Quick Kheema (Meat mince)

When you get back home from work with a tired and famished child in tow, who could fall asleep at any moment, you have only an hour or so to get dinner on the table. So you hunt down recipes that are nutritious, tasty, and quick. I got this one from the book Fat Free Indian by Shehzad Husain and Manisha Kanani.

• Minced meat-350 grams
• Ginger-garlic paste-2 teaspoons
• Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder-1 or 2 teaspoons
• Onions-1 large, chopped fine
• Green chillies-3
• Curry leaves - 10
• Tomato-1 large, cubed
• Coriander leaves-A handful, chopped
• Oil-2 teaspoons
• Salt to taste

In a bowl, combine the mince, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, salt.
Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Tip in the onions with the curry leaves and whole green chillies.
When it changes to light pink, tip in the mince and saute for 5 minutes till the water comes out.
Add the tomatoes and coriander leaves.
Leave to simmer until cooked dry.
Serve hot with accompaniments of your choice.

Butter Chicken 'Chak Le India' Style and book review

Aditya Bal's show on NDTV Good Time's, called Chak Le India, was a "don't-miss" one for me back when I was in Hyderabad. But here in Kerala, it's not part of the local cable network so it's been a while since I watched it. So obviously I jumped at BlogAdda's book review program to review his first cookbook. I was thrilled when I was one of the 10 bloggers to get copies of the book. So far, I've cooked one of the dishes-butter chicken. This is one dish that is my favorite (but which self-respecting Indian doesn't like butter chicken?!). Surprisingly, I haven't attempted to make it even once in my kitchen because most of the recipes required elaborate grilling or tandoorifying the chicken and I wasn't up to it. This recipe, though, charmingly lures you into trying it out, making the process seem simple. No need to grill the chicken, just sear it on high fire and make the different bases for the curry and combine them and you're done! The flavor was restaurant-style (if I may humbly say so myself!). Even though I was in a hurry and didn't give any time for marination, this dish got done in about 45 minutes and still the taste was spot-on. Do try this out! I'm going to review the book now. The recipe is given at the end.

If you buy this book, you have to read the introduction section at leisure. I have read many an introduction to many cookbooks, but I felt this was the one that was written from the heart and because of that, really struck a chord with me. It has been written in a heartfelt, genuine way that makes you feel you know Aditya on a first-name basis! He also gives detailed notes in "The Indian Pantry" section, that touches on everything from aromatics to dairy, herbs, spices, oils, and everything in between. Coming from a guy who has not professionally studied the culinary arts, this knowledge base struck me as really indicative of his passion and interest in all things food related. After all, I've been cooking for almost a decade and a half now but I never thought of researching stuff in such depth! The main sections are divided into the usual suspects-meat, chicken, seafood, vegetarian, snack, and sweets.

Thumbs up:
Aditya Bal's television program showcased a lot of traveling and food from different parts of India, so it follows that this cookbook has diverse recipes from a variety of states, from Kashmir to Kerala. Every recipe has a small note introducing the dish, with a little bit of its history. The photographs are mouthwatering. Aditya gives thorough instructions in every step. The unique thing about his descriptions, which I think is missing from most cookbooks, is how at the end he describes how the dish should look and taste once its cooked. Super like!

Thumbs down:
This is something very subjective. I'm a person who likes to spend minimal time in the kitchen, even though I'm a foodie and enjoy cooking and baking (yes, I'm contradictory that way). After all, that's why my blog is called effortless cooking easy baking. So for a person like me, this book seemed to be full of recipes that required a lot of time and effort. This could also be an illusion stemming from the fact that most of the recipes had about 15 steps on an average. While this could be the other side of the coin (since I praised his thorough instructions in the previous paragraph!) I feel it could have done with some tighter editing, leaving only the really essential details in the recipe so as not to put off people like me who are lazy gooses! And for the photographs, I really would have liked to see less of close-ups and more of some elegant food styling with great props that gave off a whiff of the dish's ambience (for amateur food photographers like me, this is something that I still can't achieve, so I expect it from the best blogs and cookbooks!)

One more thing, especially since I'm from Kerala-his recipe for Kerala Chicken Stew on page 52, was frankly, something that I had never come across in all my years of making stew in Kerala. This is not the way I've seen my mother, grandmother, aunts, or anyone I know make stew! Basically, its a very complicated version of a recipe that's essentially so simple that it should not take more than 20 minutes to make and not more than 5 to 6 steps! Here is the Kerala chicken stew which is the way we make it in our family:
Swift Chicken Stew

I wish Aditya all success in life....would love to see him come up with even better cookery shows and cookbooks for us as the years go by!

