NAADAN KOZHI PIRALEN

I've been busy as a bee for the past couple weeks with all the get togethers that we've been hosting. Now that we are done with all of it, I feel like I have all the time in the World! So naturally,my first thing to do would be to come here and take a sneak peak as to what's going on. I actually had taken these photographs a few week ago to share them here but got the time for it just this morning. Once I am done with this post, I need to start packing for our upcoming vacation that we have been planning for almost a year now. Minneapolis is so cold right now so I am happily looking forward to that warm destination!

This is a life-saver of a curry. I've made this countless number of  times in the past and it turns out perfect each time. This recipe is from a cookbook 'Suriani Pachakam' by Mrs. Bava Lukose. I love this cookbook because whatever I've made from it over the last few years have been delicious! Bava aunty and I have exchanged many emails and even know many common people in between. Amma has met her twice or thrice already...I wonder when I will get to meet her finally!

It's such a quick curry to put together and goes with pretty much with everything that you can think of! I mean, chicken curry is something I like to pair with most things. Whenever a chicken curry is made at ours, it kind of gets over the same day unless I portion out some and keep it aside before it's served. Usually, that happens over a weekend when there's a movie being played on the TV and a glass of wine in hand. We rarely watch TV shows nor movies on a regular basis, it's just a weekend thing for us. I somehow don't get the time to sit in front of it to catch up on all the latest stuff, not even Food Network these days. I am also not willing to compromise on my sleep either! :-)

NAADAN KOZHI PIRALEN
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:
1 kilograms chicken, cut into medium pieces
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup sliced onions
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 sprigs curry leaves
Salt

2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed powder
8 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1/4 cup sliced pearl onions
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon ginger

Method: Grind together all the ingredients from coriander through ginger to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a large pan on medium high heat and sauté the onions until soft. Add the ground paste and sauté well for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, curry leaves, vinegar and salt. Mix well and add 1 cup water. Cover and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve hot!

The last time I made this curry, I served it alongside Chapatis. We enjoy that combination a lot and it reminded me of an incident when I was a 5 year old. I clearly remember Amma had served me something to eat for breakfast, which I now think was Dosa & Chammanthi and I refused to eat it. She tried to convince me but since I didn't budge, she told me that I will not be given anything else to eat for breakfast until I eat a bite of that. I remember crying my eyes out and that's when Mamma came home. I ran to her to complain that Amma didn't give me anything to eat. I was so excited when Mamma asked Amma to feed me something else.

Then Amma served me a plate of Chapati and Beef curry with potatoes in it. I fell in love and I am still in love with Chapathi and any non vegetarian curry! That combination is amazing!

GARLIC PARMESAN PASTA with CHICKEN & MUSHROOMS

Ihave lost count of the number of times I've made this recipe in the last one year. It is such a favorite amongst us and I even made it this time when I went home. Our little ones love pasta and even we enjoy it when made well. There are somedays when Ian & Zara asks me to make this particular dish. They both LOVE mushrooms so much that I think they sometimes eat this just for the yummy mushrooms that goes into this dish. It's very easy dish to make and they make great leftovers too!

You just need a few ingredients and by that I mean, pretty rich and tasty ingredients to pull this together. I made this for our annual Christmas party last year for the kids because most kids that we hang around with love pasta. And I still continue to make this very frequently for my own. Ian loves it so much that he asks me often if I've noted down the recipe somewhere so that he can recreate it when he grows bigger. Zara makes sure that there's enough of mushrooms in the bowl of pasta that I give her.

Growing up, I disliked everything about mushrooms. I think it was because of the way it was made...in it's whole form. I like them sliced thinly and sautéed in some butter or olive oil along with some salt and pepper until they reduce in size and turn brown in colour. That flavor is SO good! Now, whenever we go out and if I am ever in doubt of what to order...if there are mushrooms on the menu, then there's no looking back! I love adding them even to my Risotto, which is another much loved dish by the children. I found this recipe on Alyssa's blog and decided to toss some pasta along with it . Best decision ever!

GARLIC PARMESAN PASTA with CHICKEN & MUSHROOMS
Serves 4


Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast / thighs, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & Pepper
8 ounces white / baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced

Creamy Garlic Parmesan sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 cup spinach, chopped
8 ounces pasta of your choice, cooked al dente*

Method: In a bowl,sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.In a large skillet on medium high heat, heat olive oil and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside. Remove onto a plate and set aside.Into the same pan, add the sliced mushrooms and saute well adding a pinch of salt and pepper till it reduces in size and turns brown. Remove onto a plate and set aside.

