Nadan Chicken Curry | Kerala Style Simple Chicken Curry | Easy Chicken Curry without Coconut - Type 2 :)

Nothing gives me more pleasure than the food I cook being wiped clean by my 2 boys :) And I'm sure that would be the same for every person who loves to cook, right :) Though we love to cook chicken in myriad number of ways, this is that recipe that we go back to every now and then mainly coz it's sooper easy (the basic Indian chicken gravy recipe) and my little one loooves it.. Even if I make it a little extra hot he will have this with the same enthusiasm and a little moist eyes ;) This is nothing fancy, just the basic onion-tomato base gravy and the normal spices simmered with lots of love :) 

During my initial days of cooking I never used to get the dense gravy in my chicken curry and it would be loose or watery. I always used to wonder what was going wrong and finally found that adding a bit of onion and tomato puree while preparing the base gravy changes the consistency. It was partly my laziness of grinding them to avoid washing an extra set of utensils that kept me away from that consistency for quite some time ;) So if any of you wondering why your gravy is watery, now you know! I love having this versatile gravy with practically anything from steamed rice / chapathi / porotta / appam / dosa / idly / idiyappam / puttu / ghee rice / coconut milk rice. Do try out and let me know which combo is your favourite :)

My other chicken recipes that you can find in the blog would be

Chettinadu Kozhi Kulambu
Chicken Masaledar | Spicy Chicken Masala

Coorgi Style Chicken Curry

Mughlai Chicken

Baked Chicken Pasta

Spring Roll

Recipe Source: Amma

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 20-30 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

I Used:

Chicken	-	750 gm
Coconut Oil	-	2-3 tbsp
Onion	-	3 nos - medium sized (2 chopped & 1 for grinding)
Tomato	-	2  - medium sized
Ginger	-	A fat 2 inch piece
Garlic	-	15-20 nos (medium sized)
Green Chilly	-	2 nos - slit
Red Chilly powder	-	2 tbsp
Coriander powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Garam Masala	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Curry leaves	-	2-3 sprigs
Coriander leaves Water	- -	2-3 sprigs As Needed (½-1 cup)

The Way:

1. Clean the chicken and cut them into small bite size pieces. Cutting the chicken into small 2 inch size pieces makes it easier for the gravy and masala to sink in to the pieces and make them more succulent 

2. In a mixie jar, take the peeled ginger (15-20 medium sized ones), garlic (A fat 2 inch piece) and onion (1 no - cut into 8-12 chunks) and grind them to a smooth paste. If needed you can add 2-3 tbsp of water for grinding. Keep aside

3. Heat 2-3 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan/kadai. When the oil is hot, reduce the flame and add the 2 medium sized onions (finely chopped) along with 2 slit green chillies. Saute them well on medium flame till the onions turn translucent. You can add salt as well while sauteing the onions to help them cook faster

4. Now once the onions are translucent, add the ground onion paste to it and saute on a low flame till they start to turn brown. Keep sauteing occasionally else they might get burnt

5. Once the gravy starts to turn brown add the masalas - 2 tbsp red chilly powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala and ½ tsp turmeric powder and saute well again. Keep sauteing for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell of the masala goes

6. Meanwhile, roughly chop 2 medium sized tomatoes and add them to the mixer jar. Grind them to a smooth paste

7. Once the raw smell of the masala goes off, add the pureed tomato to the gravy and saute well. Allow it to cook for 5-6 minutes on low flame and keep sauteing occasionally

8. Then add the cleaned chicken pieces and give a nice stir. Add the required amount of water for your gravy and also 1 sprig of curry leaves. Keep in mind that the chicken will ooze water while cooking, so adjust the quantity of water accordingly

9. Cover the pan/kadai and cook in medium-low flame for 15-20 minutes till the chicken pieces and cooked tender. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid the gravy getting stuck to the bottom of the pan and getting burnt

10. Once the hicken is cooked, uncover the pan and add the remaining 1 sprig of curry leaves and 2-3 sprigs coriander leaves. Give a quick saute

Switch off the flame and serve the gravy hot with steamed rice / chapathi / porotta / appam / dosa / idly / idiyappam / puttu / ghee rice / coconut milk rice of your choice !