Enjoy the butter chicken recipe, which is a keeper, and note Aditya's description in the end, which I have highlighted.

Butter Chicken Chak Le India Style (as in the book)

Ingredients
500 gms boneless chicken
1 tsp salt
A few drops of refined oil
50 gms butter
1/2 tsp sugar
Juice of half a lime

The marinade
3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 an onion, pureed
4 tbsp whisked curd
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp hot red chilli powder
Juice of 1 lime

The rich tomato gravy
7-8 ripe red tomatoes
A few drops of refined oil
50 gms butter
1/2 inch ginger, chopped fine
2 green chillies, chopped fine
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp hot red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar, to balance the acidity of the tomatoes
4-5 tbsp full cream

The garnish
2-3 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
A knob of butter

      Method

1. Wash the chicken and trim it.  Cut it into tikka-sized chunks.

      The Marinade

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Put the chicken into a large glass or plastic bowl.  Add the marinade and mix it well into the chicken with your hands.  Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
2. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rich tomato gravy.

     The Rich Tomato Gravy

1. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them and puree the flesh.
2. Heat a medium-sized saute pan and add the oil and butter. Keep the pan on medium heat, till the butter is foaming. The oil prevents the butter from burning as it has a much higher smoking point.
3. Once the foam subsides somewhat, add the chopped ginger and green chillies and saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
4. Add the spice powders and saute till they are aromatic and richly coloured.
5. Now add the fresh tomato puree and stir to mix with the spices. Simmer on low heat, till the tomato gravy is thick and has a rich, deep red colour and the oil rises to the surface.
6. Season well with salt and add the sugar. Stir through and simmer for a few minutes longer. Turn off the heat and set the gravy aside to mature.

     To Cook The Chicken

1. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Season with salt and mix well.
2. Heat a heavy nonstick frying pan and add a few drops of refined oil and the butter.
3. Once the butter is hot, add a few chicken pieces at a time and sear them on high heat, till they develop a rich caramelized crust and are slightly charred around the edges. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.
4. Now, return all the seared chicken pieces to the pan and fry them all together. Add the sugar, lime juice, and any remaining marinade. Continue to fry the chicken, till it is almost fully cooked and turns a lovely, charred, golden brown.
5. Add the thick, spicy tomato gravy to the chicken and deglaze the pan to lift up those intense pan deposits. Cook on medium heat, stirring well to make sure the chicken is fully submerged and coated in the delicious gravy.
6. Simmer uncovered to reduce the gravy.
7. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the thick cream. Stir through to combine and cook for about 5 minutes to blend well.
8. Check for a balance of flavours; the gravy should be rich and buttery, bursting with the spices and concentrated tomatoes; the chicken, perfectly tender and packed with the rich flavours of the creamy tomato gravy.
9. Sprinkle some coriander leaves, add a knob of butter and enjoy this home-style butter chicken with naan or tandoori roti.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Until next time, ciao!

Pressure Cooker Chicken Biriyani

Now don't get fooled by the words "pressure cooker" in the title and turn your nose up thinking how authentic can a biriyani be if its made in a pressure cooker! Because then you'd be missing out on a lipsmacking recipe that's so easy to make that even amateurs can get it right! I know many people who are hesitant to try out a biriyani at home, even though they love it, for fear that it's a complicated process. Well, if you're one of them, then this recipe is the one you should start with. My mom used to make this on weekends when she had less time to cook for us or too tired to try something more elaborate-and it never disappointed! One unique factor in this recipe is the absence of any garam masala or biriyani masala-and yet the rice and meat are so flavorful!

Dahiwala Chicken Kerala Style

"Dahi" means yoghurt in Hindi and "dahiwala chicken" is just that-chicken curry cooked with yoghurt. It is a very popular dish in India and I think originates from the state of Punjab. However, as with all things in India, we welcome guests and then make them our own, so too with this chicken curry that has been given a "Kerala twist". It's a supremely easy recipe that even an amateur cook can try. Also perfect for those days when you have less time or unexpected guests.