To make the sauce, add the butter to a pan on medium heat and when it melts, add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the flour and mix well to cook for another 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook stirring till it begins to thicken. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, 30 seconds.
Add the cooked pasta, reserved chicken & mushrooms and toss well to mix. Serve hot!

* Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, incase you need to thin out the sauce later.

For this recipe, you can use bottled grated Parmesan cheese or you can grate your own. It doesn't make that big of a difference. I've tried them both since I've made this dish way too many times already! I always use homemade chicken stock because it's pretty much a staple in our fridge. You can use storebought as well. I haven't tried substituting it .You can serve the chicken not just with pasta but alongside buttered rice, toasted bread, mashed potatoes etc. I started with pasta and it's stuck with pasta forever I guess! ;-) I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as we do!

EASY RED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This dish has to be the easiest one I've made in the recent times. I mean,all you need to do is layer up some incredibly yummy stuff and bake it! If you do not have the time to poach chicken like me, you can use store bought cooked chicken. It's not going to alter the taste at all! This is a perfect make ahead dish which you can bake at the last minute and it's even a perfect weeknight meal. Also people, I have some gooooood news to share with you guys! We've been upto something for the last one month and finally it's official!

We are moving to a new home! It's super busy at our home right now since we are moving to another city plus we also celebrated Ian's birthday in between the move. I will be posting pictures from it as soon as we are done with setting up our internet stuff at our newest home. I think it's going to take a while.I cannot tell you how exhausted I am as I type this post. I am dead tired. Even my bones are tired from all the packing,cleaning and more packing! Unpacking is a whole new chapter that I will have to deal with.

So without much further talk, I am going to share this recipe with you right away!Just make sure you get hold of Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce  with authentic notes of ancho chili and cocoa for the best results! I used it and I can vouch for it's taste and quality. The team at Simply Organic sent me a box full of incredible ready to use sauces and I honestly cannot wait to use it. I mean, when I am scrambling to unpack and set up our brand new not-even-a-day-old home with a 10 month old in tow...these sauces are a blessing in disguise.

EASY RED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 pouches Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce
1 small tin chopped green chilies
2 cups poached chicken or store bought cooked chicken
1 large red onion
1 large can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 tablespoons oil
8 regular size flour tortillas

Method: In a large pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and saute the onions till soft and translucent. Add the green chilies and chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool. In a 9 X 13 inch baking pan, spread about 1/2 cup of the Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce.Take one tortilla, spread 2 tablespoons of the Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce and top it with some chicken mixture,beans and cheese. Roll it up and place it in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce over it and cover the top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350F / 180C till the cheese melts and the top is golden. Serve hot!

Honestly, I am about to crash as I type this post. There's a whole lot of clothes to be packed up before we sleep tonight. Movers will be here tomorrow. Who would have thought we have so much clothes in our cupboards? Who would have thought we have SO much kitchen stuff? I did. Yep...I was dreading the kitchen packing actually! With all my collection of crockery and cookware...hmm. Anyway, it's all a thing of the past now.

So, bye for a while till we get our internet stuff sorted out. Until then, if you get sometime,give this dish a try! :-)

This post is sponsored by Simply Organic but all opinions are my own.

CHEMMEEN MANGATHOLI PAAL CURRY

Almost my entire childhood vacation at Kothamangalm in my Ammai's house included unlimited supply of Mangatholi along with plenty of Kappa Erachi,Cheeda and other goodies. Till a couple of years I thought Mangatholi was literally the sundried skin of raw mangoes.Only recently did I realize that it was the entire green mango flesh which were roughly cut up and dried under the sun along with salt till it was dehydrated and almost black in colour. That flavour of Mangatholi will be on my tongue until my last day. It is so good! Super tangy,salty pieces of mango which tastes like...the Sun!

Do you all like the smell of clothes dried under the scorching Sun? I do. It always reminds me of Pallikuttumma. All our clothes would be hung on the line and even on the pebbles on the ground to dry and in the evening when it's taken inside the house,it would be paper dry and smells like the Sun. If I were to close my eyes and take a deep breath, I can still smell those clothes of mine. Those were the days we carelessly roamed around everywhere wearing hand-me-downs,least bothered about how our hair looked like or how messy our face were after eating ripe and raw mangoes holding them as is. I miss my childhood. I really had a good one.

