Chicken curry

I learned this dish from my mom. My mother uses coconut and poppy seeds (gasagasalu) to prepare this dish. As poppy seeds are banned in Singapore, I'll prepare this dish without it. If you want to use it, then add one teaspoon of poppy seeds along with the coconut while grinding the paste.

Ingredients

Chicken: 1 kg; cut into pieces of desired size
Onion: 1 big, finely sliced
Curry leaves: 1 twig
Whole garam masala (cloves, elachi, marathi mogga, bay leaves): 2 each
Oil: 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Tomato: 1 big; finely sliced

Paste
Coconut: ¾ cup; grated
Onion: 1 small
Green chillis: 5
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder: to taste
Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Coriander powder: 1 tablespoon (adjust depending on the amount of coriander leaves)

1. Heat a heavy bottom vessel and place the cut chicken pieces in it. Stir gently till chicken oozes water.

2. Once chicken is half cooked, add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and cook on medium flame till chicken is 3/4th cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.

3. Grind a fine paste with ingredients under paste section.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add whole garam masala and sauté for 10 seconds.

5. Add curry leaves and sliced onion. Sauté till onion turns transparent.

6. Add sliced tomato, and ground paste. Sauté till the raw smell of the paste is gone.

7. Add salt, water from the cooked chicken and sufficient water and bring to boil.

8. Add the chicken and cook till chicken is completely cooked and gravy is of required consistency. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.

Chicken Puloa/pilaf

Many disapprove puloa/pilaf which is simpler when compared to biryani. It's as tasty as biryani and takes less time to cook.

Preparation and cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients

Chicken: 1/2 kg
Ghee/oil: 3 tablespoons
Elachi/cardamom: 4
Cloves: 4
Marathi mogga: 2
Cinnamon stick: 1"
Bay leaves: 2
Onion: 2; medium, finely sliced
Green chillis: 2; slit
Tomato: 1; big, finely sliced
Rice: 2 cups; wash and strain
Salt : to taste
Coriander and mint leaves: 4 tablespoons each; finely chopped
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup; make a fine paste
Water: 4 cups

For marination

Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon (adjust)
Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon (optional)
Salt: 1 teaspoon

 

1. Marinate chicken with ingredients under For Marination for 20 minutes.

2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom vessel. Add bay leaves, marathi moggu, elachi, cloves, cinnamon stick and saute for few seconds.

3. Add sliced onions and green chillis. Saute till onions are translucent.

4. Add chopped tomato, coriander and mint leaves. Saute for 5 minutes.

5. Add coconut paste and saute for 5 minutes.

6. Add marinated chicken and combine well. Cook on medium flame till chicken is 3/4th cooked and little gravy is left.

7. Add water, salt and bring to boil. Add the strained rice, combine well and place a heavy lid over the vessel. Cook on low flame till rice and chicken are cooked completely. Turn off the heat and remove lid after 15 minutes.

8. Combine gently and serve hot with raita or curry of your choice.

Chicken Masala (Fry)

I first came across this dish in a newspaper and I still remember bugging my mom to prepare this dish for me almost once in a month. Now she has become a pro in preparing this dish :). This was the first chicken dish I learned from her.


Ingredients

For marinade (marinate chicken and leave for 30 mins)

Chicken : 1/2 kilo
Lime juice : 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon
Salt : to taste
Curd : 2 tablespoons

For frying

Curry leaves : 1 twig
Pepper powder : 1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
Oil : 3 tablespoons
Paste 1
Onion : 1 big
Paste 2
Green chilli : 2
Ginger garlic paste : 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder : 2 tablespoons (adjust to taste)
Chilli powder : 1/2 tablespoon (optional)
Coriander leaves : 4 twigs (optional)

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the onion paste and fry till the raw smell of onion is gone and oil starts oozing out. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the same pan and add the second paste. Saute till the raw smell is gone. Remove from heat and keep aside.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Add the sauteed pastes and mix well.
4. Now add the marinated chicken and saute on medium flame until chicken is half cooked. Check for salt and add if needed more. Add sufficient amount of water if needed (because of curd, water oozes out once chicken is added).
5. If you want the dish to be gravy dish, then add the pepper powder now. Saute till raw smell of pepper is gone and remove from heat.
6. If you want the dish to be dry, add the pepper powder once the chicken is cooked 3/4th. Saute the chicken on low flame till you get the required consistency.
7. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Chicken Liver Fry

Preparation and cooking time : 20 mins

This is one of my favorite dishes my mom prepares for me. This dish may not look appetizing but I can promise that the taste is heavenly.

Ingredients

Chicken livers : 250gms
Cardamom : 2 (Optional)
Bay leaves : 2 (Optional)
Marathi moggu : 2 (Optional)
Onion : 1 small, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste : 1 teaspoon
Black Peppercorns : 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds : 1 teaspoon
Cloves : 4
Cinnamon stick : 1/2"
Coriander leaves: one handful (use according to your taste)
Mint leaves : one handful (Optional)
Turmeric powder : 1 pinch
Salt : to taste
Oil : 3 tablespoons


1. Grind peppercorns, coriander seeds, ginger garlic paste, cloves, cinnamon stick, turmeric powder, coriander and mint leaves into a fine paste.
2. Clean the chicken livers and cut them into required size.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add bay leaves, marathi moggu, cardamoms and saute for few seconds. Add chopped onions and saute till it turns brown.
4. Add the cleaned livers and saute for a minute. Liver oozes out water.
5. Add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell of the ingredients is gone.
6. Add required amount of water, salt and cook till the livers become soft.
7. This dish can be eaten as a semi-gravy dish or a dry dish and goes well with white rice, rotis and naans.

Chicken liver can be prepared as above but if you are using mutton liver, pressure cook the livers with little salt before adding it to the oil for sauteing. Even pork mutton chops and pork chops can be prepared this way with the same masala. You can also use garam masala powder instead of spices (cardamoms, marathi moggu, cloves and cinnamon stick). Also coriander seeds can be replaced by coriander powder.

Facts about liver (food): The livers of mammals, fowl and fish are commonly eaten as food by humans. Animal livers are rich in iron, Vitamin A and cod liver oil is commonly used as a dietary supplement. They have to be consumed with caution as very high doses of Vitamin A have the potential to be toxic. Hence, pregnant women should refrain from eating any animal liver as it is dangerous to the foetus (fetus).

Chicken Capsicum Curry

Marination time : 30 mins
Cooking time : 30 mins

Ingredients

Chicken : 1/2 kg, wash and cut into pieces of required size
1 onion : finely chopped
1 capsicum : cut into pieces of required size
1 tomato : roughly chopped
Garam masala powder : as per your taste
Coriander : finely chopped for garnishing
oil : 2 tablespoons

For marinade
Curd : 2 tablespoons
Coriander powder : 2 tablespoons
Chilli powder : 1 tablespoon
Turmeric : 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste : 1 teaspoon
Lime juice : 1 teaspoon (adjust as per your taste)
Salt : to taste


1. Marinate the chicken and leave it in fridge for 30 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and saute till it's transparent.
3. Add chopped capsicum and saute for few minutes.
4. Add chopped tomato and saute till it becomes soft.
5. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium flame till the chicken becomes soft. You can add water as per your required consistency. Adjust the spiciness.
6. Add garam masala powder before removing from the heat and combine well.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice. If you want to prepare this dish for roti or naan, prepare it as a semi-dry curry.