spices. Keep gas flames to medium. Add all cut onion and keep stirring till onions are softened.
2. Add ginger and garlic and stir for a minute. Add very little salt. Add half quantity of powdered fennel and corriander seed and 1 T.spoon red chilli powder.
3. Add marinated drumettes and mix well with spices and onions. Turn gas to low flames. Cover lid and let it slowly cook for at least 15-20 minutes. Since we are not adding water you need to check curry in initial stages. Stir it and don't let it stick to the bottom. After 7-8 minutes it will create little gravy with inside steam.
4. Add remaining powder of corriander, fennel and coconut milk. Stir well and adjust salt at this stage. Add 1.T.spoon coconut oil (optional). Cover the lid and let it cook for 5-6 minutes on medium flame.

Enjoy with rice or roti.

Carrot Thoran with Chayote & Radish

This is one of the most quickest, simplest and healthy subzi. Instead of eating complete raw veggies as Salad, I prefer them to quick semi-stir-fry with curry leaves, green chillies, Jeera, fresh grated coconut & lots of cilantro. This combination of Carrot+Chayote+Radish works very well. Cutting them in julienne style makes subzi look very appealing.

Ingredients:-

• 1 1/2 Cup julienne style cut Carrots.
• 1 Cup julienne style cut Chayote.
• 1/2 Cup julienne style cut Radish.
• 2-3 cut Green Chillies.
  
• 1/2 Tb.spoon cooking oil.
• 1 T.spoon Cumin seeds.
• 2 springs of curry leaf.
• 1/2 Cup fresh grated coconut.
• 1/2 T.spoon Turmeric powder.
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro.
  

Method of Cooking:-

1. Heat 1/2 Tb.spoon oil in open saute pan. You don't have to wait for oil to get too hot. After few seconds, add one cumin seed and if it sizzles then quickly add 1 T.spoon cumin seeds followed by 1 spring of curry leaf and chopped green chillies. Saute for less than a minute.
2. Add julienned carrots, radish, chayote. Mix well. Add 1/2 T.spoon turmeric powder and salt. Stir with wooden spoon for a minute on high flames.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup water. Stir and cover with lid. Let it cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Check if all water is evaporated. If not then increase the heat and keep stirring till it evaporates. Add another spring of curry leaf and fresh grated coconut. Mix all well. Reduce the heat to low and let it stay for 2 minutes.
5. Lastly garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy with roti and rice.
   

Tindora Stir-fry with Green tomatoes & spring onions

Today I cooked this simple Tindora stir-fry. There were no proper veggies in refrigerator , just few Tindoras, two raw Tomatoes and few Spring Onions ,this prompted me to make a combination stir-fry. Result was vibrantly delicious stir-fry.

Ingredients :-

• 25-30 Tindora - Slightly chop both ends , make one vertical cut in center and make total four length wise pieces of each tindora. (Boil in microwave with salt water for 6 minutes)
• 2 Green Tomatoes -cut in small cubes.
  
• 4-5 Spring Onions (separate Green leaf and white onion portion)
  
• 3-4 Green Chillies
• 2 Curry Leaf Springs
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
• 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil
• 1/2 T.spoon turmeric powder
  

Method Of Preparation :-

1. Take thick bottom pot and heat 1 Tb.spoon oil. Add finely chopped white onion portion and saute for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
2. Add cut green tomatoes - Saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
3. Add 1 spring curry leaves , chopped green chillies and 1/2 T.spoon turmeric powder - Mix well and saute for a minute.
4. Drain water from boiled tindora add to the pot - add salt and stir for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
5. Add chopped greens of spring onion ,remaining curry leaves and stir subzi for 2-3 minutes.
6. Shut off the gas and add 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut - Mix well.
7. Lastly garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and eat with Roti /Rice or just enjoy in bowl.
   

Tindora Masala Curry in Sesame, Poppy and Peanut gravy

Today I was to cook Tindora but with restrictions of not using Onion, Ginger, Garlic. I don't wanted to cook simple stir-fried Tindora, so came up with this rich thick gravy based subzi of Tindora. I used minimum Garam Masala but generously added Sesame, Peanuts and poppy seeds.