When I was pregnant with Zara, I craved for Mangatholi. That was when Jobin was travelling to India for work. I immediately Whatsapped Ammai and asked her if she had any stock. Of course, she did and she sent it to Amma and Jobin collected it from there and brought it all the way to Minneapolis. I wonder if those mangoes which were hanging on my Ammai's trees knew that they would end up in a dish in Minneapolis!

I usually eat them as is but off late, I've been using it instead of our Kudampuli/ Valanpuli for curries. They work just fine and provides such a rustic taste to the curry. When I came across this curry on YouTube, I had to give it a try right away. As I was cooking, I posted some videos of it on Instagram (which is currently where I am the most active...if you would like to get cooking updates ALL the time from me, you can follow me there! ) and I was flooded with requests to share the recipe. It's literally impossible to share recipes personally anymore because of time constraints and the lack of interest in typing out in detail using my phone. So I told them that I will share it here, so that all of you can view it and try it at home!

CHEMMEEN MANGATHOLI PAAL CURRY
Serves 6

Ingredients:
500g Shrimp,cleaned
2 inch piece ginger, crushed
1 medium onion,sliced fine
2-3 green chilies, slit
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt

About 1/3 -1/2 cup Mangatholi,soaked in 1/2 cup water*

1 1/4 cup thin coconut milk
1/2 cup thick coconut milk

For tempering:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
5 pearl onions, sliced
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method: In a meenchatti,add the shrimp,ginger,onion, chilies,spice powders,curry leaves, salt and 1 cup water. Cook on medium heat till the shrimp is half way done. Add the thin coconut milk, Mangatholi pieces along with the soaking water and cook covered until the shrimp is completely cooked.If the gravy is too thin at this point, cook the curry uncovered for 1-2 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Take it off the stove.
In a small pan, heat the oil and crackle the mustard seeds.Add the dried red chilies, curry leaves and shallots and fry till the shallots starts to turn colour. Turn the heat to low and add in the spice powders.Cook stirring well for 20 seconds. Turn off the heat and pour the tempering over the curry. Check for seasonings and serve hot with rice!

* You can use one raw green mangoes pieces instead. Just make sure you don't over cook the shrimp or the mango pieces. You can use Kudampuli too,if green mangoes are unavailable.

This is an AMAZING curry! It's tangy and spicy. Since the shrimp doesn't take that long to get cooked, the ginger and onion pieces retain their shape so you get a bite of it every once in a while. This curry is best served with plain rice. Ian loved it. Jobin is in India for work right now,so that's why you don't get to hear about him much these days. So do let me know if you try this curry, you will love it for sure! In the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram here!

I have some news for Kannur people! Amma and her fellow YWCA members have opened a cafe and guest house  right next to St. Teresa's School in Burnacherry. The quaint little cafe,originally a British cottage,serves homemade food made exclusively by Amma and two other members. It's called Cafe Y and it's open from 9 am till 7 pm. Please visit when time permits!

BAKED HOT & SPICY CHICKEN TACOS

The very first time I ever ate a Taco was during my Mount Carmel days in Bangalore. My department conducted a 2 day food sale every year for the final year students which was a part of the final practical examination. So when our seniors hosted the sale, one of their menu items were a vegetarian taco and that was filled with a super delicious saucy kidney bean filling which was on my mind for weeks even after the event.

My very good friend from college Vasu came to my rescue with her sister's recipe notes for homemade taco shells and filling.All those recipes contained some ingredients that I could never ever find in Kannur. So those recipes went underground and never saw daylight again!

After coming to the US, my Taco craze was satified. There are so many different and easy ways that you can make or even assemble them. Readymade shells from Old El Paso are a life saver! You just have to pretty much bring all the filling ingredients together and simply assemble the Tacos. Tacos are perfect for parties, game days or even a simple dinner! I love how easy it is to have a Taco Bar at our parties,where the guests can assemble their own Tacos with the fillings of their choice.

Today, I have a different take on a regular Taco...a baked version. It uses Old El Paso Refried Beans, Old El Paso Taco Shells, Old El Paso Hot & Spicy Taco seasonings along with some cooked chicken thighs, Mexican cheese and other toppings . I found this recipe on Becky's site and decided to make it right away! The ease was the main deciding factor,not to mention the flavour combinations!

