Chicken Kuzhambu/Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg/1 pound
Small Onion - 25 nos. or 2 nos(if big onion) chopped
Tomato - 2 nos
Curd - 3 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or as per need
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)
Cloves - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 2 inch(break into pieces)
Oil -4 tsp
Salt -1/2 tsp or as per need

Marination Method:

1. Wash chicken and drain water completely.
2. Add curd, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp chillipowder and mix well and leave it for 2 hours.

Marinate minimum for 2 hours. Don't marinate for more hours, because of curd the curry will become more sour.

Curry preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add cloves,cinnamon and wait until it splutters.
2. Add onion and fry till golden brown.
3. Add one tsp of ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of it gets off.
4. Add chopped tomato and fry till oil gets seperated
5. Add 1/4 turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 garam masala and salt.
6. Add the marinated chicken and 2 cups of water and mix well.
7. Let it boil for 15 - 20 mins, and check if chicken is well cooked and you get a fine gravy.you can stop cooking if you get enough gravy.
8. Finally add coriander leaves and change it to a bowl.

Note:

This type of chicken curry is a nice combination with idly, dosai, chappathi and rice.

Kaara kuzhambu / Puli kuzhambu(without coconut)

Ingredients:

Small onions - 10 nos
Garlic - 6 nos
Tamarind - Small lemon size / 3/4 tsp of paste
Tomato - 1/2(chopped)
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
sugar/Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
oil - 4 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 30 mins, prepare juice and keep it aside. If you use tamarind paste, dissolve the paste in 1 cup of water.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add fenugreek seeds. wait until it splutters.
3. Add onion, garlic, curry leaves and fry till you see golden brown color in onions.
4. Add chopped tomato and fry till oil gets separated.
5. Add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera, salt and let it boil until the raw smell of ingredients goes off, approx 15mins.

Note:

Wonderful combination with rice, kootu, egg poriyal, pappad. You will eat a hand of rice more than the other days. Thengai thovaiyal is also a best combination for this.

Capsicum rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Lunch podi(powder) - 2 tsp (refer "lable:Podi" in my blog)
Capsicum(all colors)- 3 or 4 chopped into small squares (all green is also ok)
Lemon - 1 (optional)
Grated Coconut - 1 and 1/2 tsp(optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil -3 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
Ghee - 3 or 4 tsp (optional)
CorianderLeaves - A hand full


Method:

1. Cook rice and let it cool for few mins, so that rice wont break when you mix.
2. Heat oil,add capsicum, turmeric, grated coconut(optional) and salt and fry till capsicum becomes soft.
3. Turn off and add the lunch podi(powder) immediately and mix well.
4. Add cooked rice, coriander leaves and mixed well.
6. Squeeze lime juice and mix well.(optional)
7. Serve hot with any raitha of your taste.

If you are using basmathi rice, follow this method to prepare rice:

1.Wash the rice, drain all water and fry it in 2 tsp ghee/oil until the ghee/oil mixes evenly across rice. Don't let the rice turn brown.
2. Cook in a pressure cooker with 1:1 water for basmati (If using normal rice, use 1:2)

Note:

The process of making podi may be big to see, but once you grind the powder you can use it many times. Double the ingredients to grind more powder. Working women, weekly once you can grind the powder and keep it in a airtight container. If the powder is ready you can prepare this dish within 25 mins. 20 mins for the rice and 5 mins to fry capsicum and mix. I'm damn sure that everyone like this dish.