Chettinad Chicken Curry

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. Chettinad cuisine uses a variety of spices and the dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables.

Ingredinets

• Chicken - 1/2 kg
• Lime juice - 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 2
• Cinnamon stick -  1
• Cardamom pod - 1
• Kalpasi/black stone flower - 3
• Onion - 3
• Tomato - 2
• Green chilly - 1
• Salt - as required
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves and coriander leaves - few
• Ginger and garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Chettinad masala:

• Dry chillies - 4
• Coriander seeds - 21/2 tbs
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 11/2 tsp
• Peppercorns - 1 tsp
• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Cinamon stick, cardomom pod - 2
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Gram dal - 2 tsp

Method

1. Marinate chicken by adding turmeric, chilli powder and lime juice.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients under chettinad masala, cool them and grind.
   
3. Heat oil in a pan, add all the spices.
   
4. Saute onions, add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and cook for few mins.
   
5. Add marinated chicken,salt, turmeric, chilli powder, green chillies and chopped tomatoes.
   
6. Leave them to cook and add grounded powder as needed.
   
7. Add water, leave it to boil.
   
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
   

Green Chicken

Ingredients

• Spring onions - 4
• Fresh green chillies - 2 
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic cloves - 5
• Large bunch of fresh coriander - 1
• Parsley - 1 small hand
• Water as needed
• Sunflower oil - 1 tbsp
• Chicken - 250 g
• Coconut - 1 tbsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Black peppercorns - 1 tsp
• Salt as needed

Method

1. Grind garlic, coriander, green chillies, coconut, feel seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns together adding salt and little water.
   
2. Heat oil in a pan, saute spring onion's white lisbon part.
3. Add chicken pieces and let them cook.
   
4. Add parsley leaves, mix well with chicken. (for flavor).
   
5. Now add grounded masala paste and mix well.
6. Add little water, leave it to boil.(2-3 mins)
   
7. Once water drains off, garnish with spring onions and serve.
   
   
   
   

Mattar Paneer

Mattar paneer is a vegetarian north Indian dish consisting of peas andpaneer in a tomato based sauce, spiced with garam masala.

It is often served with rice and an Indian type of bread (naan, paratha, poori, or roti depending on region). Various other ingredients are often added, such as "aloo" (potato), corn, yogurt or cream .

Ingredients

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Dried fenugreek leaves - 1 1/2 tsp
• Onion - 3
• Tomato - 3
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Cashews - 6
• Ginger and garlic - 1/2 tbsp ( finely chopped )
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Paneer - 1 cup
• Fresh / frozen peas - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - few
• Salt - as required

Method

1. In a cooker add onions(1) , tomato (2) , poppy seeds, cashews, little oil and 2 tsp water, close lid and cook for 3 whistles. ( cook them dont saute).
   
2. Grind them into a smooth paste.
   
3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onion(2) and saute.
4. Add tomato (1) and saute again.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, grounded masala, peas, paneer and water to boil.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Add cream and butter if needed.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and dried fenugreek leaves, serve.
   

Aval Vilayichathu / Roasted Rice Flakes (Kerala style)

Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes.They are most famously known as "Pohe" in the Malwa region, where they are considered to have originated. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids. The thicknesses of these flakes vary between almost translucently thin (the more expensive varieties) to nearly four times thicker than a normal rice grain.

Ingredients

• Flattened Rice/Aval - 2 cups
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Water - 3/4 cup
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Raisins and Cashews - 2 tbsp
• Gram dal - 3 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
• Grated/ Desiccated Coconut - 1 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp 
• Salt a pinch

Method

1. Dissolve jaggery in water and leave it to boil for 5 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a pan dry roast gram dal and sesame seeds, keep aside.
   
3. Now add washed poha/aval/flattened rice to dissolved jaggery and mix well.
4. Add in coconut and cardamom powder.
   
5. Add roasted gram dal and sesame seeds.
6. Add a pinch of salt.
   
7. Now, in a separate pan heat ghee and roast raisins and cashews, pour over aval/flattened rice.
   
8. Mix well and serve.
   

Caulilfower/Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients

• All purpose flour (maida) - 1/2 cup
• Cornflour - 1/4
• Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for deep frying
• Ginger and garlic - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped
• Green chillies - 1
• Onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)
• Capsicum - 1
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Light soy sauce - 1/2 tsp
• Dark soy sauce - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 1/4 tsp
• Vinegar - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli paste - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato ketchup - 1/2 tbsp
• Spring onion - 1/2 bunch
• Ajinomoto - a pinch ( optional )
• Cauliflower - 1 medium size
• Salt - as required

Method

1. Blanch cauliflower, drain and keep side.
   
2. Add all purpose flour, cornflour, pepper powder, chilli powder, salt, little water and marinate.
   
   
   
   
3. Now, heat oil in a pan for deep frying and deep fry cauliflower pieces, drain excess oil and keep aside.
   
4. Heat oil in a pan, saute green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions and capsicum.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add deep fried cauliflower florets.
6. Add black pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, vinegar, chilli paste, tomato ketchup and mix well.
   
   
   
   
7. Garnish with spring onions and serve.
   

Bread Uttapam

Ingredients

• Bread - 5 (white or brown)
• Semolina/rava - 1/2 cup
• Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
• All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
• Rice flour - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Salt as needed
• Ginger - 3/4 tsp grated
• Onions - 1/2 (chopped)
• Capsicum - 1/2 (chopped)
• Green chillies - 2 (chopped)
• Spring onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Method

1. Tear and blend bread along with yogurt, semolina, ginger, rice flour, all purpose flour, salt and water.
2. Make a batter (must be in idly batter consistency).
   
3. Pour in a bowl, add onion, capsicum, green chillies and spring onions, mix well.
   
4. Pour on hot tawa and make uttapams.
   
   
   
   
5. Serve with any kind of chutneys.