50-50 Chicken Yakhni Pulao

This is my ultimate go-to recipe for those days when I don't have time or am too lazy to cook, yet get hungry and want a hearty meal of rice and meat! It's also special enough when you have unexpected (or even invited!) guests. Those of you in India must have heard of chicken 65, but I bet you've not heard of 50-50 chicken! Well, it's just a name I thought up for this pulao that I make often, from the Samsung Book of Microwave Recipes by Tarla Dalal (now, those of you in the know will know that Tarla Dalal writes only vegetarian recipes-so don't ask me how non-vegetarian recipes got included in this book!!).

Scrambled Paratha or "Kothu Parotta"

I love this recipe for a variety of reasons. It does not require any curry or side dish and can be had on its own. It’s versatile as a snack or a mini-meal any time of the day. It’s perfect to recycle any leftover parottas, veggies, or chicken. It can be made in a jiffy and everyone will love it. It’s a great way to combine bread, eggs, meat, and vegetables, all in one dish! Vegetarians can easily modify this-see the Tips section below to know how! If porottas aren't accessible for you, then maybe you could use tortillas instead or any other type of flat breads!

Chicken liver pepper fry

The only reason liver pepper fry is on my list of favorites is because the one my mom makes happens to be the best in the world! But my dad always disagrees and says that the best liver pepper fry he has had is the one my mom’s mother used to make! At this point, let me say that my husband, who never liked liver fry, now loves it after having the one I made one day. So maybe it’s fair to say that the knack for making this has been passed from my grandmom to my mom and now onto me! Also, my son, who is a very picky eater, seems to be a convert now as he happily polished off a whole piece today, much to my delight....

Chicken Pepper Fry

In my previous post, I'd mentioned I would be posting a pepper chicken recipe next. This is it....

Pepper chicken can be a effortless or elaborate thing, depending on which recipe you follow. Of course, on this blog, you can be sure that if its featured here, then its effortless! Many Kerala recipes for pepper chicken use a lot of pearl onions (shallots or "cheriya ulli" in Malayalam), which I find a hassle to peel and clean. So when I came across this recipe, which is as easy as it gets without compromising the taste of real pepper chicken, I immediately filed it away and have cooked it innumerable times since (don't remember the source though).

Another recipe that's a keeper for your repertoire of emergency recipes!


To serve 4

1. 500 g chicken
2. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
5. 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (perinjeerakam), powdered coarsely
6. 1 tablespoon coriander powder
7. 2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
8. 2 tablespoons lime juice
9. 2 sprigs curry leaves
10. A  handful coriander leaves, chopped
11. 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients 2 through 8 well.
• Add the chicken pieces to this and mix nicely.
• Cover and leave to marinate for at least an hour (if you have time to plan ahead, then keep this in the fridge overnight for a much more flavorsome result).
• In a nonstick wok/kadai, heat the oil and add the chicken with the curry leaves.
• Stir on high heat for 1 minute, then reduce to simmer and cook covered until the chicken is done (might take 20 minutes).
• Open the lid and turn up the heat again until all the water has evaporated (skip this step if you like it semi-dry or with gravy). Add a little more oil if necessary to dry it up to a crispy finish.
• Garnish with the coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Great as an accompaniment for "drinks" too!

Party Menu Series#1-Chicken Mixed Masala

This is the second post of my new series on party menus. For the first recipe, please see Mother's Day Cauliflower-Potato Fry. For the third recipe, see Parsee-Style Coconut and Cashewnut Rice. And for the fourth, see Strawberry Cheesecake

This recipe lends itself well as both a dry dish as well as a gravy dish. As I mentioned before, it's one of my mom's original recipes and one that she makes quite often. The only catch is that each time she makes it, and I ask her the recipe, it'll be different from the previous time as she just forgets how she made it before! So one fine day I decided to just write it down as she'd told me that day, once and for all, and that is the way I follow it ever since. I think the problem with even the most well-meaning mothers is:

1. They never follow any measurements, everything is just a rough estimate, or as they say in Hindi, "andaaza".
2. They keep changing the dish every time they make it, tweaking it, subtracting or adding ingredients-which makes it difficult to catch the recipe and replicate it!
3. You can never quite make the dish as tasty as when your mom makes it, even when you have the exact recipe!

Anyway, onto the dish!

