Kozhi Chukka | Chicken Korumban | Kerala Chicken Starter | New Year Party Special

Visiting restaurants for New Year parties could be extremely disappointing most of the times as a sea of people flock eating places which might lead to quality compromise by the hotel staff. Keeping this in mind, we bring before you a simple, easy-to-make chicken starter recipe which is sure to tingle your taste buds – Kozhi Chukka or Chicken Korumban – a spicy chicken starter from the state of Kerala. ‘Korumban’ literally translates to ‘mushy’ in Malyalam, and hence the chicken pieces are cooked in a mushy mixture of spiced onion and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• ½ kg Chicken

• 5 medium Onions chopped lengthwise

• 3 Medium Chopped Tomatoes

• 5 Dry Red Chillies

• Few Curry Leaves

• ½ Lemon

• 1 & ½ tsp Fennel Seeds

• 5 tbsp Red Chilli Powder

• 1 & tsp Turmeric

• 1 tsp Garam Masala

• 10 tbsp Ghee

• 1 tsp Chicken Masala (Everest or any other brand)

• 2 tbsp Chopped Coconut

• 10 Cashew Nuts

• 2 tsp Ginger Paste

• 3 tsp Finely Chopped Garlic

• 1 tsp Sugar (Optional)

• Salt to taste

Method:

Marination:

• Wash the chicken thoroughly twice in water.

• To this chicken, add 2 tsp ginger paste, half lemon juice, 2 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp Everest Chicken Masala and salt as per taste.

• Mix everything well and let the chicken marinade rest for 30 mins in the refrigerator. (You can also keep the chicken marinade overnight.)

Cooking the Chicken:

• Heat a wok/ kadai on a high flame and add Ghee.

• After the Ghee becomes hot, bring down the flame to medium and add curry leaves, dry red chillies, chopped garlic and sliced onions and saute.

• When onions start changing colour, add the cashew nuts and saute.

• To fasten cooking process, add ½ tsp salt, also add 1 tsp sugar.

• Once the onions become golden in colour, add the coconut pieces and mix well.

• Add the tomatoes and stir well.

• Once tomatoes start leaving water, add the fennel seeds, 1tsp turmeric and 3 tsp red chilli powder, mix well and cook till the tomatoes become soft.

• Add little to water to deglaze the pan if necessary.

• Now add the chicken marinade, mix well and saute till the chicken completely coats all the spice mixture.

•  Now add 1 tsp Garam Masala and mix well.

• Place a lid on the pan, lower the flame and let it cook for 25-30 mins.

• To fasten the cooking process, pour little boiling water on the lid.

• After 20 mins, check on the chicken by inserting a fork – if the fork passes through the chicken without apply too much force means the chicken is cooked completely.

• Cook further for 5-10 mins to evaporate all the water from the Chukka.

• Serve the Chukka along with drinks of your choice.

Happy New Year J

Varutharacha Mutton Curry | Christmas Special Mutton Curry made in Kerala Syrian Christian homes

What takes the center stage at a typical Kerala Syrian Christian household lunch during Christmas is Varutharacha Mutton Curry - a fiery and flavourful Kerala style mutton curry cooked in a paste of roasted coconut and traditional Indian spices.

Ingredients:

·  Mutton – ½ kg (cut into medium pieces)

·  Onion – 3 medium sized

·  Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

·  Tomato – 4

·  Red Chilli powder – 4 tsp

·  Turmeric powder – 2 tsp

·  Coriander powder – 4 tsp

·  Curry leaves – 10

·  Coconut oil - 10 tbsp

·  Salt as per taste

To roast and grind:

·  Coconut grated – ½ cup

·  Coriander seeds - 5 tbsp

·  Dry red chilli – 3

·  Fennel seeds – ½ tsp

·  Green Cardamom – 5

·  Black Cardamom - 2

·  Cloves – 4

·  Cinnamon – 2

·  Black peppercorns – 1 tsp

·  Bay Leaves – 3

·  Star Anise - 1

Method:

·  Marinate the mutton with salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and red chilli powder for 1 hour.

·   Pressure cook the marinated mutton till half cooked (2 whistles) and keep aside.

·   Heat a pan and add all ingredients to roast and grind.

·   Fry till the coconut turns golden brown. Remove from fire and let it cool. Grind the same well.

·  Add little water to the ground masala and make it to a paste. Keep aside.

·  Heat oil in a pan. Add curry leaves and sliced onions.

·  Cook with the pan covered till onion turns golden brown. Give a nice stir.

·  Add ginger garlic paste. Cook for 2-3 mins.

· Add sliced tomato and cook till it turns soft.

· Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and cook for 2-3 mins.

· Add mutton pieces and mix well. To this now add the ground roasted coconut and spices masala paste.

·  Add 2 cups of water and cook with the pan covered till mutton is cooked.

Serve hot with Rice, Appams or Bread.

Spanish Chocolate Turron | Healthy Energy Bar Recipe | Christmas Special

Spanish Chocolate Turron is a crunchy and nutty chocolate bar specially made in Spain during Christmas time. Traditionally, Turrons are of two varieties which are Turrón Duro - a hard nougat candy with whole almonds, and Turrón Blando - a soft and gooey candy almost like fudge. With time, came many other variations in making Turrons and today it is made with one’s own choice of dry fruits and nuts. Generally the combination you’ll find dominant in Spain is of dark chocolate, almonds, puffed rice and peanuts. These Christmas treats are a favorite among children as it is easy to prepare and are fondly exchanged with loved ones during Christmas season.

