Chicken stew is one of the
curries that I prepare ever since I started my cooking expedition. It has
evolved much since then, as I improved much in cooking, and learned to balance
the flavours and spices. I make two versions of it now, one being the easy, low
fat version without using nuts and other one slightly richer version using
ground nuts and thick coconut milk. The gravy is usually white, as no powdered
spices are used apart from little garam masala. Curry gets most of its flavour
from the whole spices that flavour the oil, along with onion, ginger and
garlic. Even though the curry looks plain and white, it is very aromatic and
full of flavour.
I usually use maggi coconut milk
powder to make coconut milk, but if you could extract fresh milk from coconut
it would be even better. You may use fresh, frozen or even desiccated coconut to
extract the milk. I tend to be lazy when it comes to grinding coconut and
squeezing all that glorious white milk off it, leaving behind extra pots and
pans to wash. So almost always use Maggi coconut powder. You can also used
canned coconut milk by diluting it with water to thin it out. I never use
canned coconut milk in my cooking as I feel it has got a strong synthetic aftertaste.
This curry is usually served at
home along with appam, ghee rice, pathiri, chappathis or even bread.
Kerala Chicken Stew
Preparation time:10-20 minutes
Cooking time:30-40 minutes
Recipe 1:
Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken
1 large potato,300g, peeled and
cut into 2 “ pieces
2 large onions, finely chopped,
2 ½ cups
1 ½ tbsp grated ginger
1 ½ tbsp grated garlic
3 twigs of curry leaves
1 large tomato, 175g, cut into
long strips
2 tbsp coconut oil/vegetable oil
5 cardamom
5 cloves
2 -3 2” piece of cinnamon sticks
1 tsp pepper corns slightly
crushed or use it as whole
3 bay leaves
4-5 green chillies slit
lengthwise
1/3 cup cashewnuts soaked in ½
cup thick coconut milk
½-1 cup thin coconut milk
½ tsp garam masala powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
Preparation:
1.Wash chicken well and place It
in a colander to drain of all the excess water.
2. In a wide non stick pan, heat
2 tbsp of oil. When hot add cardamom, pepper corns, cloves, bay leaves and
cinnamon and cook for few seconds until it leaves aroma. (Heat is kept to
medium as high heat burns the spices).
3. Add the chopped onion and salt
and sauté until it starts turning golden. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and
cook till the raw smell fades.
4. Add tomatoes, 2 twigs of
curry leaves and sauté until tomatoes are pulpy.
5. Add chicken pieces and mix
well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
6. Pour in the coconut milk,
stir, and cook it covered on low heat until the chicken is half done, for about
10 minutes.
7. Add in the potatoes and cook
till the chicken is tender and potato is cooked.
8. Add in cashew paste,
remaining curry leaves, lemon juice, green chillies and garam masala. Gently
heat to simmering point and take off the heat. Serve it along with ghee rice,
appam etc.
Recipe2:
Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken
2 large onions,sliced thin, 3 cups
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 ½ - 3tbsp grated garlic (10 cloves)
3 twigs of curry leaves
1 large tomato, 175g, cut into
long strips
2 tbsp coconut oil/vegetable oil
5 cardamom
6 cloves
3 2” piece of cinnamon sticks
2 tsp pepper corns slightly
crushed
4-5 green chillies slit lengthwise
11/2 - 2 cup thin coconut milk
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 twig curry leaves
Preparation:
1. Wash chicken well and place
It in a colander to drain of all the excess water.
2. In a wide non stick pan, heat
2 tbsp of oil. When hot add cardamom, pepper corns, cloves, and cinnamon and cook
for few seconds until it leaves aroma. (Heat is kept to medium as high heat
burns the spices).
3. Add the chopped onion and
salt and sauté until it starts turning golden. Add the chopped ginger and
garlic and cook till the raw smell fades.
4. Add tomatoes and sauté until
tomatoes are pulpy.
5. Add chicken pieces and mix
well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
6. Pour in the coconut milk,
stir, and cook it covered on low heat until the chicken is fully cooked, for
about 20 minutes minutes. Towards the end of cooking, add curry leaves, green
chillies and garam masala. Gently heat to simmering point and take off the
heat. Serve it along with ghee rice, appam etc.