Malabar Style Chicken Korma

The word 'Korma' seems to have originated from Mughlai Cuisine. It is a thick gravy dish. The flavour of the curry comes from the combination of spices, coriander, fennel seeds and yoghurt. It gives so much different flavour to the curry. And it is quite unlike the red curry we usually make - Chicken Roast or the brown coconut based curry - Varutharacha Chicken Curry. The thick creamy texture and taste goes so well with chapathi's or any rotis.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Cloves/ Grambu - 6

Cardamom/ Elakka - 4

Cinnamon / Patta - 2" piece

Onion - 3 (big)

Ginger - 1 1/2 " piece

Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Scraped Coconut - 1 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam - 1 tsp

Poppy Seeds /Khus - Khus - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 6 (or upto 9 if you like it spicy) *see note 1

Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Tomato - 3 medium

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup*see note 2

Salt - to taste

Refined Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

METHOD

Clean and chop the chicken into small pieces.

Chop the onions into thin slices. Ginger finely chopped.

Chop the tomatoes into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Wash and filter the khus khus.

Make a coarse paste of the coconut, fennel seeds, khus- khus and green chilly.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the spices - cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.

Tip in the onions and saute till translucent. Add in the ginger and garlic paste.

Add the dry masala powders. If required add 1 tsp oil at this stage as it may get too dry. *see note 3

When the raw smell of the masalas are gone add the chicken.

Mix in the coconut paste, yoghurt, salt and tomatoes. Stir well on medium flame for 2 minutes.

Add the water. Check salt and close the cooker lid.

Cook on low flame for 3 whistles or until the chicken is cooked.

Open the lid, stir well and then season with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis.

Tips for cooking:

1. It is a medium spicy dish. If you want it spicy you can add up to 9 chillies. You have to add at least 6 else it will turn out sweet due to the coconut and tomatoes.
2. This is a semi thick gravy but if you like more gravy add up to 1 cup water. Remember that water comes out of the chicken, yoghurt and tomatoes as you cook.
3. After you add the masalas, make sure you keep stirring else the masalas will stick to the bottom of the cooker.

Sending this post to the Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by The Cooking Doctor

Mutton Varattiyathu / Mutton Masala

Mutton Varattiyathu/ Mutton Masala is a speciality of Kerala. This is one of the current favorite with all my family members. I have made this so many times and I knew this has be on my blog which has not been fed for long now. :)

This will take time but worth the effort. Nothing to beat slow cooking method. All the masalas gets absorbed in the mutton and it can be relished to the last bite.

Mutton Masala
Recipe Source - Suguna Aunt (my Dad's lovely sis)

Mutton - 1 kg

For marination
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required

For masala
Onions - 1 3/4 cup (loosely packed, thinly sliced)
Shallots/ Cheriya ulli - 1 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1/4 cup ( loosely packed)
Ginger - 1/4 cup (finely chopped, loosely packed)
Green Chilly - 2 slit
Tomato - 2 large sized
Mutton Masala - 4 1/2 tbsp*see notes
Coriander Powder - 4 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required
Water - 1 cup

For garnishing
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup(tightly packed)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

METHOD
Marinate the mutton for about an hour.
Heat oil in a kadai. Saute the onions, shallots, ginger, garlic and green chilly till brown for about 5 minutes.  Keep stirring.**see notes
Add mutton masala and coriander powder. Stir till the raw smell is gone.
Add tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add the mutton. Mix well. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add 1 sprig curry leaves.
Add water and check salt. Transfer it to a cooker.
Let it cook on slow fire until 2 whistle comes .***see notes
When cooked add coriander and curry leaves.
Serve with chapathi or any roti.

Tips:

*You can use any mutton masala. I used Eastern Mutton Masala.

**I used a kadai first and then transferred to a cooker as its easier to stir and the masala does not stick to the bottom. I tried making it just in the cooker and found that it had to be stirred continously else the masala sticks to the bottom.As there is very little water used make sure its cooked on very low fire after transferring to the cooker. The juices from the mutton will suffice to cook.

***The cooking time will vary depending on the tenderness of the mutton.

Malabar Aripathiri With Kozhi Roast / Malabar Rice Roti With Chicken Roast

Aripathiri is a thin roti made from rice flour and a speciality of the Malabar region of Kerala. It is so thin that it just melts in the mouth. A healthy roti without oil. It is served for breakfast or dinner and goes well with any masala curries. I like it best with Nadan Varutharacha Chicken Curry or any simple chicken curry or roast.

The only thing to keep in mind when you think of making Pathiri is that you need to be ready to stay long in the kitchen. :) Because no matter how many Pathiris you serve it just disappears in seconds. It is so tasty that you cannot stop eating at just one or two.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed the New Year weekend.

I thought to begin the year with a local special which is one of my favorite too.

Ari Pathiri

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 1 1/2 cup + more for dusting
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as required

METHOD
Boil water. When it comes to a rolling boil add salt.
Tip in the flour into a wide bowl.
Add water to the flour.
Using a ladle slowly mix it.
When it is a little cool knead it into a smooth dough.
Make small balls.
Place each ball on a chapathi board. Sprinkle little rice flour on it and roll it into thin pathiris.
Cut out perfect pathiris using a lid with sharp edges.
Heat a tawa. When it is medium hot place one pathiri on it.
After about 10 seconds turn it over and let cook well on that side.
When small brown dots start appearing flip it over and with a wooden ladle press it gently on the sides. When the pathiri puffs up remove from tawa.

