Chicken – Sublime Palate

Our favourite Chicken Curry made easy in the Instant Pot!

Today we are getting personal. Like, sharing our treasured family staple chicken curry recipe, personal! I mean, if this is not personal, I don’t know what is? 😉

All you need to do is use your imagination and visualize that I have invited you to my home and you’ve come for a meal and you relished the most nurturing, delicious loving chicken curry that you will ever have (apart from the one your mom cooks, ofcourse!) Except, you are the one doing all the hard work you know – the cooking and cleaning up afterwards! haha

Oops! you just got a tiny glimpse of my evil side 🙂

Whether you intend to pack this for travel (think, summer vacations and Indian railways, if you have grown up in India) or you plan serve it to guests, this chicken curry is such a crowd pleaser! Now I cannot mention Indian railways and not get a little nostalgic here.

Carefully packed Masala Chicken (the dry-ish version of this recipe) with some lacchha parathas, sliced onions and fresh green chilli peppers on the side. Let’s just pause at this thought and cling to it for a few moments, shall we?

As a child, I would look longingly at other passengers having their meals in stainless steel trays served on-board the Indian Railways and wonder why life was so unfair and why I couldn’t eat that stuff!

Years later, I tried one of those meals. (I had to try it at least once!) and all I can say is that I am glad my parents didn’t let me eat it 😉

As a side note, I have added this to the list of good parenting skills you realize about your own parents only after you become a parent yourself:).

Our Family’s Favourite Chicken Curry recipe

This chicken curry can be made two ways. The recipe stays exactly the same, the only difference being, how much curry you want. If you want curry, like how I did this time, follow my recipe. If you want to have a dry version, you’ll have to cook everything in a heavy bottom pan and add water sparingly. Just enough to not let it stick to the bottom. You’ll let the chicken cook completely this way.

A fair warning: Now I know some of us do not like the idea of bones in chicken but, I would level set your expectations. The bones add to the flavour and you will just not get the same taste without bones. If you do, however, decide to make it boneless, I would recommend using chicken stock in place of water. Also, you will need to reduce the cooking time substantially (like 3-4 minutes).

Also, if you skimp on the chilli powder or not use it at all, please note that the colour will be yellow (from the turmeric) and not red at all (like in my picture). It is pretty obvious because there are no tomatoes or anything that can add a red colour to this dish other than the chilli powder.

Making this simple by dividing into 3 steps:

Step 1. Marination
Step 2: Prepare Masala & Cook the Chicken Curry
Step 3: Resting

Step 1: Marination

Ingredients for Marination:

Chicken drumstick and thigh with bones, skin removed – 1 kg; medium sized pieces, washed and patted dry. If using frozen pieces, you should thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge or in the microwave
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Ground Coriander: 1 tsp
Ground Cumin: 2 tsp
Kashmiri Chili powder (Or Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp or as per your spice tolerance
Thick Yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt) : 1/4 cup
Salt : to taste
Mustard oil 1 tbsp

Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl., Marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for 3-4 hours at the minimum.

Step 2: Preparing the curry:

Ingredients for the curry:

Mustard Oil: 1 ½ Tbsp
Black Cardamom: 1
Cloves: 5
Bay leaves: 2
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch stick
Green Cardamom: 3 pcs, lightly pounded
Onion: thinly sliced, 2 cups, loosely packed (About 2 medium sized)
Salt: to taste
Sugar
Onion: thinly sliced, 2 cups, loosely packed (About 2 medium sized)
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)
Medium sized potatoes – 3, cut into halves
Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
Deghi Chilli Powder: ½ tsp (add kashmiri chilli powder if you do not like the heat but still want the colour)
Indian or Thai Green chilli peppers : 3-4
Cilantro (Coriander leaves): a handful, to garnish

Method:

Turn on the Instant pot [IP] to sauté mode. Once “Hot”, add 1 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
Next, add the black cardamom, cloves, Bay leaves, cinnnamon stick, lightly pounded green cardamoms. Stir for a few seconds.
Add the thinly sliced onions, a tsp of salt and a tsp of sugar. Fry until it turns golden brown. If it starts sticking to the base, use water to splash and ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, scraping with the spatula (Takes about 8-10 mins)
In the IP, Add 1 tbsp garlic paste + 1 tbsp ginger paste. Mix until raw smell goes away (about 2 mins)
Add 1/2 tsp Deghi Chili powder (to bring a little heat and colour. You could skip this if you do not want the heat)
Add the marinated chicken and continue cooking for another 8-10 mins on high heat sauté setting, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Make sure nothing sticks at the bottom and always. I always have a glass of water to the rescue. Sprinkle just a little bit of water to prevent it from burning. If the heat seems too high, adjust the heat to medium.
Add the potatoes. Continue to cook for another 2 mins
Next add 1 ½ cups of water (more or less as you prefer)
Cancel saute mode. Turn on manual mode for 8 mins and NPR (Natural Pressure Release).

