Prawns (or Shrimp) in coconut gravy

Prawns (or shrimp - I honestly don't know the difference) are the only seafood I have attempted making. I only take a crack at it occasionally as I hate the time it takes to clean them properly. Even if I buy them shelled and deveined, I still put in that effort as my husband reacts to it badly otherwise. Aside from this, the recipe actually needs very little time and effort to prepare.

250g king prawns or shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
2-4 whole dried red chillies
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1tbsp oil (coconut oil if you have it)

Tempering
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds

• Toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn, red chilli and fenugreek in a dry pan for a few minutes till they release their natural oils and become fragrant. Allow them to cool and then grind them along with the fresh coconut to a fine paste. You can remove the seeds from the chillies to control the heat.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to the hot oil and let them splutter.
• Add the chopped onions and turmeric. Fry in the oil till the onions soften and turn translucent.
• Add the ground coconut paste and fry till the oil starts to separate. This may take about 3-5 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the paste from catching at the bottom.
• Add the prawns and toss them in the paste for a couple of minutes. 
• Add salt to taste and enough water to form a gravy. Bring to a boil first and then cover and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes. The prawns will turn opaque when they are fully cooked.
• Add enough tamarind pulp at this stage to give the gravy some sourness and boil for a few more minutes before turning off the heat.
• Serve with hot rice.

Chicken kofta and chicken kofta curry

I come from a family of vegetarians. I have always been surrounded by people who weren't vegetarians but my real exposure to cooking non-vegetarian food was after marriage. Over the years, I have learnt a few recipes that I make well (at least that's the hope!) but I rarely go out of that comfort zone. Experiments are few and far apart and mostly after a lot of reading on the web. So when my husband brought home some chicken mince, I was at a loss what to do with it. He suggested I use it to make something akin to meatballs. That's how I ended up making this chicken kofta curry.

I didn't have any of the usual herbs or bread crumbs, but I did have some basil left over from last night's pasta dinner. The bread crumbs I improvised by toasting two slices of bread lightly and then whizzing them in a food processor. The amount of mince I had was way more than needed for the curry. So I baked them separately for another day. I think these would make good appetizers served with a dipping sauce.

For the koftas or chicken balls

700g chicken mince

1 medium onion, chopped finely

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

3/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground pepper

2-3 slices of stale bread or 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

12-15 basil leaves

5-6 curry leaves

Salt to taste

3 tbsp oil for shallow frying

• Place the bread (or bread crumbs) in the food processor along with the torn up basil and curry leaves and pulse a few times till everything is well combined but still coarse..
• Mix the rest of the ingredients and the prepared bread crumbs into the chicken mince. Add salt according to taste (probably need about 1-11/2 tsp of table salt)
• Form lime sized balls and place them in an oiled plate to prevent them from sticking.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is medium hot, shallow fry the prepared mince balls till they are golden brown on all sides. The intention is only to given them colour and not to cook them at this stage.  (Skip the next step if they are being used for a curry)
• Remove them into an oiled baking tray when they are nicely browned. Cover the tray with foil and bake them in a 190C oven for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

For the curry

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp Crème fraiche or double cream

3/4 tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Few basil leaves for garnish

The koftas will need to be shallow fried as mentioned above. 

• Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds when the oil is hot and allow them to splutter.
• Add the chopped onion and sauté till they are softened and translucent.
• Add the tomato paste and ginger-garlic paste and cook for a few minutes. Sprinkle a little water to prevent this from burning or catching at the bottom.
• Next add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and sauté for a minute till the spices are well coated.
• Add a cup of water and allow it to come to boil. Add the koftas that have been fried to the sauce pan and add more water so they are just submerged.  Add salt needed for the gravy. Allow this to come back to boil. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes on a low flame till they are cooked fully.
• Add the cream or  crème fraiche and garam masala and mix well. Continue to simmer till the gravy starts to thicken.
• Turn off the heat and finish off with some chopped basil.
• Serve warm with rice or rotis.

