Tuesday, January 26, 2010

SLOW COOKED CHICKEN CURRY

My today's post is all about slow cooking.I prepared this dish in a slow cooker.A slow cooker maintains a constant low temperature throughout while cooking and so takes a long time for it to be done.But the advantage with this slow cooking is steady low heat from the gravy infuses flavor into the meat and makes it really soft.I accentuated the flavour of this dish by adding fried onion paste to the gravy.They also help in balancing the spiciness of the dish. Its best to use a bone in meat ,that way ones they are cooked they simply fall apart from the bone.For those who dont have a slow cooker can simply cook on a low heat(simmering)in a vessel on stove top.



INGREDIENTS

Bone in Chicken - 4-5 pieces(i used 2 legs and 2 thighs)
Onions - 1 large,finely chopped
Tomato paste - 1/2 cup
ginger - 1 1/2 tsp
garlic - 1 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - of 1 sprig
Spice mix - 1 1/2 tbsp(recipe follows)
Cilantro - a small bunch,to garnish

Roast and Grind:-

Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1 1/2 tbsp
Black peppercorn - 1 tsp
cinnamon stick - 1/2 a piece
cardamam pod - 3 nos
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli pdr - 2 tbsp

Fry and Grind:-

Onion - 1 large, thinly sliced
ginger - 1 tsp
garlic - 1 tsp


METHOD

Dry roast the above mentioned spices except turmeric and red chilli pdr until they turn light brown.Then remove from heat and mix in the turmeric and red chilli pdr.Grind them finely.Set aside half of the pdr in a bowl and mix in some salt.Coat each of the chicken pieces with the spice mix liberally on all sides.Let it marinate for 2 hrs.
Now fry the onions,ginger and garlc until they r lightly brown and then grind them to a smooth paste.Set it aside.
Heat some oil in a pan.Add cumin seeds,ginger,garlic and curry leaves.Stir for a minute then add the finely chopped onions.Stir until they become soft and translucent.Add the spice mix (Store the remaining spice in a dry container)and stir.Now add the tomato paste.Add some water if needed to help mix it together.Add salt.Let this cook for about 5-6 mins.Mix in the fried onion paste.Add 2 cups of water.Now pour this mixture into the slow cooker.Check the seasoning.



Coat the bottom of another pan with some oil.On a high heat brown the chicken pieces on all sides,they should not cook fully,we just want to brown them.Add them into the slow cooker and mix it until they are coated with the gravy.Put the lid and switch it on high.Let it cook for 8-9 hrs or until the meat falls apart from the bone.Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve with rice,roti etc.
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Monday, January 18, 2010

BROWNIES

"Belated happy new year to all of u".

Let me start this post by sharing a good news with u all. We have a new addition in our family now :).YES!!Hubby and me have been blessed with a healthy baby boy on Oct 19th ,2009.We named him Siddharth.He is 3 months old now .Its a joy having him around.Just cant wait for him to show us his new tricks as he grows.

I wanted to make some brownies for a long time now.Everytime for some reason or the other i kept postponing it.I had to share this good news with something sweet.I found no reason to postpone this any further.Just a week back i came across this very interesting brownie recipe.Unlike other brownie recipes this particular one required an unual ingredient - Avocado.Surprised!!!Well i was too and made up my mind to try it out.The result was astounding.Not a trace of avocado but a gooey rich chocolatey nutty taste.Too good to be true.Every chocolate lover has got to try this recipe out.I made some modifications to the original recipe.


INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
Instant Espresso powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Almonds - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Dark chocolate - 3.5 oz
Canola oil - 1/2 cup
Ripe Hass avocado - 1 large
Eggs - 6 nos
Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
Dark brown sugar - 1 cup
Dried cranberries - 1/4 cup

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.In a bowl sift together flour,cocoa,espresso pdr and salt.Light roast the nuts and chop them into small pieces.Mix it with the flour and cocoa.Chop chocolate also into small chunks and mix it with the flour and keep aside.In a blender mix together eggs, avocado, sugar, oil to a smooth paste.Now pour this mixture into the bowl with flour and cocoa and slowly mix it using a whisk.

Pour this mixture into a baking dish coated with butter.Pu the cranberries evenly on top. Bake for 30-35 mins.Let it cool completely before cutting.Serve at room temperature.