Rustic Chicken Curry/Nadan Kozhi Curry

Chicken curry is a generic term that encompasses an immense variety of dishes. In a nutshell, it is chicken braised with spices and some kind of liquid. The spices used and the braising liquid (coconut milk, stock, or just water) differs from dish to dish. The addition of ground coconut, ground nuts (cashew, almond), and /or yogurt make the variety endless.

Southern Indian curries tend to be more spicier than their Northern Indian counterparts. Both are equally delicious!

I prefer to use the whole chicken for curries, makes for a more flavorful dish.


Ingredients:chicken - 3 lbs (skinned, cleaned, and jointed into small pieces)
curry leaves - 6
onion - 1 sliced thin
green chilies - 3 slit
tomato - 1 small sliced
potato - 1 small cubed
salt to taste
oil - 3 tbsp

wet spices:
fresh ginger - 1" piece
garlic - 5 cloves

dry spices:
cayenne pd - 1 tsp
coriander pd - 3 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
fennel seeds whole - 1 tbsp
whole black pepper - 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1" piece (optional)
cloves - 2 (optional)
cardamom - 2 seeded (optional)

Method:

Using a small food processor or blender, blend garlic and ginger together to a paste, keep aside. Add water as needed to facilitate somewhat smooth griding. Do not make it too watery.

Mix coriander pd, cayenne pd, and turmeric pd together in a small bowl. Powder fennel seeds, whole black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom together in a spice grinder. Add to the bowl along with some water to make a paste, keep aside.

Heat a heavy pot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add sliced onions, green chilies, curry leaves and saute till onions are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic (wet spices) paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears, approximately 3-4 minutes. Now add the spice paste (dry spices) to the pot. Continue to fry on a low flame till the spices are fragrant, and starting to brown. If the spices start sticking to the pot, add a tbsp of oil. Now add the sliced tomatoes. Keep stirring till the tomato pieces are soft and the whole mixture is uniform.

Add chicken pieces ands stir to coat with the spices. Add salt and cover the pot. Turn the flame down. After 5 minutes, add 1.5 cup of water and cubed potato. If you are using a fast cooking variety of potato, add towards the last 15 minutes.

Simmer for approximately 30 minutes or more. If you want a lot of gravy, leave the pot covered. If you want a more thicker gravy, simmer with the pot uncovered.

The curry is done when chicken is cooked and the oil separates and start to float on top. Serve with Chappathi or rice.

Fried Fish / Meen Varthathu

Kerala fried fish is similar to the blackened fish of Louisiana. The fried goodness of fish and spices go well with white rice. Plain yogurt and a vegetable thoran would round up the meal nicely.

Almost any fish can be fried using this recipe. Here, I used Sand dabs.

Sand dabs - 2 skinned/scaled and cleaned
cayenne powder - 2 tsp (+/- to taste)
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 1/3 cup

Score sand dabs across with a sharp knife. The scores help the spices to permeate the fish and reduces cooking time. If the fish is large, cut into smaller pieces.

I also prefer to leave the bone in when frying. Bones seem to hold the fish together better. Fillets would work well too, but in my experience bone-in is better!

Make a paste of cayenne powder, turmeric, and salt with a little bit of water. Liberally slather both sides of the fish with the spice paste. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

Heat a cast iron pan (or a heavy pan) and add oil. The oil should just come to a depth of less than half an inch. The fish is NOT meant to be deep fried immersed in oil, but rather shallow fried. When the oil heats up, gently place the fish in it. Fry till the fish and spices have caramelised, approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip the fish gently and repeat frying the other side. When the fish is done, drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Spicy fish in coconut milk /Meen Curry

Fish is a big part of Kerala non-vegetarian food culture. The meal is often planned around the fish dish which in turn depend on the fresh fish available that day. Growing up we always had some kind of fish dish for lunch and dinner. In rainy season, when fresh fish is scarce, the dried fish would make an appearance.

There are numerous ways to prepare fish Kerala style: stewed in coconut milk, pan fried with spices, cooked with fresh ground coconut, spiced up with coccum, raw mango, or erumban puli (Averrhoa bilimbi). Ripe and even unripe tomatoes are used in flavoring. Sometimes fish is wrapped in banana leaves with a layer of shallots and ground green pepper (unripened black pepper) picked off the vine just that day. The whole package is slowly roasted in a clay pot or a kal chatti (turned rock vessel) traditional Kerala cooking vessels. The fish cooks in its own juice and comes out fragrant, tender, and absolutely delicious!

The day starts with the fisherman coming to the door with his fresh caught wares. He announces his arrival with loud hoots "oooh" as he cycles down the narrow roads, balancing a large basket of fish precariously behind him. He would take off the jute cover to reveal the bounty inside: shining sardines, glistening mackerels and pom frets, king fish, mullets, black and flat pearl spots, crabs, shrimp some still twitching, as fresh as can be! People gather around the basket, commenting on the freshness and haggling to get the best price.