Ingredients:

· Dark Chocolate/ Milk Chocolate Compound – 500 gms

· Butter – 100 gms

· Roasted Peanuts or any nuts of your choice – 100 gms

· Puffed rice (Rice Krispies or Indian Kurmura) – 100 gms

Method:

1. Chop the chocolate compound in small pieces.

2. Add the chocolate pieces in a double boiler and melt on a low flame. Keep stirring the chocolate as it melts. (Double boiler method- Boil water in a saucepan and place a glass bowl on it. Add the chocolate in the glass bowl and melt.)

3. When the chocolate starts melting, add pieces of butter at room temperature. Mix well.

4. When chocolate is finally melted, switch of the flame. Stir in the puffed rice and peanuts. 

5. Immediately pour it in a mould greased with butter.

6. Refrigerate this till it gets firm.

7. Remove and run a knife around the outside of the mould.

8. Cut into rectangular slices and serve.

Tips & Suggestions:

You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave. Add the chocolate pieces in a microwaveable bowl and melt it for 30 seconds. Take out after 30 seconds mix it well and again heat it for 30 seconds. Repeat this method thrice in 3 intervals.

Rfiss Tounsi | Algerian Eid-e-Milad/ Mawlid Delicacy | No Bake Healthy Date Cookies/ Energy Bars | Eid Special Recipe

Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid is the birth anniversary of Islam's greatest Prophet Muhammed. Prophet Muhammed led an exemplary life and is honoured for the same on this day. The Almighty's chosen messenger and Prophet of Islam loved dates/khajur and encouraged everyone to include this miraculous fruit in their diet. Therefore in Islam influenced countries and cultures they widely use dates and also make sweets/candies of dates on this auspicious day. Our home chef Leo visited the Mumbai's iconic Haji Ali Dargah to seek blessings and also makes for us 'Rffis Tounsi' - a Mawlid sweet cookie made in the country Algeria. It is a traditional and healthy no bake date cookies. Eid-e-Milad Mubarak!

Ingredients

·   Date paste – 1 cup

·   Semolina/Rava – 250 gms

·   White unsalted butter – 150 gms

·   Honey – 3 tsp

·   Salt – a pinch

Method

1.  Roast the semolina on low flame till it starts changing colour.

2.  Take it out from the flame and add the semolina in a mixing bowl.

3.  To the warm semolina add a pinch of salt, butter and mix well to get a crumbly texture.

4.  Add honey, date paste and mix well to get a tight dough.

5.  Shape the dough into cookies or like an Indian peda.

6.  Refrigerate the cookies for some time to make it firm.

7.  Rfiss Tounsi is ready.

How to make Date Paste for Arabic Sweets & Desserts | Healthy Nutella Recipe | Cooking Basics

Dates are widely found in the Middle eastern region and forms an integral part of their cuisine. Dates also play an important role religiously and culturally in Islam and Arab influenced cultural cooking. The country Iraq itself has more than 100 varieties of dates. Date paste is commonly used in every other Middle eastern and Arabic sweets and desserts.

Ingredients:

• Dates (without seeds) – 1 cup/15 nos.

• Water – 1 glass

• Cardamom powder (optional) – 1 tsp

Method:

• Roughly chop the dates. (Tip – Since dates are sticky, add oil on the dates before cutting and refrigerate it for 10 mins to make it easier to chop.)

• Heat water in a pan and keep a strainer with pores on it. Add the roughly chopped dates in the strainer and place a lid over it.

• Keep it for 5 minutes for the dates to become soft.

• Add the soft dates to a blender jar with the cardamom. Blend it in a mixer grinder with little (3 tbsp) if necessary and grind to smooth thick paste.

• The dates paste is ready.

Tips & Suggestions:

• This paste can be stored in the refrigerator for a week and it turns hard when refrigerated.

• Date paste is also a great natural substitute of chocolate Nutella spread.

• Being a rich source of iron and glucose, date paste can also be eaten for instant source of energy.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio | Italian Garlic Spaghetti | Poor Man's Pasta | Quick & Easy Pasta Recipe

Italian cuisine is known for its subtle flavours. The marvellous cuisine has gifted the world pasta, pizza, breads and a variety of other dishes. But Italian cuisine has often been stereotyped of being loaded with cheese and recipes which are difficult to make. Whereas Italian cooking simple and has humble and delightful pasta recipes which can be easily made.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a pasta preparation wherein Aglio means Garlic and Olio is oil in Italian; is effortless pasta cooked in garlic and olive oil. This pasta is a staple in Italian homes as it requires few ingredients and is easy to prepare. It is often called as the ‘Poor Man’s Pasta.'

Ingredients

·   Spaghetti or any Pasta – 500 gms

·   Garlic – 10 cloves

·   Olive oil – 150 ml/ 12 tbsp

·   Black pepper powder – 1 tsp

·  Red Chilli Flakes (optional) – 1 and a 1/2 tsp

·  Dried/Fresh Parsley (optional) – Chopped/ 1 and a 1/2 tsp

·  Salt to taste

Method

1.   Cut thin slices of garlic and keep aside.

2.   Boil water in a saucepan and add salt. Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the pack. (Pasta should be half cooked)

3.   When pasta is cooked, reserve one cup of the starch water to add to the sauce. Drain the pasta and let it cool.

4.   Pour olive oil in a wok and add the slices of garlic. Let the garlic stay in oil for 3 minutes for the flavours to be infused in it.

5.  Switch on the flame and keep it low. Let the garlic get toasted till it starts changing colour.

6.  As the garlic starts changing colour add salt, reserved starch water, pepper powder and red chilli flakes and mix.

7.  Add the pasta and cook till the water evaporates.

8.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle some parsley over it and serve.