Lamb curry with bulgur pilaf

What a busy couple of weeks it has been! This last week especially has been a week of pizzas and take away because I couldn't whip up the energy to do the day to day cooking. It feels like today was the first free day I've had in a long time. The day started late following a restful lie-in. I meant to spend most of it in the kitchen but a short visit to the bank ended up turning into a day of shopping. It was late when I got back home, but I still wanted to make something nice for dinner. It was mostly driven by my guilt of having eaten out so much.

Anyway what I ended up making was a lamb curry (being a vegetarian, this was not for me) and a simple pilaf using bulgur. I mostly use the pressure cooker for anything that takes a long time to cook (lamb, mutton and turkey). The kind of pressure cooker I have is the one that maintains a steady pressure and not that one that whistles. Mine takes about 5-7 minutes to cook the meat fully. You can always do it over stove top except that it will take between 40 minutes to an hour of slow cooking. You know it is done when you cut into a piece of meat it cuts through without any resistance.

Lamb curry

300g diced lamb
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
4-5 green cardamom pods
3-4 black cardamon pods
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt to taste
Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Marinade
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or Spanish paprika)
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lemon/lime juice

• Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients well and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed sauce pan. When the oil is hot, add the cardamom and cinnamon and toss for a few seconds. Then add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till the onions are nicely browned. Add a teaspoon of sugar to expedite this.
• When the onions have caramelized, add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to cook for a minute.
• Add the diced lamb and stir over high heat for a couple of minutes.
• Add the marinade and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes till the oil starts to separate. 
• Add the tomato paste and salt and mix everything together.
• If you are using a pressure cooker, put the lid and the weight and cook for 5-7 minutes when the pressure starts to release (about 5 whistles).  You don't have to add water, the meat will release enough water to cook it. Turn off heat and wait till the pressure cooker is ready to be opened. Add water to bring it to the gravy consistency if required. If you do so, put it back on the heat and bring to a boil again. You can do this on the stove top without using a pressure cooker. Add a cup or two of water and allow everything to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and cook till the meat is tender. This may take between 40 minutes to an hour. You'll also need to top up the water if needed.
• Finish off with  chopped coriander.

This will taste best the next day when the flavour goes into the meat. It goes well with rice and can also be used a side for naan or roti. A lot of Kashmiri chilli powder is used. This is a very mild chilli powder and is mainly used to impart the deep colour to the dish. If this isn't easily available, Spanish paprika can be substituted.


Bulgur pilaf

1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced parsnip
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4-5 cardamom pods
4-5 cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
2 cups boiling water
Handlful of chopped coriander for garnish

• Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour freshly boiled water over it. 1 cup of bulgur will need about 2 cups of water. Cover with cling film and keep it aside for 20 minutes.
• After this time, drain any remaining water and keep aside.
• Soak the cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add the whole spices and fennel and toss in the hot oil for sometime.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till it turns translucent. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute more so the raw flavour disappears.
• Now add the turmeric, chilli powder and diced vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste along with couple of table spoons of water and cover and cook till the vegetables are softened.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the prepared bulgur, lemon juice and cranberries and mix everything together. Keep the heat low and toss it around for a 3-4 minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Adjust the salt if needed.
• Turn off the flame. Finish off with some chopped coriander. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken drumsticks with lemon and thyme

6 skinless chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp thyme
11/2 tsp garlic paste
2 lemons, unwaxed
3 tbsp red chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Butter for basting

• Prepare a marinade by combining the zest and juice of the two lemons, chopped thyme, garlic, salt and the chilli flakes.
• Score the chicken pieces. Place them in a bowl. Pour the marinade and rub it in for a few minutes using clean hands.
• Cover with a cling film and refrigerate for several hours or overnight if possible.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Remove the excess marinade from the surface of the chicken and place them over a rack in a roasting pan. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.   
• Turn the grill on at this stage and crank it up to the maximum. 
• Remove the foil and baste the chicken with some melted butter. Grill on high on each side for 3-5 minutes until it browns nicely. The milk solids in the melted butter will help with the browning.

