Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is delicious item on the menu. There are different ways to make it. In India in north chicken curry has more influence of whole spices, whereas in south it is more of powder spices and curry leaves etc. None the less, both are without doubt delicious. Here is recipe for north Indian.

You will need.

700g of Chicken cut in small pieces. Preferably with bone to add more taste otherwise boneless if you want to keep it clean :).

A. Green Cardamom- 2
B. Black Cardamom-  1
C. Cinnamon Stick- 1 inch piece.
D. Bay Leaf- 1
E. Turmeric Powder- 1 Tsp.
F.  Chilli Powder- 1Tsp.
G. Hing- Pinch
H. Chicken curry msala- 1 Tbs.
I.  Salt to Taste.
J.  Onion Finely chopped-1
K. Tomato finely chopped-2
L. Ginger, green chilli and garlic paste or fresh- 2 tsp.
M. Oil- 2Tbs.

Method-

Put oil in deep pan, and heat on medium heat.
Once oil heated, add broken green and black cardamom with cinnamon and bay leaf in to it. Stir until spices flavour oil.

Now add onion to it and keep stirring for 3-4 min till onions are little red.

Now add ginger and garlic and green chilli to it and cook until 2 min more.
Now add powder spices to it and stir for 30 sec to 1 min.
Now add chopped tomatoes to it and also salt to taste.
Keep stirring inbetween until oil separates.
Now add washed chicken to it and seal the meat without putting water, should take 3 min at high heat.
Now add 1 and half cup of water and stir well.
Now cover the pan and let it cook at medium heat for 20 min or until chicken is cooked.
If need thickness add little bit of cream and cook for 5 min more.
Chicken curry is ready.
Garnish with Coriander leaf and serve with rice or bread.
Enjoy cooking Indian.

Note- Making Indian food is easy if you get hold of heat. Like using medium heat wherever necessary.

What is Asafoetida or Hing?

Asafoetida or better known as Hing in India is used widely in Indian cooking. It has very distinguish aroma. Some say similar to leek. Indian food will not be complete without it.

Benefit- Hing is used as digestant in Indian cooking. It also acts as taste enhencer. Especially used in Sambhar and meat preparations. Meat can be heavy on stomach, addition of hing helps in deigestion.

Use- The best way to use is to put it hot oil in start of cooking. It can also be added inbetween.

Amount- Only a pinch is enough. If used too much, it tends to overtake flavours of other spices.

Enjoy cooking Indian.

How to make Madras Curry Paste?

Madras or also known as Chennai is situated in south of India in state calles Tamil Nadu. Very Humid and hot weather, so expect food to be spicy :). Madras curry originates from this part of India.

Here is my version for it

You will need-

Dry spices
1. Black Peppercorns  1 Tbs.
2. Coriander seeds      2 Tbs.
3. Cumin Seens           2 Tbs
4  Curry Leaves           1 Tbs
5  Mustard seeds         1 Tbs

Powder Spices

1 Turmeric Powder     1 Teaspoon
2 Garam Masala         1 Teaspoon
3 Asafoetida                Pinch.
4 Chilli Powder            2 Teaspoons

And
1 Vinegar                              2 Tbs
2 Tamarind in water             4 Tbs
3 Garlic chopped fine           5 Cloves
4.Ginger Grated                   2 Tbs.
5 Green chilli chopped         2 Tbs
6.Vegetable oil                      2 Tbs
Method-

Take pan and heat at medium heat.
Put dry whole spices and roast until your kitchen smells like you are in spice store. Avoid burning.
Take mixture off and let it cool.
Now add this to blender and make powder.

Take pan and heat at medium and once heated, add oil to it.
Now add cloves and ginger and chilli to it and saute for 1min.
Now add roasted spice mix and also other powder spices to it.
Saute for 1 min and then add tamarind water.
Bring to boil.
Set aside to cool.
Now add vinegar and mix well.
Store in airtight container in fridge and use as needed to make curries.

How to make Paneer at home?

Making Paneer at home is very easy.

Ingredients-

3 Littre of High Fat Milk.
50-60 ml of Lemon juice, preferably bottled.
Clean white cotton cloth.

Method-

Put milk in deep pan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add spoon by spoon of lemon juice.
Keep stirring inbetween so that milk does not boil out of pan.
When paneer and water separates, stop heating and take off heat.
Now take one cotton cloth and strain of liquid.
Sqeeze water through cloth by twisting cloth. Be careful as it will be very hot.
Put 2kgs of weight on top of this to set paneer.
Keep aside for 30min to 1hr.
Take cloth off and Paneer is ready.


Soon i will put recipe for Palak Paneer Curry. Yummy. Enjoy cooking Indian :).


Here is demonstration with pictures

1. Boiling milk with lemon juice until it separated as below.

2. Poured it in to cotton cloth.

3. After pouring.

4 Now just rotated cloth to take water out. After this put some 2kgs weight on it. Can be some jar or anything.

5. Here is Paneer ready. After 1hr taken out of cloth. All above process has to be done righjt away. DO not let separated milk cool and then to put in cloth. Be careful, but has to be done when all is hot to get hard paneer.

Lamb Curry

Lamb curry is one of the most popular choice in Iceland as Lamb here is so good. Here is my version of Lamb curry

Ingredients-

- Lamb -      500g.
- Onion -      2 Small chopped finely.
- Ginger and Garlic- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped in equal quantity.
-Tomatoes-  2 Chopped fine.
- Oil- 2 Tablespoons
- Black Cardamom- 1
- Green Cardamom- 2
- Cinnamon Stick-    1 cm piece
- Garam Masala-      2 Tea spoons
- Turmeric Powder-  1 Teaspoon.
- Chilli Powder-        1 Teaspoon or according to taste.
- Salt- 1.5 teaspoon or to taste.

Method-

1. Cut lamb in small pieces, 2cm approx, and wash.
2. Add oil in a deep pan and wait for it to heat.
3. Once oil is heated add broken black cardamom, green cardamom, and cinnamon stick in to it and let it release flavours in oil for 30 seconds.
4. Add onions and let it cook with stirring untill transluscent.
5. Add chooped garlic and ginger and wait for 1 minute with stirring.
6. Now add powder spices and mix well and wait for 30 seconds.
7. Now add chopped tomatoes and also salt. Keep stirring this untill oil separates and all becomes kind of sauce.
8. Now add lamb and stir. Cook for 3-4 minutes untill lamb is sealed.
9. Add 2 cups water and mix well. Bring this to boil.
10. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cover pan with lid and let it cook for 30 min or untill lamb cooks.
11. Lamb curry is ready.
12. To thicken curry, add cream if desired.
13. Serve with rice or naan bread.