BAKED HOT & SPICY CHICKEN TACOS
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 yellow onion, diced
One 16 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes,drained well
One 4.5 ounce canned green chilies
One 1 ounce packet Hot & Spicy Taco seasoning
Half 16 ounce can refried beans
10 Stand & Stuff Taco shells
Mexican cheese
Lettuce
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Method: In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and once it is hot, add the onions and saute till transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, green chilies, Taco seasoning & shredded chicken. Mix well and simmer for 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Place the Taco shells in it and fill them with a tablespoon each of refried beans. Top them with the chicken mixture and then with cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the shells are a bit brown around the edges. Top with your favourite toppings and serve right away!

These Tacos were really flavourful and so easy to make! The filling can be made ahead of time,so it's just the last minute assembly that you need to do. Go ahead and make these for your next get together / game day / parties!  You can thank me later! :-)

LASAGNA-STYLE BAKED ZITI

It is so incredibly cold here in Minneapolis now and cold makes me hungry all the time! I enjoy soups,stews,cheesy pasta dish etc around this time of the year. Lasagna is definitely an indulgent dish perfect for this cold weather. I usually make them with the flat Lasagna noodles but this time, I thought of using a different shaped pasta.A Ziti. The flavours were spot on and it made a tasty meal!

I made this dish using Bertolli Riserva Marinara with Parmigiano Reggiano. It's is my brand of choice for a good bottled marinara.The flavours are well balanced and they have many flavours of marinara sauce now.

This meal can be made ahead of time and frozen. I do that quite a bit nowadays to save time. When I made it, I divided it into two pans and froze one right away. Whenever you are ready for a lazy day,just pull it out of the freezer a few hours before you need it,let it thaw completely and then bake it as mentioned in the directions.

Ian is a pasta lover! He enjoys taking it with him to school and looks forward to eating it at lunch time.He loves Pizza too,especially the ones we get in Costco. It's a huge slice but my little man can eat it,even if Jobin and I have to share one slice! It's been a while since I made Pizza at home...hmmm! These days, I fulfill all of my baking dreams in school,so I rarely bake anymore at home other than our usual stuff like a Roast Chicken, Fish Pie, Baked Pasta,Kebabs,Wings etc. I really miss that point of time in my life when I had ALL the time in the world to myself to do all what I wanted to do! Life is incredibly good right now but I certainly miss my 'me -time'!.

Now back to this delicious pasta dish...I found this recipe on My Recipes.com and this one is a keeper!

LASAGNA-STYLE BAKED ZITI

Ingredients:
12 ounces Ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground lean beef
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano,crushed
1 26 ounce bottle of Bertolli Reserva Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 15 ounce container Ricotta
1 10 ounce container frozen spinach,thawed and squeezed to remove liquid
1 cup grated Mozzarella

Method: Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box.

In a large pot one medium -heat, cook onions in 1 tablespoon oil,salt and pepper until soft, 5-7 minutes.Add ground beef,crumble it up using a spoon and cook until it's no longer pink, 7-8 minutes. Drain off the excess liquid.Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and cook for another 3 minutes.Remove from heat.

Add the pasta and toss to mix. Add Parmesan, ricotta and spinach. Toss well to coat. Transfer the pasta to a 9X13 inch baking dish.Top it with Mozzarella and bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

*If you are planning to freeze it, do not bake it. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in two layers of foil and freeze it for upto 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake covered at 350F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until Mozzarella melts.

Did I tell you that Jobin is going to school now? He joined Columbia University, New York in September. He is currently in New York for 5 days and I am praying that I don't have to go out in this super duper cold weather for any kind of shopping,grocery especially. I am just using up all what I have on hand in the fridge and freezer. It's a crockpot Chicken Wild Rice soup for dinner tonight! Just the thought of having soup for dinner is making me feel warm and nice!

CHORIZO, MUSHROOM & ROASTED GARLIC RIGATONI

This pasta dish is a staple in our house. I've always made it with Chorizo because it's one of my favourite things to eat and cook with.When you pair it with a Ragu Pasta sauce,it's even better!I sometimes fry them and serve it alongside rice and it kind of takes the place of Beef Ulathiyathu.If you have never tried it, you should. It's a pork sausage with a lot of spice in it.It's delicious and makes everything that you make with it taste awesome!There are two kinds of Chorizo,fresh & dry. I like to use the fresh ones and you can use it just like how you would use a ground meat.

