Sunday, March 09, 2008

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients:-

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds;
2-3 hot, dried red chillies;
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds;
A 2 cm (3") stick of cinammon;
1.5 teaspoons whole black mustard seeds;
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar;
1.5 teaspoons salt;
1 teaspoon light brown sugar;
10 tablespoons vegetable oil;
190 g (6.5 oz) onions, peeled and sliced;
5 tablespoons plus 225 ml (8 fl oz) water;
900 g (2 lb) boneless chicken cut into small chunks;
A 2.5 cm (1") cube of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped;
A small, whole head of garlic, separated & peeled;
1 tablesppon ground coriander seeds;
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric.

Preparation Method
Grind cumin seeds, red chillies, pepercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon and black mustard seeds in a grinder. Put the ground spices in a bowl.

Add the vinegar, salt and sugar. Mix and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame. Put in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. (Turn the heat off). Add 2-3 table- spoons oof water to the blender and puree the onions. Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It may be made ahead of time and frozen.)

Dry off the chicken chunks with a paper towel and remove large pieces of fat, if any.

Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil remaining in the pot once again over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the chicken chunks, a few at a time, and brown them lightly on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep in a bowl.

When all the chicken has been removed from the pot put the ginger-garlic paste in the same pot. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir the paste for another few seconds. Add the coriander and turmeric. Stir for another few

seconds. Add the chicken, any juices that may have accumulated as well as the vindaloo paste and 225 ml (8 fl oz) water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for an hour or so, until the chicken is tender. Stir occasionally meanwhile.

Mutton Biriyani

Preparation Method


Ingredients Quantities
Mutton ------------------ ½ kg
Onion medium size chopped finely -------6
Tomato medium size chopped finely ------3
Garlic ---------------------2 1/2tab spoons
Ginger -----------2 1/2tab spoons
Green chilly paste -----2 tab spoons
Garam masala powder ---1 tablespoon
Yogurt -----4tab spoons
Coriander leaves -------1 cup
Mint leaves -------------¾ cup
Ghee ½ cup
Limejuice 4 teaspoons
Chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Basmati rice 2 ½ cups
Method of Preparation

Heat Ghee in a pan. Sauté onions till golden brown. Add garlic-ginger-green chilly paste. Fry for two minutes. Put chopped tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, mint leaves and coriander leaves into this. Sauté for a few minutes till the masala becomes thick. Add cut and cleaned mutton pieces and stir. Pour little water [if required] and mix. Cook till mutton is done. Add yogurt.
Boil water. Add enough salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, 2 cardamoms, 3 small pieces of cinnamon, 2 cloves, and 1 spoon ghee into this. Cook rice until it is done and drain. Take care the rice not to be sticky.
Heat a vessel. Pour a little of ghee. Put a little of cooked rice and spread 1 teaspoon of limejuice over it. Put one layer of the mutton masala above it and repeat the process till the rice and masala are over. Close the lid tightly and heat on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Mix before serve. Serve with yogurt and cocunut-pudina chutney and pickle.
Coconut pudina chutney
Coconut grated – 1 cup
Small onions – 5
Garlic – 1 clove
Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
Mint leaves – 6 leaves
Curry leaves – a few
Green chilies – 2
Salt - to taste
Juice of lemon- 1
Grind all the above things except limejuice. Mix limejuice to the ground chutney. Serve with biriyani.