Cheers,
Chitz

Meen Mulakittathu | Kerala Fish Curry with Kudampuli/Gambojee | Meen Vevichathu | Ayala Fish Curry with Kudampuli

I have had the privilege to taste many yummy fish curries in my life. Be it my mom, grandma, mom-in-law, hubby's aunt, uncle.. All of them make yummilicious fish curries. And for a Malayali, it is a staple as well as pride to make the perfect hot, fiery, tangy and delicious fish curry. Just a spoonful of this perfectly made fish curry is enough for you to eat with scoopfuls of matta rice. Accompany it with some fresh fish fry, boy I tell you, it makes your day and gets you set for an afternoon siesta ;)  This particular fish curry goes well with matta rice but some have it with puttu, idiyappam as well as idly :) But I prefer it with rice the most. There are many ways in which you can make Kerala style fish curry.. Easy Malabar style fish curry with coconut, Fish curry without coconut, yet another fish curry with coconut and so on. For all these recipes I use normal tamarind.

It was slightly difficult for me to get that perfect balanced taste (you call that 'chodi' in Malayalam :)) with this recipe. And hence this was one recipe that I took sometime to master. The base for all the recipes that I saw - both online on blogs and my relatives preparing was more or less the same. The right taste is always in the amount of red chilly powder and salt that you use. I have tried quite a handful of recipes from many blogs and I found the perfect measurements that suited my family's tastebuds here. This is a foolproof recipe and it never has failed me :) And let me tell you one more thing. It is always better to prepare this gravy at least 2 hours prior to serving. The more it stands the better. The flavours sink in to the fish and tastes awesome, to be precise, the next day :) So do make them and let me know how you liked them!

Recipe Source: Here

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 25 mins

I Used:

Fish (I used Ayala/Mackerel)	-	500 gm (3 medium sized fish cut into 3 pieces each)
Gambojee/Kokum/Kudampuli	-	4 pieces soaked in ¼ cup of water
Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Shallots	-	6-8 nos - sliced
Garlic	-	4-6 nos - sliced or chopped
Ginger	-	A 2 inch piece - sliced or chopped
Green Chilly	-	1 no - slit
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs
Red Chilly powder	-	3 tbsp (Kashmiri or normal)
Coriander powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Pepper powder	-	½ tsp
Fenugreek powder (optional)	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	1 cup

The Way:

1. Rinse the tamarind pieces in water to remove any dirt on them. Then soak them in ¼ cup of water

2. Take all the masala powders - red chilly powder (spice mentioned is a bit on the hotter side, adjust as needed), coriander powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and fenugreek powder in a small plate or bowl. Mix them with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside

3. Peel and slice the shallots, garlic and ginger and keep ready. Ginger and garlic can be sliced or chopped. Slit the green chillies and keep aside

4. In a earthen pan (or a kadai or pan but preferably an earthen pot as it enhances the flavour of the gravy) heat the coconut oil

5. Now add the shallots, ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute

6. Add 1 sprig of curry leaves too

7. Saute for 3-4 minutes till they turn translucent and slowly start to change colour. No need to make them brown

8. Now add the prepared masala paste and saute on low flame for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell of the masala goes. You can add the powders directly without making into a paste, but then much caution is needed while sauteeing them. They can easily get burnt and change the taste and colour of the gravy

9. The colour attained now will determine the colour of the gravy. So if you want them to be really deep in colour saute them for a tad bit longer on the minimum flame available. And take care not to get the masalas burnt. It simply translates to 'Do not leave the dish unattended at this point'

10. When the raw smell is gone, add the soaked tamarind along with the water. Further add 1 more cup of water (adjust the quantity of water according to the consistency that is needed. Ideally make sure that the fish pieces are immersed in the gravy, that's the quantity of water that you will need) and give a nice stir and allow it to boil

11. Once the gravy starts boiling, add the cleaned fish pieces to it. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. If the water added is less then you might want to check in between that the fish pieces or the gravy is not burnt or stuck at the bottom of the pan

12. Uncover the pan and check for salt and add if needed. If you feel the gravy is watery then cook uncovered till it thickens to the desired consistency

13. After adding the fish pieces do not use a spoon or spatula to stir the gravy. Gently hold the pan on both sides and swirl them

14. Finally add 1 sprig of curry leaves and a tsp of coconut oil and give a gentle swirl. Close the pan and allow it to rest for some time before serving. Best served after at least 2 hours. The more you allow it to rest it the more tastier it becomes :)

Serve with matta rice or mashed or boiled tapioca.