The recipe that follows is for a basic fish curry in coconut milk. Numerous variations can be made by varying the ingredient used for tartness: mango, coccum, tomato, tamarind, erumban puli. The smooth taste of coconut milk tones down the fieriness of the curry.

Ingredients:

*fish - 1 lb
onion - 1 small + (1/4 cup thinly sliced for optional garnish)
ginger - thumb size
green chilies - 4 (+/- to taste)
curry leaves - 6
cayenne powder - 1 tbsp (+/- to taste)
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
tomato - 1 small sliced
coconut milk thin - 1.5 cups (second extract)
coconut milk thick - 1/2 cup (first extract)
white vinegar - 2 tsp
ghee - 2 tbsp (optional)
oil - 3 tbsp
salt to taste

* Almost any variety of fish may be used. Some options are Pomfret, King Mackeral, Mullet, cod and so on..

Method:

Crush onion, ginger, green chilies to a coarse mixture in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Heat clay pot and add 2 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, saute the crushed onion mixture and curry leaves till the raw smell disappears.

Make a paste of cayenne and turmeric with a little water and add to the sauteed onions. Fry for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell disappears. Add sliced tomatoes. When the tomatoes and onion are well blended, add the thin coconut milk and salt.

When the coconut milk comes to a boil, reduce heat and add fish. Simmer for 5-10 minutes till the curry starts to thicken. Add the thick coconut milk and heat through. Add vinegar and take off heat.

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a pan. Fry the sliced onions till golden brown and add as a garnish. This step is optional. Serve with rice or chappathi.

Lamb Lollipops

Succulent pieces of grilled lamb over vegetable pilaf makes a fine dinner!

Rosemary is not traditionally used in Indian cooking: however, it goes well with lamb and pairs beautifully with Indian spices.

My trusty cast iron stove-top grill makes it easy to have grilled food during winter months when it is too cold to fire up the barbecue.

Ingredients:

rack of lamb cut into lollipops - 8
whole cumin - 1/2 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
crushed red pepper - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
extra virgin olive oil/cooking oil - 1/4 cup
garlic - 4 cloves minced
rosemary leaves - 2 tbsp (optional)
fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Powder cumin and pepper in a spice grinder. Mix in coriander powder, turmeric, crushed red pepper, and salt.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Turn off the heat. Add minced garlic and rosemary followed by the powdered ingredients. When it cools, add lemon juice. Marinate the lamb in this mixture for at least an hour.

Grill lamb done to your liking.

Egg curry

I love a well made egg curry. Boiled eggs simmered with lots of spices and coconut milk, what's not to love!

Growing up we had egg curry mostly for breakfast. It can be served with a number of Kerala breakfast dishes: chappathi, poori, puttu, idiappam, velleppam, the list goes on and on. I often serve it with rice too. A friend of mine loves to eat egg curry as a sauce for pasta, works for me!

Ingredients:
eggs - 5
potato - 1 large cubed
onion - 1 cup sliced thin
green chilies - 3 split (+/- to taste)
fresh ginger - 1" piece minced
curry leaves - 6 (optional if you don't have it handy)
coriander powder - 3 tsp
cayenne powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder -1/4tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
coconut milk thin - 2 cups
coconut milk thick - .5 cup
tomato - 1 sliced (optional)
oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

*Boil eggs, peel, and keep aside.

Mix all the powdered spices with a little water to make a paste. This is to prevent the powdered spices from burning as they hit the hot pan. Heat a saute pan and add 3 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, add the spice paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. Add a bit more oil if the spices start to stick to the pan. Be careful not to burn the spices, but fry to a golden brown color. Now add the sliced onion, green chilies, curry leaves, and ginger. Saute till onion is translucent. If using, add tomato slices and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add thin coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and simmer till it cooks. Now add the eggs. I often slice the eggs in half before adding to the pot. If you prefer, it is fine to leave it whole. When the sauce thickens, add thick coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Egg curry is ready to be served.

* Over boiling eggs brings out the sulphuric smell and green ring around the yolk. Here is how I make perfect boiled eggs.

Start eggs in a pan of cold water and a tsp of of salt. Make sure that all the eggs are submerged in upto 1" of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and keep a lid on the pan. After 15 minutes, take eggs out and submerge in cold water. Eggs are ready to be peeled. The yolk would be moist, but firm, and no foul smell!

Chicken Biriyani

My husband hails from Mahe in Northern Kerala. One of the specialities of the region is biriyani. Though made by cooks all over Kerala, the Northern Kerala biriyani is special and different. I learned to make it from my mother-in-law who was a talented cook.

