Chicken Chettinad

Chicken


Chicken – 6 drumsticks or 4 breasts sliced. Use breasts if you wish to serve with rice and cut into pieces.

The Paste

Dry roast -
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
¼ cup Grated coconut (I used frozen coconut)
1 tsp. each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and black pepper
½ “ piece of Cinnamon
1 clove

Now add ½ lime size of tamarind pulp. I microwave the tamarind pulp with some water for 40 seconds.

Add 2 cloves and 1” piece of ginger and blend to a paste.


Chop the following

1 large onion
1 medium tomato
1 bunch of cilantro

Steps

1. Take 2 tbsp. oil in a pan. Sauté the chicken until light golden.
2. Add the onion and fry until dark brown.
3. Add tomatoes. Fry till pulpy.
4. Add the paste. Sauté until brown.
5. Add the chicken. Coat all pieces.
6. Add water and salt.
7. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Methi Chicken

I wish I had some fresh or frozen fenugreek when I set out to make this. I even wish I had a whole chicken, but I just had drumsticks. Therefore, I set out to make methi chicken with two fundamental handicaps: a lack of fenugreek and a lack of chicken. The sauce was a sweet spicy onion sauce, which was a departure from the regular tomato heavy sauces used in Indian cooking. I would use smaller chicken parts less time, as this gravy does not work well with roti or rice.

1 large yellow onion

6 drumsticks (you can one small chicken too)

½ cup yoghurt

1 tomato

1 “piece ginger

5 pieces of garlic

½ Tspn fenugreek seeds

1 tsp. each of coriander powder and cumin powder

½ tsp. turmeric

3 bay leaves

1 tbsp. kasoori methi

2 tsp. tandoori masala

1. Heat some oil in a pan. Make gashes in the chicken. Brown the chicken while sprinkling 1 tsp. tandoori masala and salt on it. Keep aside.

2. Add the bay leaves and fenugreek seeds. Wait until you heat a splutter.

3. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, blend the tomato, ginger, chilies, and garlic.

5. Add to the onion mixture. Add the spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, and balance tandoor masala) and yoghurt.

6. Sauté for 5 minutes. Now blend the sauce until it is thick but not a puree. Add salt.

7. Add the chicken. Cover and cook for 15 minutes while adjusting for more water if necessary.

8. When done, add kasoori methi.

Walnut Chicken (Akhrot Murg)

Yeah, yeah, this was supposed to be a blog about vegetarian food. But, I went to the dark side only to please the man. I never even taste this stuff. I just look at websites to read chicken recipes. I made chicken tikka masala a few weeks ago. This was my second foray into cooking an Indian meat dish. I did make pasta with fennel, swiss chard, and sausages last week. I just rely on smell, looks, and my partner's taste buds to make sure everything is all right. This recipe was quite easy and quick. I found it on Sanjeev Kapoor's website and didn't even change it much. It is a creamy festive way to cook chicken, low on spices, so you get a better flavor of the walnuts.

http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/akhrot-murgh.aspx

I will admit, when he tasted this dish, he said the texture was “interesting.” Like the meat was the softest he had. I guess he likes his meat with a sear on it. But who are we talking about, this is a person whose idea of great food is box mac-n-cheese. He prefers it over my panko bread encrusted macaroni and cheese, adorned with copious amounts of three cheeses painfully grated from cheese slabs, flavored with paparika and mustard, endorsed by Martha Stewart, baked in individual gratin pans. :)

http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/08/mac-and-cheese-serves-4.html

Oh well, you can't win them all. Sometimes you just have to concede defeat to the familiarity of the blue box. The conclusion is that I will make this walnut chicken dish again when i have people over!

Blanch 1/2 cup of walnuts overnight.
Marinate the following over night

• 1 pound of chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
• 2 coves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 piece of ginger finely chopped
• salt
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1/4 cup of thick yogurt

For the sauce
1. Finely chop an onion, puree one tomato, and chop 4 green chillies. Blend the walnuts with some water to make a paste.
2. Take some oil in a pan and brown the onions.
3. Add the chillies and saute for a minute.
4. Add the tomato and roast.
5. Add 1 tspn coriander powder. Roast for a while till the oil separates.
6. Add the chicken. Add more salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cook till done. Should take 12-15 minutes.
7. Add the walnut paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add 2 tbspn of cream or more. Add a sprinkle of garam masala.

He said the chicken was soft and juicy. I guess marinating the meat all night tenderizes it. This recipe was quick and easy. I guess cooking meat shouldn't be as daunting as it seemed.