Step 3: Resting

When the curry is done, Add a few whole green chillies and simply let it sit for an hour before serving.
Just before serving, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Enjoy with rice or Nan as you please.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!:)

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

‘I don’t know what to cook tonight’ – a dilemma many of us face on a day-to-day basis. Every time, ok almost every time, you think of making dinner, you probably end up saying that to yourself. I do! A close friend has just initiated a group on Facebook by precisely that name – ‘I don’t know what to cook tonight’. She is a great cook herself and there are already some interesting recipes being shared there. Do hop on over there and join us:)

The first post in that group also happens to be a Rosemary Chicken. To see her recipe, check out the group. I promised to share to share my version as well, so here we go.

One warm, humid night in October last year, I made this absolutely juicy and flavourful chicken dish for the nth time. I took photos of the process, almost making the recipe dummy-proof. In case you are thinking how brilliant my memory is, just hold on to that thought. The reality is – it isn’t! The place where I live, is warm and humid practically most of the year 😉

So let’s rewind back to October 2012, I took out my [then brand new and now almost hammered phone], and clicked pictures of the making of this dish. Honestly, there are times when I really couldn’t be bothered with how the photograph turns out. And there are these other times, where I can go to any extent to get the photograph I want.

This Chicken is great for a weeknight meal, though you’ll need to do the marination before hand. 2 hours would be great but 1 hour will give you good results too. There’s no long list of spices for the marination. And other than the rosemary and the chicken, it’s ingredients which you’d most likely have in your pantry. The marination is an important step to give this dish that depth of flavour. The process of searing and then roasting at the right temperature is important to make the chicken juicy and packed with flavour.

For the printed recipe, click here.

Here’s how I did it :

Serves: 2-3
Marination time: 1-2 hours
Cooking time: 5 minutes for Searing + 20 minutes for roasting

Ingredients:

Chicken thigh (Boneless) : 230 gm each x 2 pcs (approx)
Dried rosemary herbs : 1 tbsp
Fresh rosemary stalk (optional) : You can skip this if you don’t have. I just added it while roasting because I had them this time : 2
Minced garlic : 1 tbsp
Olive oil : 1/2 tbsp to marinate + 1/2 tbsp for searing the marinated chicken.
Lime juice : 1 tsp
Coarsely ground black pepper powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : to taste

Method:

1. Using a knife, make slits on the Chicken pieces. Marinate the Chicken for 1-2 hours with the above ingredients reserving 1/2 tbsp of oil for searing the Chicken. Make sure you rub the ingredients into the slits of the Chicken so that the flavours can go deep into the meat.

2. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.

3. In a skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot and on high heat, sear the marinated chicken pieces on both sides for about 1-2 mins on each side. The idea is to give a golden brown colour to the chicken without completely cooking it.

4. Line a baking tray w aluminium foil. Place the seared chicken pieces on the aluminium foil and set it to roast for 20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. We usually have this with some stir fried vegetables and a pasta or a pasta with vegetables in it.

Note: I have made this with Chicken breast meat as well and it tastes just as good. If using Chicken breast, roast for 15 minutes only or it will become very dry.

Khao Lak contd. | Thai Green Curry with Chicken and eggplants

As I begin to recollect my Khao Lak experience, reports of a strong earthquake and a Tsunami warning come flashing in all over the news media. A sense of panic struck. Considering I was there just over a week ago made matters worse. All I hoped for was the damage to be minimal and the tsunami averted.

I breathed a sigh of relief once the Tsunami warnings were lifted and reports confirmed that things were under control.

The joy of idling away an entire day by the beach knows no bounds. The clock stops ticking. Hunger takes a back seat. It almost feels like every part of your body is on that much needed vacation!