To serve 6

1. Half kilo chicken (this is approximate for 6 people-it might be just enough if you have other dishes on the menu and also depends on the appetite of your guests, so obviously please adjust the amount of chicken and ingredients accordingly)
2. 1 large onion, sliced
3. 2 large tomatoes, cubed
4. 2 green chillies, slit
5. 2 sprigs curry leaves
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
8. 2 teaspoons coriander powder
9. 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
10. 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf or perinjeerakam)
11. 4 cloves
12. 1-inch cinnamon stick
13. 4 tablespoons oil

• First off, in your spice grinder jar, just whizz together the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, peppercorns and fennel seeds, with a little water if necessary. This is just to combine everything well to a fine paste.
• In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and throw in the cloves, cinnamon and curry leaves.
• When the whole spices splutter and the curry leaves change color, tip the onions in and fry until they turn a light brown.
• Now add the tomatoes and green chillies and fry till the tomatoes become well-mashed.
• Now add the ground paste and fry till it changes color to a darker shade and the oil oozes out the sides (do all this on a low flame to avoid burning).
• You can add the chicken at this point, stirring to combine everything well. Let it fry well for about 5 minutes before you add enough water to just cover the top of the chicken pieces and close the lid.
• Put the weight on and after the first whistle, pressure cook on simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• When cool, open and let it simmer and fry till the gravy dries out, adding a little more oil (if you want it semi-dry).  If you want some gravy, just leave it as it is and serve hot.

Goes well with both rice and chapathi.

TIPS:

Sometimes my mom used to dry-roast all the ingredients for the spice paste, without oil, and then grind them. If you have more time, you could do this. Adds a little more flavor to the dish!

You could also add cubed potatoes along with the chicken.

Those of you who are terrified of pressure cookers can still cook this using the open or closed pan method (this tip is obviously applicable for all the recipes on this blog that are cooked in a pressure cooker!)

Chicken Drumsticks/Lollipops

If you're a chicken-lover, chances are you'll love drumsticks and lollipops too! This is a very easy-to-do recipe (so what's new!) and I make it all the time. I found this recipe in The Samsung Book Of Indian Microwave Cooking-by Tarla Dalal (she usually features only vegetarian recipes, so was surprised to find a non-vegetarian section in this book).

For this, the oven temperature and timings may differ for your oven. I usually grill it using the microwave + grill combo, but I guess you could also use only the grill or only the bake option-just adjust the timings and temperature according to your oven.

Grilling or baking chicken like this drastically cuts down the quantity of oil required, as compared to the deep frying method. Much healthier for you!

      

     For 12 lollipops or 12 drumsticks

1. 1-1/2 tablespoons garlic paste
2. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
3. 1 tablespoon vinegar
4. 2 tablespoons plain flour (maida)
5. 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 2 tablespoons water
8. A handful of spring onions, chopped fine, for garnishing
9. Salt to taste

• After cleaning, washing, and draining the chicken pieces of water, keep aside (you could also make gashes or slits on the chicken to aid in deeper marination).
• In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic paste, chilli powder, vinegar, tomato ketchup, water, flour and salt.
• Coat this mixture on each piece of chicken and keep aside for at least 1 hour.
• Now grease a microwave safe dish with the oil and preheat the oven with the plate in it, for 2 minutes, using the microwave + grill option.
• Place the chicken pieces on the plate and microwave (or microwave + grill) for 12 minutes at 600W, turning them over after 6 minutes.
• Garnish with the spring onions and serve hot as a snack or as a side dish with rice or rotis.

TIPS:

If you want to bake this using the regular convection method, a rough guide would be to preheat the oven to 220 C and then bake (same temperature) for 20 to 30 minutes, turning over in between, until it becomes a nice golden brown.

Chicken "Mulakittathu"

The Malayalam word, "mulakittathu", could roughly be translated as "put into chilli"! Surely you've all heard of "Mulligatawny soup", which is a South Indian spicy soup, but which basically features pepper. I can't help but wonder if this curry and that soup are somehow related...

Coming back to this chicken curry, I remember having this since forever and my dad says that it's his grandmother's recipe-that's my great-grandmother (of Girija Vilas, Tellicherry) and I'm sure my children and grandchildren will be having it too! It's charm lies in its simplicity-it uses just two masala powders and two whole spices, but the taste and color of the curry, if made correctly, will be delicious and a vibrant red.

