Hot Chilli Chicken

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #9 is 500 Curries, by Mridula Baljekar.

I absolutely love spicy food, and when I've read that this dish, as described in the book, "not for the faint-hearted, this delicious fiery, hot curry is made with a spicy chilli masala paste", of course I must cook this!

Upon going through the ingredients list, I must say that it does not really sound that spicy after all. I have therefore increased the chilli powder and the dried chillies to double the amount.

This is not a fiery dish for me, it is only mildly spicy. But it is quite tasty. We had this with plain fluffy white rice for dinner along with some turmeric cabbage stir-fry, Indian-style. 

Hot Chilli Chicken
(adapted from "500 Curries", Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
2 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
5 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp curry paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
400gm can chopped tomatoes
2/3 cup water
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1 tsp garam masala
fresh green chillies, seeded and sliced, to garnish
chapatis and natural (plain) yoghurt, to serve

1. Put the tomato puree, garlic, green and dried red chillies, salt, sugar, chilli powder, paprika and curry paste into a food processor or blender and process to a smooth paste. Alternatively, grind all the ingredients together to a paste using a mortar and pestle.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan or wok and fry the cumin seeds for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and bay leaves to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the spice paste to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes until it releases a fragrant aroma. Add the remaining ground spices and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and the measured water to the pan. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
5. Add the chicken and garam masala to the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender. Serve with chapatis and natural yoghurt, garnished with sliced green chillies.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Aromatic Vegetable Curry

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #9 is 500 Curries, by Mridula Baljekar.

I've made Aromatic Vegetable Curry with Mushrooms and Beans. I have made a few changes to the recipe. This is pretty much a basic vegetable curry, and you can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. I did not have any mushrooms, but I have a quarter of a cabbage left, so I've used that instead. Instead of using butter to saute the spices, I've replaced with canola oil. And have substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk.

Also the recipe indicated that after the veggies are cooked, they are removed to a plate, then the curry liquid is heated until it has reduced a little. At this point, season with salt and pepper, stir in the yoghurt, cream and garam masala. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and serve immediately with rice. I have, however, did it differently. I did not remove the veggies from the curry gravy, but added the yoghurt, coconut milk and garam masala along with the salt and pepper during the last ten minutes or so of cooking the curry. And I have increased the amount of spices, using 1-1/2 times more than indicated in the recipe.

This is a very mild curry (even though with the increased amount of spices). And according to the author "here the aim is to produce a subtle curry rather than an assault on the senses".  Seeing how mild this curry is, it would be great as a side dish along with some spicy dry meat curry served with rice.

Aromatic Vegetable Curry 
(adapted from "500 Curries", Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
50gm (1/4 cup) butter (I use canola oil)
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 in piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
6 cardamom pods
2 in piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1 in cubes
1 small aubergine (eggplant), chopped
115gm (1-1/2 cups) mushrooms, thickly sliced (I use cabbages, shred to chunky pieces)
3/4 cup water
115gm green beans, cut into 1 in lengths
4 tbsp natural plain yoghurt
2/3 cup double (heavy) cream (I use coconut milk)
1 tsp garam masala
salt and ground black pepper
fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish
plain boiled rice, to serve

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin, coriander, cardamom pods, cinnamom stick, turmeric and finely chopped chilli. Cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
2. Add the potato cubes, aubergine and mushrooms and the water. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the beans to the pan and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a warmed serving, dish and keep hot.
4. Allow the cooking liquid to bubble up until it has reduced a little. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the yoghurt, double cream and garam masala. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve the curry immediately with plain boiled rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Green Fish Curry

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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This month I'm cooking from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown #9, 
500 Curries by Mridula Baljekar

The next recipe I've made is Green Fish Curry, which is really a dish of fried fish, marinated first and coated with spices and green cilantro leaves before frying. It is a dry dish, with no curry gravy at all.

Any fillet of firm white fish can be used. I have used snapper fillet, which is cut to 2 in cubes.

This is the marinating mixture ; shallots, ginger, chillies, coriander, tamarind or lemon juice and salt are processed in a food processor to a paste. This paste is then mixed with the fish pieces and leave to marinate in the fridge, covered for at least 30 minutes. Just before frying gram flour is mixed with a little water and coat the marinated fish evenly. I could not find gram flour and have replaced with a mixture of cornflour and rice flour, equal amount.

