Tag: coconut oil

Pepper Cream Chicken

Pepper Cream Chicken

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I am not a big meat eater and I like curries that are mild and not very meaty tasting. This curry I developed according to my taste and it is creamy and smooth and quite mild. It has a great flavour thanks to the onions and cashew nuts.

Ingredients

Boneless chicken 500 g

Yoghurt 1 cup

Pepper 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves a few sprigs

Cream 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts 10-15

Onions 2 large plus 1 small

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Green chillies 2, sliced plus 2

Ginger 1” piece plus a smaller piece

Garlic 5 cloves

Coconut oil 2 tbsps

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces in yoghurt with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to a heavy-bottomed pan and fry two large onions, roughly chopped. When the onions turn translucent, add the smaller piece of ginger and cashew nuts.

Switch off the heat when the cashew nuts turn golden and wait for the mixture to cool. Grind to a fine paste.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and add the cumin seeds.

When the cumin seeds stop sputtering, add one small onion finely sliced.

Crush the ginger, garlic and two green chillies roughly.

Add it to the onions with curry leaves.

Add the marinated chicken and mix well.

Add a cup of water and mix well.

Add the ground paste and mix.

Reduce the heat and cover and cook till the chicken pieces are cooked. Add the cream and stir it in. Do not cook too long after addding the cream. This makes the gravy very smooth.

Serve hot, garnished with sliced green chillies. it can be had with rice or naan bread.

Minced Chicken with Peas

Minced Chicken with Peas

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I like cooking with minced chicken when I want to cook fast and don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. This is a quick and easy recipe that uses bursting with flavour.

Ingredients

Chicken mince 500 g

Tomatoes 3

Garlic 4 pods

Green chillies 3

Red chili powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Onions 2, chopped

Peas , frozen or fresh 1 cup

Coconut oil 2 tbsps

Method

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and when they stop sputtering, add the onions and garlic. Fry for a few seconds.

Add the washed and drained chicken mince and cook till all the water evaporates and the chicken changes colour.

Meanwhile puree the tomatoes in a mixer grinder along with the green chillies.

Add this to the mince.

Add the spices and salt.

Add the peas. Add about 2 cups of water and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently.

Once the gravy thickens, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with buns or naan or rice.

Yam Curry

Yam Curry

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius or elephant foot yam, known as chena in Malayalam and jimikand in Hindi, makes a really tasty curry when cooked with coconut and tamarind. I love the texture of yam and eat this curry with freshly steamed idlis or crispy dosas.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

Yam 300 g, sliced long

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coconut 1 cup, grated

Green chillies 2

Onion 1 medium, roughly chopped

Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp or soak about half a lemon-sized lump in water for 15 minutes and extract the pulp

Curry leaves

Coconut oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Method

Add the yam pieces with the dry spices and salt to a pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the yam and cook for 10 minutes — 3 whistles on high heat and low heat for about 8 minutes.

Grind the coconut, chopped onion and green chillies in a blender. Add to the cooked yam.

Add the tamarind pulp and curry leaves and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Adjust the salt to taste. Switch off the heat.

Heat the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds. When it stops sputtering, add to the curry.

Serve hot with rice, idlis or dosas.

Kerala Peanut Snack

Kerala Peanut Snack

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The best place on earth to enjoy the monsoons is Kerala at the tip of the Indian peninsula. And there’s is no better snack during those rainy days than peanuts roasted with curry leaves and coconut oil. And I make it in the microwave making it an extremely healthy option as I use just 1 teaspoon of oil for a cup of peanuts.

Ingredients

(Serves 3)

Raw peanuts with skin 1 cup

Fresh curry leaves, a few sprigs

Coconut oil 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Method

Wash the curry leaves and dry it with a kitchen towel. Transfer to a microwave safe dish.

Add the peanuts to the dish.

Add the oil and mix well.

Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for another 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 1 minute.

Add the red chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Use your fingers to crush the curry leaves, which will be crisp by now.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This dish was created by my mom as a healthy packed lunch for my sister when she started working. Made from cooked rice, this is easy to assemble and make. It is a delicious lunch option.

Ingredients

(Serves 5 persons)

Rice 2 cups, cooked

Tomatoes 2 large, sliced

Onions 2 medium, sliced

Coconut oil 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Sambar powder 5 tbsps

Salt to taste

Curry leaves for garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed wok and add the mustard seeds.

When the seeds stop sputtering, add the onions. Sauté till they turn a light brown.

Add the tomatoes and curry leaves. Cook on medium heat till they soften.

Add the sambar powder and sauté for two minutes.

Add the rice and salt and mix well till the masala coats the rice grains completely

Serve hot.