Cheers,

Chitz

Unakka Chemmeen Pacha Maanga Curry | Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Muringakka Kootan

Kerala Style Dried Prawns & Raw Mango Curry with Drumsticks

And here I am with the last post of the season with dried shrimps. I promise :) My stock of the dried prawns is over :D So this is a recipe of the summer season coz the dried shrimps are paired with raw mangoes to make this gravy. It is a yummy tangy gravy that you can make when you do not have fresh fish in stock to enjoy a fish curry. Here in this gravy tamarind is not used, instead the raw mangoes impart the necessary tanginess for the gravy.. It is easy to make and you can pair it with aviyal or any thoran or stir fry of your choice. Deeps liked this gravy and did ask for a second helping (proof that he liked this and I can continue to make it as part of our menu ;)) and so this is going to be a regular whenever I get hold of some dried shrimps. So let's see how to make this yummilicious gravy..

Other recipes with Dried Shrimps:

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Dried Shrimp Chutney powder
Unakka Chemmeen Roast | Dried Shrimp Fry

Unakka Chemmeen Curry | Dried Shrimp Curry

Other recipes with Mango:

Pacha Manga Sadam | Raw Mango Rice

Uppilitta Manga | Raw Mangoes in Brine

Mampazha Pachadi | Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Mambazha Pulissery | Mambazha Kaalan
Chakkakuru Manga Curry

Recipe Source: Adapted from Here

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 minutes

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Dried Shrimp	-	½ cup
Raw Mango	-	1 no (big sized one - totapuri/kilimooku) - cut into cubes
Drumstick	-	1 no - cut into 2 inch long pieces
Shallots	-	4-5 nos - sliced
Ginger	-	1 inch piece - sliced
Green Chilly	-	2 nos
Curry leaves	-	3 sprigs
Red Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	As Needed

To Grind:

Coconut

-

½ cup

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Shallots	-	4-5 nos

The Way:

1. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse and once done, drain them and keep aside for 10-15 minutes

2. Now heat a man chattai (earthen pot) or a kadai. Add the washed dried shrimps and roast on medium/low flame for 5-10 minutes till they turn golden in colour. Once done and dried, remove them on to a plate

3. If you have bigger shrimps and would want to remove their heads and tails now would be a good time to do so

4. Then in the same man chatti or pan take the roasted shrimps, drumstick, cut mangoes, sliced shallots, sliced ginger, green chilly, 1 sprig curry leaves, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt (add cautiously as dried shrimps already have salt in them)

5. Add water and mix well. Cook them on high flame till water begins to boil

6. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and cover the vessel and cook till everything is cooked. Check occasionally to see that water doesn't evaporate off completely and they get burnt. This would take around 15-20 minutes

7. Meanwhile grind grated coconut to a smooth fine paste by adding water. Once the mangoes and shrimp is cooked, add the coconut paste to it and stir well. Check for salt and hotness. Add accordingly if required

8. Cook for another 10-15 minutes in low flame 

9. Meanwhile heat coconut oil in a tadka pan. Add sliced shallots and fry them till golden brown

10. Once the gravy is done, pour this tempering on the gravy and add 2 sprigs of curry leaves and give a gentle stir

Serve with rice and a stir fry of your choice!

Notes:

• The tanginess for the gravy comes from the raw mangoes. So add accordingly. I used the whole of a kilimooku/totapuri mango. If you are in doubt, first add half of the mango. Then once the shrimp and mangoes are half cooked, check for the tanginess, add more if needed 

Cheers,
Chitz

Unakka Chemmeen Roast | Unakka Chemmeen Fry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Roast | Dry Prawns Fry | Dried Prawns Stir fry

Unakka Chemmeen Ularthiyathu | Unakka Chemmeen Mulakittathu

I'm back with another delicacy with dried shrimps :) See that's what I do when I get hold of something exotic to us.. GO overboard ;) But this is also something that you all would love and enjoy. It's a roast or fry with the unakka chemmeen or dried shrimps (prawns).. You know what Deeps asked when I served this dish. "Deep fried???"  I was like, "No, shallow with 2 tbsp oil ;) That's the magic here.. Looks and feels like a deep fry, but have used minimal oil here. And I paired this with some spinach dal and cabbage poriyal.. Oh my, it tasted just awesome with the dal ! You can have it with kanji (rice gruel) as well and I'm sure you wouldn't need another side dish :) or just dal or mild gravy. This is so easy to make and will take your simple meal to another level. And spice and shallots, feel free to increase or decrease according to your needs..So let's see how easily this is made :)

Other recipes with Dried Shrimps:

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Dried Shrimp Chutney powder
Unakka Chemmeen Curry | Dried Shrimp Curry
Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Curry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Raw Mango Curry

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 2 persons

I Used:

Dried Shrimp	-	1 cup
Shallots	-	10-12 nos
Red Chilly	-	2-3 nos
Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs
Red Chilly powder Turmeric powder	- -	2 tsp ¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Peel the shallots and rinse them well in water. Take the shallots and red chillies in a mixer jar and coarsely pulse them 2-3 times. Do not have to grind them to a smooth paste

2. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse. Once done, drain them and keep aside

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan/kadai. Splutter the curry leaves

4. Now add the coarsely pulsed shallot-red chilly mix. Saute them for about 3-4 minutes in medium flame

5. Then add the rinsed dried shrimps and give a quick mix. Keep sauteeing for another 4-5 minutes till they start to become dry

6. Now add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt (Dried fish will already have salt in them, so add cautiously) and give a nice stir

7. Reduce the flame to low and keep stirring occasionally to avoid the shrimps getting burnt. If you feel they need a little more oil, add a tsp or two and mix. Check for salt and hotness and add salt and red chilly powder if needed. They should turn golden and dry (no moisture content). this would take around 15-20 minutes

When done, serve with hot rice and a gravy of choice or kanji(rice gruel)!

Notes:

• I have used 2 tsp red chilly powder here which is fairly hot and suited for our taste buds. You can very well increase or decrease the quantity according to the needs of your family
• If you want you can increase the amount of shallots for more masala
• Dry shrimps comes with added salt. Hence add salt accordingly
• If your shrimps are larger and you want to remove the head and tail then you can do the same after rinsing them

Cheers,

Chitz

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Kerala Style Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Dry Shrimp Chutney powder

You know, I have been making this condiment on and off for the past 5 years.. On and off in the sense, whenever I get my hands on a pack of dried shrimps, I for sure make them ! I learnt to make them from a very dear blogger friend Meena's space 'Elephants and Coconut trees'. It was a saviour during our days at Norway. Deeps is a great fan of dried fish and getting them was close to impossible there. Once in a while we get the dried shrimps packet in the Asian stores. Whenever we spot one, we buy them and get it roasted and ground :D 

And the taste is so awesome that even after getting back to India and having pretty good access to fresh and dried fish, we still crave for this :D And this time when we went to Kerala, Deeps found this at our local super market and got 2 packets :) So I made this podi with one packet and some other dishes with the other one. Stay tuned to see what they are :) Meena keeps her podi pretty simple but I, when I made it the first time itself used all those extras that she mentioned in her notes.. So I have been making it like that ever since ! They are sooper easy to make. A little time consuming only to roast the ingredients and that is so important coz your shelf life depends on how well they are roasted and how moisture free they are.. And we like to pair it up with kanji (rice gruel) for our dinner. Little of this podi, choodu kanji, mutta scramble (egg scrambled) and achar (pickle) is all that we need to have a mind filling dinner :) So do try this out if you get your hands on one and let me know how you liked it :)

Other recipes with Dried Shrimps:

Unakka Chemmeen Roast | Dried Shrimp Fry

Unakka Chemmeen Curry | Dried Shrimp Curry

Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Curry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Raw Mango Curry

Recipe Source: Adapted from Here

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 minutes

Makes : 1.5cups

I Used:

Dried Shrimp	-	One 50 gm packet
Grated Coconut	-	1 cup
Shallots	-	8 nos
Garlic	-	5 pods
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs
Pepper	-	1 tsp
Red Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Asafoetida	-	½ tsp
Tamarind	-	1 tsp (tightly packed)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse and once done, drain them and take them in a plate and spread them out. Leave them for 30-60 minutes to dry

2. If you are hard pressed for time, do not bother to dry them. Take them in a kadai/pan and dry roast them in low flame. For a better and longer shelf time, there shouldn't be any moisture content in the powder we are going to make. Hence make sure you roast the shrimps in low flame till they are crisp and dry. Also make sure that you keep stirring occasionally so that they don't get burnt

3. Once they are crisp and starts to crack and splutter, take them in a plate and keep aside

4. In the same pan, add the grated coconut, shallots, garlic, curry leaves and pepper. Saute on a low flame till the coconut turns deep brown in colour. Keep sauteeing continuously and take care not to burn them

5. Now add red chilly powder, salt and asafoetida. Give a quick stir

6. Then add the roasted shrimp and give a nice stir. Keep stirring for another 3-4 minutes. Then add the tamarind and saute for a minute. Switch off the flame

7. Allow it to cool down. Then grind it coarsely and store in an air tight container

Notes: 

• Store in an air tight container for a longer shelf life. Use a clean and dry spoon to take out the podi
• Dry shrimps comes with added salt. Hence add salt accordingly while making the podi
• If your shrimps are a bit larger and you want to remove the head and tail then you can do the same. I use small variety for making this podi and don't remove the heads or tails
• Roast the ingredients really well and keep them away from moisture for a better shelf life

Cheers,

Chitz