Without further ado, here's the recipe (to serve 4)

1. 500 g chicken (increase the quantity if you're a chicken lover, obviously!)
2. 5 cloves
3. 1-inch piece cinnamon
4. 1-inch piece ginger, chopped fine
5. 5 flakes garlic
6. 1 large onion, chopped fine
7. 1 large tomato, chopped fine
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
9. 2 tablespoons chilli powder (or more, if you can handle it)
10. Oil-As per your discretion
11. Salt-To taste

• In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and let the whole spices (cloves and cinnamon) splutter.
• Add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry till they get translucently pink.
• Now tip in the tomatoes and fry till pulpy.
• Add the masala powders and fry till the raw smell is gone.
• Add the chicken pieces and stir around till well coated with the masalas.
• Add about half or one cup of water, enough to cover the chicken pieces.
• Put the lid on, wait for the steam, put the weight on, and after the first whistle, simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Cool and serve hot with either rice or chapathis.

TIPS:

My mother says it's much more tasty if you cook it in a pan or kadai, on a slow flame, with the lid on, rather than pressure cooking it.

My dad likes to add cubed potatoes and carrots to it (along with the raw chicken pieces). This gives the curry a whole new flavor, especially with the carrots, which makes it sweet and spicy.

In the picture taken above, I had added coconut milk (thick milk, half a cup or 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder dissolved in half a cup of warm water). This was to reduce the spice level for a friend of mine. If you do this, while it will still be delicious, you won't get the original fiery red hue of the chilli powder-so the curry won't be living up to its name!

The No-Fry Chicken Pulao

I love technology...whether it's in the form of a new web browser, a new handset, a new TV set, a new camera, domestic appliances..whatever it is, the moment I get it, I get this urge to get to the bottom of it, into each and every nook and corner, find out how it works, what it can do for me, how it can make my life better and easier; in short, I like to milk it to its maximum potential! Even when I started this blog, I couldn't help staying up late at night, tweaking the template, trying out new color schemes, changing the fonts, researching gadgets and widgets, adding and removing elements and changing layouts....you get the idea!

So it was when I got a new microwave oven - I have used it in whichever way it could be used, all the options that came with it, tried out most of the recipes in the cookery book that came with it, and also the cookery books that came with my friends' microwave ovens! After all, if a piece of technology is there for your use, why not use it to the maximum for your own benefit? So I will be adding a new category here-Microwave recipes.

This recipe, simply called "Murg Pulao" is from the Nita Mehta microwave cookbook that came with my friend Lakshmi's oven. I've made it a couple of times and I think it's a great recipe to have in your repertoire. For those times when you have unexpected guests (as a certain friend of mine seems to be having trouble with!)....you might want to give them great food, but not feel like slogging away in the kitchen while everyone else seems to be having a fun time in the living room! Or you just might want to give your family a delicious Sunday lunch, but feel like taking a rest from the kitchen yourself. Or you might just be lazy to cook. Or you might have a toddler who wants all your attention and you just can't spend too much time in the kitchen without a major toddler nuclear meltdown! Or you're a bachelor/bachelorette, wanting to impress that special someone or just your friends, but don't know much of cooking. This recipe is perfect for all these scenarios.

Serves 2 (according to the recipe in the book-increase the quantities if you want more)

The measurements for the spices are my own approximate measurements

    1 cup (185 g) Basmati rice, washed and soaked in 2 cups water for 20 to 30 minutes

    250 gm chicken, cut small (or 2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks)

    To be ground to a fine paste:

1. 2 onions, large
2. 1-inch ginger
3. A handful of garlic flakes
4. 3 red chillies
5. 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
7. 1 teaspoon saunf (perinjeera)
8. 1-inch cinnamon stick
9. 1 teaspoon cloves
10. 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
11. Salt to taste
12. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• Wash the chicken and keep in a strainer to drain off all the water.
• Mix the ground paste with the chicken pieces (no need to keep for marination).
• Transfer to a FLAT and DEEP microwaveable dish. Microwave, covered, on high power for 3 minutes.
• When the 3 minutes is up, add the rice with its water, salt to taste, and a pinch of turmeric powder. Stir to combine everything well.
• Cover again and microwave on high power for 13 minutes (open and stir again at around 6 minutes).
• Serve after 5 minutes with papad, raitha, and pickle....

Because most of the whole spices in the Indian garam masala repertoire is included in this list, the aroma that wafts out of the oven and when you open the lid of the dish is incredibly aromatic....just a friendly warning, in advance :-)

TIPS:

Make sure to drain all the water from the chicken pieces after you wash them.

Resist the temptation to rinse out the mixie jar with water to get out all the spice paste to pour into the chicken. If you stick to just the water that's with the rice, you'll get a better result.