We continue our little party at the poolside bar. The poolside bar is one of the best places to hangout in this resort. The cocktails are inviting but the part I enjoyed most was sitting on the bar stools inside the pool. There is something so casual and refreshing about it.

Later that evening, we took a so-called taxi (songthaew in Thai) to explore the Khao Lak market. It’s a rather small market area with rows of individual shops. In particular, I was interested in a boutique shop named ‘Kanyarak’, after reading about it online. All the desperate attempts to find the shop were futile. Frustrated, we decided to stop for a drink. As luck would have it, the shop I was looking for was right opposite the restaurant where we stopped for a drink. ‘Kanyarak’ has an impressive collection of designer stainless steel cutlery and dining ware (no plates though!). Be sure to carry enough cash or a credit card if you intend to shop 🙂

On the last day, we spent the afternoon at the ‘White Sand beach’, a 20 min songthaew ride from our Resort. The beach holds true to its name. Although it has its share of tourists, it is still less crowded than the Resort. The shacks at the entrance of this beach where the songthaew dropped us, serves some really authentic and spicy Thai food. Undoubtedly, the best we had in our trip.

We concluded our vacation with the last few hours spent at the spa, bringing us to the end of an absolutely gastronomical and rejuvenating retreat.

As the old adage goes: a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a snapshot of some of the heavenly food we had during our trip.

Green Curry Chicken or Keng Khiao Wan Gai Recipe

I wouldn’t shy before concluding that Green curry or Kaeng khiao wan is one of the most popular Thai Curries across the world. The main reason for such universal appeal, in my opinion, is the ever-so-faithful combination of all the different herbs and spices used to make the Green Curry paste as well as the fact that it is mostly a mild curry.

Be forewarned: My version is on the spicy side of the spectrum. Please tone it down by reducing the number of chillies or use less-hot chillies in your Green Curry Paste if you prefer a mild curry.

Some restaurants like to add carrots and potatoes in this curry. I am not too big a fan of that in this context. Mine is a simple version with baby eggplants and green round eggplants. You may want to add more vegetables as you like.

Serves: 4

To print this recipe, click here.

Ingredients:

Green Curry Paste: 4 tblsp [To make it at home: Refer to my previous post : How to make Green Curry paste]
Boneless chicken: 300 gms (sliced into 2″ pcs)
Low fat Coconut milk: 2 1/2 cups (substituted by: 1 & 1/2 cups of coconut cream and 1/2 cup of water)
Kaffir lime leaves: 10 – each leaf roughly torn in two (tearing these leaves gives an instantaneous aroma)
Galangal (Thai Ginger): 1″ pc, lightly crushed
Sweet Basil leaves: a big handful
Baby egg plants: 1/2 cup; Stem removed and washed.
Small round green egg plants: 5 (can be substituted with any other egg plant): Cut into quarters
Oil: 1 tbsp
Palm sugar: 2 tsp
Fish sauce: 1 tbsp or more depending on your preference

For Garnish:
1 big red Thai chilli (remove seeds and cut into thin strips)
3-4 tsp of coconut milk

How I did it:

Heat oil in a deep bottomed dish. Add the green curry paste and fry for 3 mins on medium-low heat.

Next, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Continue to cook until the coconut milk is almost assimilated into the green curry paste (5 mins).

Next add the chicken and fry for 2 mins until the chicken is nicely coated with the curry paste and begins to turn white. Now add the remaining 2 cups of coconut milk. Let it boil on medium heat for about 5 mins.

If using coconut cream, use 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk in all. Add 1 cup water. Coconut cream is thick in consistency so adding water helps to achieve the desired consistency.
Add the eggplants followed by palm sugar, torn lime leaves, galangal and 1 tbsp of fish sauce. Fish sauce is salty so make sure you taste the curry before adding more.

Note: the shrimp paste already has salt. So, if you have added shrimp paste in your green curry paste, do not add too much fish sauce at first. Let it cook for another 5 mins on medium heat. Stir in between. Do not overcook the eggplants as they become too mushy when overcooked.

When almost done, check the seasoning. Adjust palm sugar and fish sauce as per your liking.

Once done, turn off the heat. Add a handful of sweet basil leaves. Give it a good stir.

Garnish with a swirl of coconut milk and red chilli strips. Enjoy with steamed rice.

Basil Chicken Spaghetti

Hello World!

I have always wanted to enter the world of blogging ever since I knew about it! I have made several attempts in the past… but, unsuccessful. This time, I am determined to start this whole new journey…

Here’s to a new beginning!