Heat up some oil and fry the pieces of fish cubes over medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Drain and serve immediately.

This is the Green Fish Curry!

Very nice dish. Aromatic from the fresh coriander leaves. We ate this with plain white rice along with some vegetable curry with gravy. The family likes it.

Green Fish Curry
(adapted from "500 Curries", Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
675gm fillet of cod, haddock or other white fish (I use snapper)
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
2-4 fresh green chillies, roughly chopped and seeded
1/4 cup coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
1 tsp tamarind mixed with 2 tsp water and strained or 2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2/3 cup gram flour, sifted (I use 1/3 cup cornflour plus 1/3 cup rice flour)
vegetable oil or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
plain boiled rice, to serve

1. Wash the fish gently under running water and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Cut into 2 in pieces. Place the fish pieces in a large mixing bowl.
2. Process the shallots, ginger, chillies, coriander, tamarind or lemon juice and salt in a food processor or blender. Add the blended ingredients to the fish, and using a metal spoon, mix gently, but thoroughly. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
3. Add the sifted gram flour and 2-3 tbsp water ; if necessary, and mix thoroughly until the fish is coated with the paste. You can add a little more water if the paste is not wet enough, to ensure the fish is coated thoroughly.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or other suitable pan for deep-frying over medium to high heat, then fry the fish in batches for about 2-1/2 minutes on each side until it is a golden brown colour, Drain the fried fish on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with any vegetable or lentil dish, accompanied by plain boiled rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Basmati Rice and Peas And Cucumber Raita

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #9 is 500 Curries, by Mridula Baljekar.

I've made Cucumber Raita and Basmati Rice and Peas along with two other dishes for an Indian weeknight meal.

I've used my homemade yoghurt to make the Cucumber Raita, and homegrown jalapeno chilli. Lightly perfumed with the ground cumin, very nice raita.

I've cooked the basmati rice in the rice cooker. At step 4 after adding the rice, peas and water to the sauteed ingredients, transfer everything to the rice cooker. We had this Basmati Rice and Peas served with Madras Meat Curry, Karahi Potatoes with Whole Spices and Mixed Chillies, along with the Cucumber Raita. Very delicious meal! 

Basmati Rice and Peas
(adapted from "500 Curries", Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
300gm (1-1/2 cups) basmati rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6-8 curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp onion seeds
2 tbsp fresh fenugreek leaves (I've used 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas
475ml (2 cups) water

1. Wash the rice well under cold running water and leave it to soak in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, onion seeds, fenugreek leaves, garlic, ginger and salt and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Drain the rice thoroughly, and add it to the pan with the other ingredients. Stir gently to combine.
4. Add the frozen peas and water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, fluff up the rice with a fork. Spoon the mixture on to serving plates and serve immediately.

Cucumber Raita
Makes about 2-1/2 cups
1/2 cucumber
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped
1-1/4 cups natural (plain) yoghurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

1. Dice the cucumber finely and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the chopped green chilli and mix well to combine it with the cucumber.
2. Place the natural yoghurt in a bowl and bear it with a fork until it becomes smooth, then stir it into the cucumber and chilli mixture in the large bowl.
3. Stir the salt and ground cumin into the yoghurt mixture. Cover the bowl with clear film (plastic wrap) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Karahi Potatoes with Whole Spices and Mixed Chillies

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #9 is 500 Curries, by Mridula Baljekar.

This potato dish is delicious, it's flavours are from the whole spices and curry leaves, that the sliced potatoes are stir-fried with. The only thing that I need to change when I make this again, is to pre-fried the sliced potatoes until almost cooked before they are stir-fried with the spices.

The recipe does not contain any added water, it is a dry dish. And it says to cook the potato covered, for 7 minutes or so over a low heat until the potatoes are tender. I find that the spices and the other ingredients are starting to burn before the potatoes are done. So I have frequently stir the potatoes very often and it takes about 20 minutes or so until they are tender. But this is a delicious potato dish, and I would make this again, but will pre-fried the potatoes separately until they are almost done before frying them with the spices and ingredients, to avoid the spices from being burnt which will spoil a dish! Overall, this is a very nice potato dish, great as a side dish, especially eaten with some curries and rice. 