Garnish with cilantro if you like.

Pasted Chicken

This is the first recipe featured on this blog that is not from the family archives. I can confidently say that this is not just the mother, but the grandmother of all easy recipes! Just right for all you bachelors and bachelorettes and lazy cooks and time-starved wives and mothers (and husbands and fathers too!).
This was published with this name in the popular Malayalam women's magazine, Vanitha. I unfortunately did not take down the name of the contributor, but hats off to her for coming up with such a creative, easy recipe. Seasoned cooks may not believe that this could turn out to be a delicious dish because the ingredients needed are so basic (my mother was tempted to add some more ingredients and spices when I cooked this first, but please resist that temptation!). Trust me, it's so good that even a certain Mr. J couldn't stop raving about this when he had it the first time and now it's a firm family favorite!

For 500 g chicken, curry cut (As usual, may serve 4, unless you are chicken lovers, which might then serve 2!!!)  
1. Oil                      Half cup
2. Chilli powder       1 tablespoon
3. Pepper                To taste
4. Tomato Ketchup  3/4th cup
5. Salt                    To taste
• Marinate the chicken pieces with the oil, chilli powder, pepper and salt for just 10 minutes.
• Heat a nonstick pan-don't add any more oil-and put the marinated chicken into it, stirring a little to mix everything .
• Cover and cook on low flame till the chicken is about half cooked (about 15 minutes) at which point, pour in the tomato ketchup. Stir to mix well.
• Continue cooking on low flame till it's fully cooked. Serve with a smug smile :-)
Tips
• If you want it as a dry sauce, cook uncovered on low flame after you add the ketchup. If you continue cooking it covered though, you'll get a nice saucy gravy.
• You can increase the amount of ketchup if you like it to be tangier.
•  I modify it now to add an equal mix of tomato ketchup and chilli  garlic sauce (Del Monte brand), which is even yummier.

Swift Stew

I've been receiving emails from a few of you-who I place fondly in the "kiddie" category-who stay away from home for study/work reasons and who feel like cooking at least a couple of times a week to get all that canteen/restaurant food out of your system. This recipe is for you. It's very easy to make, fast to cook, requires only ingredients which almost anybody would (and should!) have in their kitchen, and absolutely yummilicious. Goes well with bread, even better with appams, ghee rice, and can be-albeit compromisingly- eaten with chapathis :-)

Stew is cooked in a variety of ways, even within a small state like Kerala. Even within one family, I guess different people would have their own ways of making a stew. This one is the way I've seen my mother make it, and it's generally the way its prepared in Mahe, but modified a little by her. It's one of my brother's and my favorite dishes and used to be a Sunday breakfast standard with appams, or even dinner on other days. Even though I'll never be able to replicate the taste of my mom's stew (as my brother keeps telling me!) the way I make it is still a favorite with my husband and I'm proud to say, even my son now!

Here goes:

For 500 g chicken, curry-cut pieces (which might serve 4 people-or less, if they are true foodies!)

1. Oil                      2 tablespoon
2. Cloves                5
3. Cinnamon           1-inch piece
4. Onions                2 big, chopped into small pieces
5. Ginger                1-inch piece, chopped fine or julienned
6. Green chillies      2, each slit lengthwise into 2
7. Tomatoes            1 big, chopped small
8. Cornflour            1 teaspoon
9. Potatoes             2 large, diced (optional)
10. Coconut milk      1 cup, thick (I use coconut milk powder -Maggi or other brand-4 tablespoons mixed in half a cup of warm water)
11. Pepper               As much or as little as you can handle (use white pepper if you want a nice creamy color)

• In a pressure cooker/pan, heat the oil.
• Throw in the cloves and cinnamon, wait till they sizzle.
• Put in the onions, ginger and green chillies and stir around till the onions get translucent (meanwhile, enjoy the mouthwatering aroma that wafts through!).
• Now add the cornflour and stir around for a few seconds.
• Throw in the tomatoes and stir for just a minute. They should not become pulpy.
• Add the potato cubes and chicken pieces and stir till everything is mixed well.
• Now add enough water to just cover the chicken, put the lid on, wait for the steam to come out and put the weight on. After the first whistle, simmer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Switch off and wait impatiently (if you're like me) for it to cool and open.
• Now switch the flame back onto a slow simmer, pour in the coconut milk, simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, add pepper, and transfer to a serving dish. If you like to garnish with cilantro, go ahead!