Biriyani is not an everyday dish. Made mostly on special occasions, it is a complex dish and may take a few trials to master. To make an authentic biriyani, you have to be generous with your spices, don't hold back!

Traditionally, biriyani is made with the whole chicken. Using the chicken whole, increases the flavor. Traditional biriyani also use a lot more of ghee than the recipe below. I have cut it down significantly in the interest of health and to be honest taste!

Ingredients:

Chicken whole - 1 (approximately 4 - 5 lbs)
rice - 4 - 5 cups

garlic - 1 pod
ginger - 4" piece
*green chilies - 25 - 30 (increase or decrease to suit taste and endurance level!!)

onion - 2 sliced thin
aniseed - 1 tbsp powdered
garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
medium tomato - 2 sliced
yogurt - 1 cup
cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
raisins - 1/4 cup (optional)
coriander leaves - 1 cup chopped
ghee - 1/2 cup ( may use softened butter instead)
vegetable oil for sauteing onions
salt to taste

*(Don't be alarmed at the number of chilies! This spicing is for the whole dish including rice, which serves 6 - 8 people. I use the small Thai bird chilies. They are spicy!! Depending on what you have on hand, any spicy green chili may be used. If you are not used to handling chilies, may want to wear gloves.)

Clean and joint chicken. Cut into smaller pieces.

Using a food processor/blender blend garlic, ginger to a smooth paste with some water and keep aside. Grind green chilies to a coarse consistency.

Heat a pan and add a tbsp of vegetable oil and a tbsp of ghee/butter. Add 1/2 of the sliced onions and fry till it has an even brown color. Add cashews and raisins to the onion and fry for a few more minutes. Remove onion, cashew, raisin mixture and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy pot (large enough to hold the chicken) Add the remaining sliced onions and saute till soft. Add the ginger/garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone. Add ground green chilies and saute for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are mushy. Add aniseed powder and cook the whole mixture for a few more minutes till blended uniformly.

Now add the cut-up chicken and stir to coat the spices on the pieces. Add salt and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add yogurt, stir well, cover, and cook the chicken till almost done.

While the chicken is cooking, clean rice and cook in plenty of salted water. When the rice is almost cooked remove and strain. Keep a close eye when the rice is cooking. It is important to strain the rice before it is fully cooked. It should be only 3/4 cooked. If you don't keep a watchful eye, it is very easy to over-cook the rice and spoil the whole dish!

Now the dish is ready to be assembled and baked. A heavy pot with a tight fitting lid (I use a large cast iron pot) is best for this purpose. Alternatively, use a large baking pan and aluminum foil for covering.

Preheat oven to 350*c. In the pot, add a tbsp of ghee/butter and spread it around. Add a layer of rice and spread. Add 3-4 ladles of chicken pieces along with juices over the rice. Add another layer of rice to cover the chicken. Now spread a layer of browned onion, cashew, and raisin mixture. Add a sprinkling of garam masala and a handful of coriander leaves. Add few spoonfuls of ghee/butter. Repeat the layers till all the rice, chicken, and other ingredients are completely used up ending with rice. Cover with lid or aluminium foil and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Take out biriyani and stir well. At this point all the moisture is absorbed by the rice and the chicken is completely cooked. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with raita and chutney.

Mathi (Chala) curry /Braised Sardines

Sardine is a common fish in Kerala, easily available and inexpensive. It is a very fishy fish, and one either hates or loves it. Needless to say, I fall into the latter category. I love to fry it or make a curry with lots of chilies. Nothing like a spicy sardine curry to wake up a meal!

Traditionally, Kerala fish curry is cooked in a clay pot. It is like a clay saute pan without handles! When I first came to the US, I found that clay cooking vessels are not readily available here. On my next visit to India, I bought back clay pots with me. I still cook fish in these pots. Times have changed, now you can buy clay cooking pot in gourmet cookware shops, at least in California.


fresh sardines - 1 lb
onion small - 1
ginger - 1/2" piece
green chilies - 3 (less if you don't want it spicy)
oil - 2 tbsp
cayenne powder - 1tsp (less if you don't want it spicy)
turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
tomato - 1 chopped
curry leaves - 5
white vinegar - 1 tbsp
water - 1 cup
salt to taste

Scale and clean sardines. Wash gently in several changes of water.

Crush onion, ginger, green chilies coarsely, I use my small food processor. Heat oil in a clay cooking pot. Add the crushed onion mixture, curry leaves and saute till the mixture is fragrant and the raw smell has disappeared. Next add the cayenne and turmeric powders and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes into this mixture and saute till the tomato pieces are soft. Add salt and water and let it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for few minutes. Add the sardines and continue to simmer. When the sardines are cooked and gravy thick add vinegar, take off heat. Serve with fresh cooked rice.