I rarely buy pasta sauces but when I do, I prefer to buy Ragu. It's such a well balanced sauce and it's not overtly tart. Some bottled sauces are so tart that you really wouldn't know how to fix the dish in the end. I used Ragu's Roasted Garlic Pasta sauce because I do have a weak point for roasted garlic,for that matter everything with garlic in it. I don't mind if the sauce is chunky or smooth. This roasted garlic sauce was made chunky.

Assunta made the voyage from Italy to America with a little something extra up her sleeve,her family's recipe for tomato sauce - a secret and sublime combination of vine-ripened tomatoes,fresh basil,fennel,garlic and ground pepper,meticulously writing down every detail and hiding it for safe passage.She must have known she was onto something when the neighbour's raved about it. Then the neighbour's neighbours. Word spread and when people in Iowa started grabbing it off the shelves,well,the legend was off and running.

It wasn't easy,Assunta grew up in a man's word during America's toughest time -the Great Depression.And in a time when people expected less,she gave them more. When people were forced to put their hoped,dreams and aspirations on the back burner, Assunta placed hers directly on the front burner.Her recipe literally became the recipe for her success...Thus, Ragu pasta sauce was born! Hundred of pasta sauces have graced the shelves over the past 80 years, but only one has become America's number one.

Ragu pasta sauces are made with farm grown ingredients and contains no artificial flavours or high fructose corn syrup.

CHORIZO,MUSHROOM & ROASTED GARLIC RIGATONI
My own recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 fresh Chorizo links,case removed
1 small box button mushrooms,cleaned and sliced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 box good quality Rotini pasta
1 1/4 cups of Ragu Pasta Sauce ( Chunky Roasted Garlic)
Fresh parsley
Salt & Pepper

Method:
In a medium sized pan,on medium high heat, saute the crumbled chorizo till it starts to release it's oil. Add the mushrooms and onions and saute till all the water from mushroom dries up. Add the pasta sauce to it and cook covered,on medium heat for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile,cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.Do not drain the pasta.
Check the sauce for seasoning and set aside.When the pasta is done,using a slotted spoon,add the hot pasta directly into the sauce and mix well.Check for seasonings.Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot!

If you want to thin out the sauce,you may use the pasta cooking water for the same.

This is a good one, try it someday. I am sure you will like it. If you are planning to use ground meat instead of chorizo,make sure you season them accordingly. Chorizo is very very flavourful!

There is a sweeps contest running on Food(dot)com. The contest is titled Ready. Set. Cook! and it challenges home cooks to create new and unique recipes featuring Ragu sauce plus a set list of other ingredients! Click here for more details!

THE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Does this humble,yet hugely popular curry need an introduction? This is like the voice of India.Whichever restaurant you go to here, this is on their menu for sure! I even like the way it sounds.This was never a curry we had at home while growing up. A good Butter Chicken would appear once in a while on the dinner table when Amma was in a mood for a change. But,never a Chicken Tikka Masala.

I like all curries with a thick smooth sauce made with onions and tomatoes. And to go with that, I'd love some Garlic Naan,with some butter slathered over it.

I made this curry a month or two back and this post was in my drafts for the longest time. I don't know why,but,everytime I saw it, I did not feel like posting it here.I am trying my best to stop procrastinating things these days because,once I do that,it never gets done later on. It's a bit difficult at times but,when I am done with it,it feels awesome! There are days when I don't feel like doing anything, but,just sit and watch some movies or catch up on some idiotic reality shows.

Back to the curry.This is really an awesome one! Once you make it,you will feel like a kitchen goddess. Trust me, you will! Your kitchen will smell amazing while it's cooking and your tastebuds will feel pampered when you taste it! None of Mr. Raghavan Iyer's recipes, that I've tried so far, have failed to impress.It's not just me. It's been impressing a lot of our friends too! I paired it with a simple Peas Pulao, that I love making with some red onions, cumin & cilantro. It would pair well with just steamed Basmati rice too! This curry is bursting with flavours and you will wonder why you didn't make it earlier!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
You will need some bamboo skewers

For the marinade:
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,ground
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 pound boneless,skinless chicken breasts,cut lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips

For the sauce:
2 tablespoon ghee
1 small red onion,coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper,seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Method:Soak the bamboo skewers in water for an hour.
Whisk all the ingredients given under the marinade,stir in the chicken and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate covered, for atleast 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to cook the chicken,make the sauce: Heat the ghee in a small saucepan* over medium -high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, almonds and raisins, and cook, stirring frequently,until the vegetables soften and then acquire honey -brown patches,10-12 minutes.Stir in the tomatoes and scrape the bottom to deglaze it.Pour this chunky sauce into the blender and add the cream,salt,cayenne and garam masala. Puree,scraping the jar as needed,to make a thick,nutty-gritty sauce.Pour the sauce into a medium size saucepan and simmer it over low heat while you grill the chicken.