Jamaican jerk chicken

I saw this on the telly ages ago and I have made it a few times since. I am not sure if this is 'truly' Jamaican - as with most shows, this was most probably the TV chef's version of it. This is best suited for a open grilling over a coal or gas barbecue, but grilling it in the oven and allowing it to char slightly on the edges works well too. There is a lot of heat that comes from the scotch bonnet (habanero) chili peppers, so adjust the amount wisely. You can also choose to leave the chicken skin on -  I usually remove it to keep it on the healthy side, but it does in fact, keep the chicken really moist. I would also recommend you use the thighs or legs to prepare this. The unusual ingredient for me was the soy sauce. I did some reading and found this is used to impart the dark colour to the meat and there are variations that use brown sugar or molasses as well.  

  

6 part boned chicken legs or thighs

Marinade
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1-2 tbsp dried)
2 tbsp barbeque sauce (any store bought kind)
1-2 scotch bonnet pepper (depending on their size and heat quotient!)
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp ground allspice powder
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 inch ginger, chopped
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

• Put all the ingredients listed under the marinade in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
• Score the chicken pieces. Place them in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them. Rub it in so that it gets into the scored areas and coats the chicken nicely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
• When you are ready to cook, crank up the grill to medium high. Place the chicken on a roasting rack so it does not sit in its own juices and end up steaming. 
• Grill on both sides for about 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Baste with the left over sauce from time to time. 

Traditionally this is served with rice and peas - rice cooked with kidney beans, onion, garlic and thyme in coconut milk.

Chicken curry with fennel and coconut milk

500g boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces
1 onion chopped finely
1 tomato chopped
1 stick of cinnamon
3-4 cardamom pods
1 star anise
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup of  thick coconut milk
2 tsp oil
handful of coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste

Masala powder
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black pepper
6-8 cardamom pods
2 star anise
1 stick of cinnamon
2 whole dried chilli
1 tsp powdered pomegranate seed (optional)
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Marinade
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
1 tbsp masala powder (see above)

• Dry roast the masala ingredients and grind to a fine powder in a spice blender.
• Marinate the chicken pieces with the masala powder, ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice for at least 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan. Add the whole spices ( star anise, cardamom and cinnamon) to the hot oil and fry for a few seconds. Add the fennel seeds and allow to splutter slightly.
• Add the chopped onions and fry till they are golden brown.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder and continue to cook till the tomatoes are done and the oil starts to separate from it. 
• Add 11/2 tbsp of the masala powder and sauté for a minute. 
• Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir till the pieces are coated nicely with the masala.
• Add salt and little water (1/2 to 3/4 cup). Cover and cook till the chicken is done. Do not add too much water as the chicken will also release water as it cooks. 
• Finally add the coconut milk and simmer for 3-4 minutes. If the gravy is too thick, dilute with some more water.
• Finish with chopped coriander leaves.

Barbecue chicken

Attempting to make an American style barbecue sauce. Not a perfect one yet, but hubby didn't mind the end result at all. It is really difficult to try something non-veg and new when one is a vegetarian!!!! Anyway here goes...

For the BBQ sauce:
1tbsp honey
1 small onion roughly chopped
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 Bay leaf
2-3 fresh red chilli chopped
2 tsp red chilli paste
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 tbsp Italian sieved tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf to the hot oil and sauté for a few seconds.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté till the onions have softened.
• Next add the vinegar and keep stirring till it has cooked off.
• Add the sieved tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, honey, chilli and chilli paste, salt and pepper and cook till the sauce has thickened. 
• Cool and grind till smooth.

For the chicken:

1 kg chicken pieces (I tried with skinless thighs, but think legs or wings might be better)

• Pre-heat oven to 200C.
• Clean, score the chicken and coat with the sauce. Hold back about a tablespoon worth to coat again half way through the cooking time.
• Place on a roasting pan and cook in the oven. Half way through, turn the chicken over and coat with the remaining sauce. It will take between 35-50 minutes to cook depending on the size of the chicken pieces. The oven can be cranked up to 220C towards the end to encourage some charring.