Chicken Curry....just like my Moms:)

Childhood memories are amazing...a place...a smell...can take you back to your favorite time in childhood. For me, back the, Sunday morning started with "Rangoli" ( Hindi songs playing on the TV)  and then later the aroma of warm spices filling the air...with my moms special blend of spices for the Chicken Curry. Sunday was usually 'non veg' day and chicken was the most frequent Non veg item.

I made this curry the very same way my mom used to make with a little bit of difference here or there...

Ingredients:
2 Cups chicken cut up in small pieces (I used boneless)
2tsp Yogurt
1tsp Chicken curry masala ( store bought/ homemade blend)
1/2tsp red chili powder
1/2tsp turmeric
salt
Marinate the chicken with the above spices and keep in refrigerator for 1/2 hour.
Then cook in pressure cooker for 2 whistles/ or you can cook in the gravy itself and boil longer till tender.

Curry/Gravy:
2 Onions sliced
3/4 cup fresh coconut grated/ or I used 1/2 cup coconut milk+ 1/4 cup dry coconut powder
1 tomato chopped
1tsp Coriander seeds
1tsp Sesame seeds
1tsp Chicken curry masala
1tsp red chili powder
1/2tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
small piece of ginger
1tsp Shah jeera/cumin
1piece cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1tbsp oil
salt

Cilantro for garnish

Method:
1) Heat 1 tsp oil. Fry the sliced onions till golden brown, add the grated coconut and fry till golden. (if using dry coconut+ coconut milk, don't add milk at this point)
2) In a blender add the fried onion+coconut mixture, tomato, sesame, fennel, coriander seeds, ginger-garlic and blend into a smooth paste.
3) Heat the remaining oil, add shah jeera, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and the pureed gravy.Fry for few mins.
4) Add the cooked chicken, rest of the spices,salt and coconut milk. Simmer for 5 mins.
5)  Serve hot along with Chapati/ Rice or my favorite any kind of 'crusty' bread to soak up that spicy curry!!

 

Chole- Saag (Spinach and Chick Peas Curry)

 Weekend comes and goes by so fast...there is hardly much that I can do..as planned by my Foodie brain;) I had planned to bake a apple cake...but the apples are still on the fruit stand and the flour still in the pantry...
However, I managed to make this delicious steaming curry of Spinach and Chole....two of my favorite ingredients and also that made "E" have lunch at breakfast time (because he loved this curry along with his favorite Naan bread:))

Ingredients:
4 Cups Spinach chopped and pureed
1 Cup Chick peas soaked and cooked (I used canned)
1 tomato chopped
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup milk/ cream
1.5 tsp Corn flour mixed in some water
1tsp Kitchen king masala
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp shah jeera
1/2tsp Garlic paste
1/2tsp sugar
1bay leaf
2tsp oil
1tsp Ghee/ butter
salt

Method:
1) Heat oil in a pan, add the shah jeera, bay leaf, garlic paste and chopped onion. Fry till the onion is translucent.Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till well cooked.
2) Add the pureed spinach, milk and cornflour paste, mix and let it simmer till it thickens a little.
3) Add the rest of the spices, sugar, Chick peas and let it boil for few mins.
4) Add the butter/ ghee, cover and turn off the flame.
5) Serve steaming hot with naan/ chapati or Rice