Grill or broil (on the shelf closest to the heating element) the chicken for 6-8 minutes,turning occassionally,until they juices run clear.Slide the chicken off the skewers into the sauce.Stir to coat well and serve garnished with cilantro!

*Forcing the vegetables into a small pan allows them to sweat a little,creating moisture that prevents burning.

This curry is a bomb! That's all that I have to say :) We enjoyed it to the last bite. The sauce will thicken up as it cools,so feel free to adjust the consistency with some cream,if need be.

TARIDAAR COPRAY CHI MUCHEE

Guess what? I am posting another recipe for a simple fish curry! Ian enjoys fish as much he enjoys his veggies,poultry and meat.So I enjoy frying fish and making curries with it for him. He calls is 'Mee Mee' fry and waits for me to finish mixing rice, yogurt and fish for him to start eating. Every time he sees me draining freshly cooked rice, he would ask me for 'Mee Mee' fry :-) It melts my heart...every single time!

Ian has grown so much after he turned two. He talks a lot and loves to sing. If you ever come home and need something from the kitchen, you know whom to ask. He know where everything is kept and helps me put away things when we get back home after grocery shopping. I love to see the look on his face when I ask him to do things...he really feels important then!The other day, he saw me put away some story books and asked me to give him one. When I did, he said 'Thank you, Amma!'. I was shocked and couldn't breathe for a second or two. He also blesses us every time we sneeze.His version is,'Bless La Amma!'.Yesterday, we were at the mall for Toddler Tuesdays, and met a reader's cousin for lunch. Someone at the restaurant we were eating sneezed, and I heard a small voice saying, Bless La ! next to me. I wonder how they learn how to connect things!

Getting back to this delicious simple curry. This is another favourite from Mr. Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. It is super easy to make and very very tasty! The recipe calls for Kokum and I  have substituted it equally with Gambooge / Kudampuli. Also, this curry uses raw rice as an ingredient! I've never heard of it before and that's one reason why I tried this dish.I've made slight changes to certain ingredients and I have given the measurements accordingly.

TARIDAAR COPRAY CHI MUCHEE
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds skinless catfish filets, cut up
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
2 tablespoon long- grain white rice
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 dried Thai or cayenne chilies, stems removed
5 pieces dried black kokums/gambooge, each roughly 2 inches long and 1 inch wide
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup finely choppped red onion
3 fresh green Serrano chili,chopped fine

Method:
Sprinkle salt over the fish,spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them chill in the fridge,covered,for 30 minutes.Meanwhile pour 1/2 cup water into a blender jar and add the coconut,rice, coriander seeds,peppercorns, turmeric and dried chilies. Puree, scraping as needed,to make a thick paste.
Combine kokum with the boiling water and let it steep for 10-15 mins. Squeeze the fruit to extract the pulp and discard the fruit.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat .Add onions and chilies and stir fry until the onion is light brown around the edges and the chilies smell pungent,2-3 minutes. Ad the ground coconut paste and stir-fry until the spices and coconut form a thin yellow film on the bottom,1-2 minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cup water into the blender jar and swish it around to wash it out. Pour this to the skillet and scrape the bottom to deglaze it. Submerge the fish filets,in a single layer,in the sun-yellow sauce and cover the skillet. Poach gently, turning the fish halfway through cooking once,12-15 minutes.Add the kokum water,swirl the pan gently to get it mixed in.Adjust salt,simmer for a minute or two and serve hot!

This curry pairs well with Kerala Matta Rice,Basmati Rice or even Sona Masoori rice. We like to eat fish curries with Kerala Matta Rice mostly because how the mouth feel is. The grains are bigger, chubbier and starchy. It is truly a delectable fish curry with a twist from my usual ones. Jobin thinks this curry is delicious and I agree to it 100%!