Although I was born in India and went to school there, I have had the fantastic opportunity to spend 5 years in Bangkok and live life as a local there. I believe there is no better way to know a place than to be and to do as the locals do. I spent some of the best years of my life there. When I arrived in Bangkok from Delhi, I was only 17. Bangkok was so different. I had a major culture shock. I had left all my friends back in India to start a new life. The first 6 months were depressing. I remember complaining to my friends about how much I hated the place and wanted to take the first flight back, if only it was possible!

There were many hurdles, language being the biggest. I had to learn how to order my food, how to give directions, how to take a bus to college and back, and a lot more. The smell of street food would drive me mad! I remember a particular street food vendor near our house selling deep fried chicken feet!! You read it right! Deep Fried Chicken Feet! It was the worst smell I could have ever imagined! There were many such street food vendors and I remember squeezing my nose past those stalls & running away as quickly as possible – or better still – take a Motorbike taxi home for 5 Baht from the Main Road to the house 🙂

It took a couple of months for me and I don’t exactly remember how or when… my love affair with Thai Food started. The same smells made me hungry! If you have been to Thailand, you would know that fish sauce with chopped chillies is a common sight. It is usually kept on the table just like salt and pepper. That fish sauce with chopped chillies just makes me drool now!

Therefore, it is no surprise that Thai Cuisine holds a special place in my heart. I love the spice and the herbs which combine together to get those unique flavors. I love cooking Thai food just as much as I love eating it! No, wait! I love eating it more than I love cooking it! errr… No! That’s not correct. Bottom line: I simply love Thai Food. So, my first post is dedicated to the cuisine that will always remain my first love.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti – 150 gms (enough for 3 people).
Minced Chicken: 100 gms
Button Mushrooms sliced – 1/2 cup
1/2 Capsicum – cut into long pieces
4 Long beans cut into small pcs (about an inch long)
Basil leaves – a generous bunch!
Garlic: 1-2 tbsp pounded (If you can get hold of Thai garlic, use that. Thai garlic is smaller and has very thin skin. The smell is absolutely out of this world and it adds that authentic flavor to the dish!)
Chopped fresh red and green chillies – 1 tbsp (I love my food spicy… so if you don’t like it spicy, reduce the number of chillies)
Cooking oil: 1 -2 tbsp
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
A wok

Thai garlic

How I did it:

Boil Spaghetti al dente as per instructions on the pack.
Cool down under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Add a little oil to the spaghetti and keep aside.
Take a small pan and cook the mushrooms with salt. This may take a few minutes. Keep aside.

Add 1 tbsp of fish sauce to the minced chicken.
Add oil to the wok. Turn up the heat. Wait for the oil to get a little smoky.
Once it gets smoky, add garlic. Continue to stir or the garlic will burn. If it is too hot, reduce the heat.
Add the minced chicken seasoned with the fish sauce to the wok now. The heat should be high/medium at all times unless you feel that the food is burning. You will need to continue to stir the chicken very frequently to ensure it is cooked but not burnt.

Add the chopped chillies and keep stirring. With the back of the ladle, mash the chillies to make the spice go all the way into the chicken – if you like it really spicy! 🙂
This next step is optional. If you can get your hands on a packet of “mama” noodles (the Thai Tom Yum flavor noodles absolutely to die for!), this recipe can be spiked up by using the spice powder (masala) from the “Mama” noodles packet.
Now add the long beans. Stir fry for 2 mins on high heat.
Next add the capsicum. Remember to keep the heat on high once the vegetables are added to ensure they are stir fried and crunchy!

Add the spaghetti. Next add 2 to 3 tbsp oyster sauce. Stir continuously. Check for salt and spice and adjust accordingly. The balance (oyster sauce and fish sauce) is important and the amount will vary depending on your preference. Oyster sauce adds to the color of the dish and fish sauce adds that pungent & salty taste which I absolutely love!

Now add a generous bunch of fresh basil leaves. Stir well and serve immediately. Remember, this should be eaten absolutely hot ! Nothing like a glass of chilled beer with spicy basil chicken spaghetti 😉

Cheers! Enjoy;)

P.S: After my first few months in Bangkok, and when I could not resist the smell of that deep fried chicken feet any longer, I just had to try it! The result: a little disappointment, it wasn’t for me 😉