Chicken Chettinad

Ingredients

Chicken - 750 gms (with bones, cut into medium pieces)

For Marination

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 2 1/2 tsp

Lemon - 1 medium size

For Chettinad Masala

Corriander Seeds - 1 Tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp

Fennel Seeds - 1 Tbsp

Cinnamon - 1"

Green Cardamom - 2 nos

Black Peppercorns - 10-12 nos

Cloves - 5-6 nos

Red Chillies - 4 nos

Ginger - 1Tbsp (roughly chopped)

Garlic - 1 Tbsp (roughly chopped)

Poppy Seeds - 2 Tsp

Grated Coconut - 1 cup (freshly grated coconut)

For Curry

Onions - 3 medium (finely chopped)

Tomato - 4 medium (boiled and skin removed)

Oil - 5 Tbsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Instructions

1. Clean and wash chicken thoroughly. Place it in a bowl
2. Add juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt.
3. Mix well and keep in refrigrator for 30 minutes
4. In a small pan and put it on medium heat. Take 1 tbsp of oil. Saute corriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns for 5 minutes or until fragrant
5. Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes
6. Add poppy seeds and grated coconut. Saute well for 4-5 minutes
7. Add 1/4 cup of water and continue to saute till water almost evaporated
8. Allow the masala to cool
9. Make light slits on the tomato lengthwise. Boil these for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove skin and chop these roughly, keep it aside
10. Finely chop onion and keep aside
11. Grind cooled masala finely in the blender with little water. Adjust water so that masala is finely ground
12. In a pan, take 4 tbsp of oil
13. Once oil is heated, added finely chopped onion. Saute until onion turns brown. Add 10-12 curry leaves and saute for a minute
14. Add ground masala and fry it well unless it starts releasing oil. Add little water while frying so that masala does not turn dry
15. Add boiled and chopped tomato and saute well until tomato gets well blended with masala
16. Add chicken. Mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes
17. Add very little water, 1 1/2 tsp salt and cook covered for 5 minutes
18. Adjust water if the curry is too dry and cook for another 2-3 minutes
19. Add 1/2 lemon juice, mix well
20. Serve with curry leaves

 

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Ingredients

For The Coverings 

1/2 cup maida
1/2 cup cornflour
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp melted butter
a pinch salt

For The Stuffing

1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped spring onions whites
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables (french beans , carrots , cabbage) , cut into thin strips
3/4 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup boiled and roughly chopped noodles
1/2 cup chopped spring onion greens
2 tsp soy sauce
salt to taste

Other Ingredients

3 tbsp plain flour (maida) dissolved in 1/4 cup water
oil for deep-frying

For Serving

Szechuan sauce

Method 

For the covering

1. Combine the plain flour, cornflour, milk, salt and ½ cup of water in a bowl and mix well till no lumps no remain.
2. Grease a non-stick pan with butter, pour 2 tbsp of the batter into the pan and tilt it around quickly to make a 100 mm. (4”) diameter thin circle.
3. When the sides begin to peel off, turn the pancake and cook on the other side for 30 seconds.
4. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 11 more pancakes.

For the stuffing

1. Heat the oil in a wok /kadhai on a high flame till it smokes.
2. Add the spring onion whites, mixed vegetables, bean sprouts and msg and sauté on a high flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the noodles, spring onion greens, soya sauce and salt and sauté on a high flame for another 2 minutes.
4. Divide the stuffing into 12 equal portions and keep aside.

How to Assemble

1. Place a panacke on a flat, dry surface and place a portion of the stuffing on one of its edge
2. Apply a little flour paste along the edges of the pancake.
3. Fold the top edge over the mixture to seal it firmly.
4. Fold the left and the right side of the pancake in order to get a rectangle.
5. Roll the pancake downwards tightly sealing the ends securely with the flour paste.
6. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 11 more rolls.
7. Heat the oil in a wok / kadhai and deep-fry in batches till they turn light brown in colour.
8. Cut each roll into 2 equal portions and serve hot with schezuan sauce.