Karahi Potatoes with Whole Spices and Mixed Chillies
(adapted from "Curries 500", by Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 curry leaves
1 tsp crushed dried red chillies
1/2 tsp mixed onion, mustard and fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 in piece fresh ginger root, grated
2 onions, sliced
6 new potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and sliced
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and sliced

1. Heat the oil in a karahi, wok or heavy pan. Lower the heat slightly and add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, mixed onion, mustard and fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, garlic slices and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the onions to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.
3. Add the potatoes, fresh coriander and red and green chillies and mix well. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil; if using foil, make sure that it does not touch the food. Cook over a very low heat for about 7 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, and take off the lid or foil cover. Serve hot straight from the pan.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Madras Meat Curry : Cookbook Countdown #9

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month, 

500 Curries, Mridula Baljekar

I love Indian cuisines. The recipes that I have been trying are mostly from Madhur Jaffrey's books, one of my favourite chef. She has some seriously good curries and some has become my family's favourite. The next Indian cookbook that I used the most is this book, 500 Curries by Consultant Editor, Mridula Baljekar. A quite number of recipes that I have made from this book are winners. I have about a dozen or so, of Indian cuisine cookbooks, and I will be trying out from other books as well, but for now, I've decided to use this book, for this month's Cookbook Countdown, as there are many more recipes which I have been wanting to try for ages. This is quite a large book, with curry recipes from India, Thailand, South-East Asia, Africa, Middle East  and the Caribbean. There's side dishes, rice, breads, vegetarian, chutneys, pickles, salad and appetizers. 

One of the recipes which I have been wanting to make for ages is Madras Meat Curry. I especially love meat curries. For this recipe, goat or mutton is the traditional choice, though lamb on the bone can be used. But I have used pork shoulder meat instead.

The meat pieces are first marinated for a few hours with vinegar, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chilli powder, tomato puree and salt. Then put the meat in a  heavy pan with some water, bring to a simmer cover and cook until the water evaporates, stirring a few times in between. I cooked the meat for only 30 minutes, still with some gravy left, and proceed with the recipe below. Meanwhile, prepare the spices.

Toast in a small heavy pan, the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds, with the curry leaves, until fragrant, then add in the coconut. Stir-fry until the coconut is lightly browned, remove from heat, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.

Grind the spice mixture until fine.

Heat some oil in a large saucepan, add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Stir for 30 seconds and add the onion, stir until brown. Add the ground spice mixture, stir for a minute and add in the cooked meat. Add some water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. I have however, simmer for about an hour since I've only cooked the meat for 30 minutes at the initial step. 

There are a little extra step or two in making this recipe, like precooking the meat first, toasting of the spices, then grind to a powder, but it is really an easy recipe to follow. The end result is a delicious meat curry, with tender meat, full of flavour from all the spice ingredients. We had it with pilaf rice, a potato dish and raita which I will share in the coming posts. The gravy alone is delicious over rice. This dish definitely worth a repeat! 

Madras Meat Curry
(adapted from "Curries 500", by Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
675gm boned leg of lamb, fat trimmed and cut into 1 in cubes (I use pork meat)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garlic puree
2 tsp ginger puree
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp black peppercorn
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
20 curry leaves
1/3 cup dessicated (dry unsweetened shredded) coconut
4 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil
1 in piece of cinnamon stick, halved
2 black cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped

1. Put the meat in a non-metallic bowl and add the vinegar, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, tomato puree and salt. Mix thoroughly, cover the bowl and marinate for 4-5 hours.
2. Put the marinated meat into a heavy pan and add 2/3 cup water, bring it to a slow simmer, cover and cook until the water evaporates. Stir several times during cooking so that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pan. (I cooked for about 30 minutes).
3. Preheat a small heavy pan over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds, and the curry leaves. Stir until the spices release their aroma, then add the coconut. Stir-fry until the coconut is lightly browned. Remove the spices from the pan and cool, then grind them until they are a very fine texture.
4. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Leave to sizzle for 30 seconds, add the onion and brown. Add the ground ingredients and stir for 1 minute, then add the cooked meat. Add 2/3 cup warm water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (I cooked for about an hour, stir a few times and make sure it does not dry out, adding some water if necessary). Take off the heat and adjust the consistency with a little water. Serve immediately.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray