Spicy Kerala Chicken Fry

Ingredients

    Chicken-(medium sized pieces)- 500 gms
    Onion-sliced- 1/2 cup(one medium sized)
    Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
    Oil- as required

For Masala paste

    Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsp( or to taste)
    Coriander powder- 1 tsp
    Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
    Fennel seeds- 3/4 to 1 tsp
    Black pepper corns- 1/2 to 1 tsp
    Green chilies- 1 or 2 nos( according to taste)
    Ginger- 1 inch piece
    Garlic- 3 to 4 large cloves
    Vinegar- 1 tsp
    Water- as required
    Salt- to taste

Directions

    In a blender,combine together all the ingredients listed under 'For masala paste' and blend to form a smooth paste.
    Rub this onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
    In a heavy bottomed pan cover and cook the marinated chicken until it is 3/4 th done.Keep aside
    Heat oil in a pan( use oil just enough to shallow fry the chicken pieces) and add the cooked chicken pieces , sliced onion and curry leaves,fry until it turns golden brown,carefully turning once or twice in between.
    Add more curry leaves if required.

Serve with rice or chapati.

Kosha Mangsho

Bengali dry Mutton curry

Ingredients:
750 gms of mutton
4 medium size potato cut into half
4 tbs of mustard oil for frying potato
4 onions
For Marinadegarlic 10
ginger-1.5 inch
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tsp of salt
4 heaped tbs yogurt
1tsp garam masala
For the tempering
10 black pepper
3 bay leaves
4 greem cardamom
5 cloves (lavang)
0.5 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
0.5 cup mustard oil

Preperation:Make a smooth paste of Garlic and Ginger, add little water if required.
Do the same with onions.
Marinate the mutton with Turmeric powder, salt, Coriander powder, Red chilly powder, Yogurt and 1 tbs of mustard oil, garlic-ginger paste and half of the onion paste.
Let it sit there for 2 hrs.

Dal Ghost

Mutton cooked in lentil

Ingredients:
500 gms mutton, cut into pieces
3 tbsp chana dal
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp curd
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 Bay leaf
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 onions
2 tbsp clarified butter or oil
A handful of coriander
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Soak the chana Dal for 1/2 hour
To the mutton apply the ginger garlic paste and beaten curd and then set aside.
Slice the onions finely
Chop the coriander

Chicken Nihari

Chicken stew, very tasty and high in colestrol

Ingredients:
Chicken 1.5 kg
Clarified butter 1 cup heaped
Water 8 cups
All purpose flour ½ cup
Wheat flour ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp heaped
Salt 2 tsp
Chili powder 3 tsp heaped
For Nihari Spice:
Cinnamon sticks 6 pieces
Black cardamom 6
Green cardamom 12
Black pepper ½ cup
Fennel seeds ½ cup
Poppy seeds ½ cup
Cloves 2 tbsp
Mace 2 tbsp
Dry ginger powder 2 tbsp
Chili powder 4 tbsp

Preparation:
For Nihari Spice:
Finely grind together cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, green cardamoms, black pepper, fennel seeds, roasted gram, poppy seeds, cloves, mace, dry ginger powder and chili powder
Put in an air tight jar and use as required

Mutton Nihari

Stew made from lamb. Also known as Nihari Ghost

Ingredients:
1 kg meat preferably lamb
2 tbsp refined oil
3-4 green cardamom
1 tsp whole cinnamon
2 black cardamoms
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp onions
3 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp gulab jal
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp nutmeg and cardamom powder
1/2 tsp saffron
salt to taste
few drops of itar
wheat dough for dum
fresh coriander and ginger juliennes and lemon slices – to garnish

Preparation:
Fry the garlic an onion and ground to a paste
Beat the yogurt to a thick paste
Soak the saffron in 2 tea spoon water