Ingredients :-

• 40-50 Tindora - Slit each Tindora into two pieces by giving one center vertical cut .
• 2 Medium size Tomato - diced.
• 2 springs of curry leaves.
• One cup chopped fresh cilantro.
• 1 Tb.spoon brown sugar.
• 1 Tb.spoon oil (Additional for deep frying Tindora).
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts - (make coarse powder)
• 1 T.spoon red chilli powder.
• 1 T.spoon Aamchur powder (optional)

Special Spice Blend :-

• 2 Tb.spoon Sesame
  
• 1 Tb.spoon Poppy Seeds
  
• 1 Tb.spoon dry Corriander Seeds
  
• 1 T.spoon Fennel Seeds
  
• 1 T.spoon Jeera
  
• 2 tiny Bay Leaf (1 inch long)
  
• 3-4 small pieces of Dagad Fool.
  
• 2 Cloves

A) Roast Sesame and poppy seeds together till one shade change. Let it cool.Grind to fine powder.

B) Gently roast rest all the spices on low flame till they release aroma. Let it cool. Grind to fine powder.

Method of Cooking :-

1. Deep fry Tindora by turning them in Kadhai few times (2-3 minutes each batch). As they wrinkle up, remove from oil and set on paper towel. Sprinkle some salt and massage over tindora. Pat excess oil by paper towel. Keep it aside. (You may boil tindora in microwave for 7-8 minutes)
2. Heat 1Tb.spoon oil in heavy bottom pan and add few curry leaves followed by diced tomatoes. Saute them on high heat for two minutes.
3. Add powdered spices and red chili powder - stir-fry for a minute.
4. Add deep fried Tindora and stir-fry for a minute. Let all spices get coated over Tindora. Let it stay two minutes on medium flames.
5. Now add powdered sesame and poppy seed, brown sugar, Aamchur power. Mix all well by stirring for a minute.
6. Add half cup water, add some more salt and close the lid. Let it cook on medium flames for 5-6 minutes. Keep checking at interval and stir.
   
7. Open the lid- Add roasted peanut powder, 1/4 cup water, remaining curry leaves little chopped cilantro and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flames. Here you may adjust gravy by adding little more water.
8. Add remaining chopped fresh cilantro and serve with roti or rice.
   

Garlic and Cilantro flavored Parwal Chutney in Mustard oil.

This is another version of earlier blogged Parval chutney recipe, the change is addition of  fresh Hara Dhania (cilantro) and  green chilies instead of dry red chillies. Garlic, mustard oil and fresh cilantro brings strong zesty taste to this simple Parval chutney. I am clearing old recipes from the folder, this chutney  was prepared in year 2009, publishing it today (30th December, 2015) under its original prepared date.

Garlic Cilantro flavored Parval Chutney.

Ingredients :-

• 15-20 - Parval /Potol/pointed gourd.(slightly cut out both the ends.)
  
• 6-7 - Whole garlic cloves.
• 4-5 - Green chillies. (reduce if prefer mild heat.)
• 1 Cup - chopped cilantro - tightly packed. (use tender stems and leaves.)
• 2 Tb.spoon  - mustard oil. + 1 T.spoon   to pan roast parval.
• 1 T.spoon - Aamchur / dry mango powder.

Parval Chutney Preparation Steps :-

1. Heat a  thick bottom pan/griddle, sprinkle 1 tsp mustard oil and place whole Parwal in the pan. (slice out both the ends of each parval.) Increase flames to high, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. You can roast parval by slicing it length wise into two or four pieces.
2. Reduce the flames to low setting, cover pan with  lid. Roast  parval  for 10-15 minutes.Do check at intervals, flip them in the pan. Roast until charred in a few places with brown marks,  put off the gas and let them cool.
3. In a blender make a fine paste of  roasted Parval  without adding water. Keep it aside.
   
4. Combine  6-7 cloves of garlic,4-5 green chillies and one cup chopped cilantro in a small grinder jar, crush to coarse dry paste. Alternatively you can finely mince garlic,  finely chop cilantro and chillies using knife.
5. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in the same pan  over medium hot temperature, add coarse crushed mixture of  garlic,chilli and cilantro. Add salt and Stir for one minute.
6. Next add Parval paste, 1 tsp aamchur powder/ raw mango powder, saute for two  minutes over medium low heat, adjust salt level. Shut off the gas.
7. Transfer chutney into a bowl and enjoy with roti, rice or use as a sandwich spread. This can be served over cooked pasta or fresh green leafy salad.
   

Roasting whole parval in the pan.

 Green Chilies, Garlic cloves, Fresh Cilantro & roasted Parval

 

Step-6 - Adding parval paste to the sauteed garlic,chili,cilantro.