Tips:
Use very fine rice powder.
The amount of water may differ depending on the kind on flour used. Just remember that you need to knead it like chapathi dough. 
Knead the flour till it is real soft. If you are going to roll out pathiris after a long time sprinkle some warm water and knead again before use.
Do not use too much rice flour to sprinkle as pathiris will get too dry.
Cook pathiris on medium heat only as if it is too high it gets burnt easily and will not cook inside. And if it is too low it gets stiff.

Chicken Roast with 1 tsp Oil
Recipe Source : My own

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut into small pieces)
Onion - 2 large (thinly sliced)
Chilly - 1 slit into half
Ginger - 1'' piece
Garlic - 4
Tomato - 2 large
Chicken Masala - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Vinegar / Lime - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - a pinch
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (thin)
Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Salt - as required

METHOD
Marinate the chicken with vinegar/lime, salt and pepper for 1/2 hour or min 15 mins.
Chop the ginger and chilly roughly.
Place the ginger, garlic and chilly in a pestle and mortar and crush it.
Heat oil in a nonstick kadai.
Saute the onions till soft.
Add the crushed ginger, garlic and chilly.
Add chicken masala, garam masala and coriander powder. Saute.
Add tomato. Mix well. Add salt. Cover and cook on low flame till the tomato is well cooked.
Add the chicken and cover. Place a heavy weight on the lid. Cook on slow flame.
After 10 minutes open and stir. Again cover and cook till chicken is fully cooked.
Add coconut milk. Stir well. Check salt and let all the gravy get absorbed in the chicken.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips:
Slow cooking helps in absorbing all the flavours in the chicken.
I used Eastern Chicken Masala powder.

Malabar Chicken Biriyani

Biriyani or Beriani (Persian) is one of the famous Indian rice dish. It seems to have originated from Iran and brought to India by Arab traders. It has been indianised to suit the palette of each region and we have so many varieties of biriyani. If you know a million people then there is a chance that you will get to taste a million variety of biriyanis. :) 

Malabar Chicken Biriyani is the biriyani famous in Northern Kerala. I would like to share with you my Amma's recipe which is one of the best I have tasted. 

 INGREDIENTS 

Recipe Source: My Amma

Short grain Rice/Neychottari	1 kg
Chicken	1 kg
Onion	6+3 thinly sliced
Chilly	2
Tomato	5
Ginger paste	3 teaspoon
Garlic paste	3 teaspoon
Cinnamon	2 (1’ piece)
Clove	12
Cardomom	12
Raisins	1 cup
Nutmeg	1
Star Anise	3
Cashew	1 cup
Yoghurt	1 cup
Chilli Powder	1 tbsp
Coriander Powder	3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	½ teaspoon
Aniseed Powder(perinjeerakam)	1 teaspoon
Poppy seeds(Khus-Khus)	2 teaspoon
Coconut	½ cup
Lime juice	2 teaspoon
Garam masala	1 teaspoon
Bay leaf	2
Water	7 glass
Coriander leaves	½ cup
Pudina Leaves	½ cup
Ghee	½ cup
Sunflower oil	2 tbsp
Rose water	50 ml

METHOD
1. Make a fine paste of 1/2 cup raisins along with yogurt.
2. Marinate the chicken with this paste along with 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon garlic paste and salt. Marinate for 2 hours.
3. Wash rice and keep aside to drain.
4. Boil water (1:2 rice water ratio) along with cloves(6), cardamom(6), Star Anise(2), Cinnamon(1), Bay leaf(1), Nutmeg and salt.
5. Heat ghee in a vessel. Add rice and saute for 5 minutes. Then use a strainer and pour the boiling water. Check salt and let cook in low flame. When cooked keep to cool for 5 minutes and stir it carefully with a fork to remove lumps.
6. Heat oil in a  cooker. Add the remaining cloves, cardamom, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Bay leaf. Saute for 1 minute. Add the thinly sliced onions(6) and saute till onions turn translucent.
7. Add ginger garlic paste, chilly and saute. Add chilly powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric, aniseed powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and saute for a minute.
8. Add tomatoes and saute well. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add lime and salt. By this time boil 3 glass water separately.
9. Add the marinated chicken , coriander leaves, Pudina leaves and saute for 1 minute.
10. Add boiled water, Check salt and close the cooker. 2 whistles if marinated overnight else switch off just before the 3rd whistle.
11. Make a paste of coconut, 1/4 cup cashew and poppy seeds.
12. Add this paste to the chicken masala and let it boil.
13. Pour the remaining ghee in a small pan. Fry the raisins then the cashews. Lastly fry the remaining three thinly sliced onions . Lay it on a plate with kitchen tissue.
14. Take a big nonstick pan and make alternating layers of rice, chicken masala, roasted cashew, raisins, roasted onions,garam masala and sprinkle rose water (Remove the bay leaf).
15. Close it with an airtight lid and put a heavy weight on top. Cook in low flame for 10-15 minutes.
16. Serve hot with raita and chutney.

Tips: 
You can use Basmati Rice for the biriyani.

If you like to be very spicy add 2 green chillies.

Instead of keeping it on the stove after layering you can place it in a microwave and cook for 4-5 minutes. But close it with a lid and do so.

While layering you can add finely chopped coriander leaves.