Spicy Chicken Chettinad

Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu, India. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest in India and specially famous for fresh ground masalas. Today I tried my hand in one of the popular recipe Chicken Chettinad.

Ingredients
Chicken (skinless/with bone) 250g
Onion 1 large
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder ½ tsp
Kashmiri Mirch ½ tsp
Yogurt 1 tbsp
Bay leaf 2
Potato 1 medium (optional)
Curry leaf 1 sprig
Fennel seeds ¼ tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Coconut paste 1 tbsp
Mustard Oil 1 tbsp
Salt

Marinate
Wash chicken pieces thoroughly and drain excess water, marinate with  Ginger Garlic paste, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Salt,  and Yogurt for 1 hour.

Preparation
1. Cook the marinated chicken with little water in pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Do not open, wait for pressure to go down 10 - 15 mins
2. Heat Mustard oil in Kadai, add Fennel seed and Bay leaf. When the seeds splutter add chopped onion and fry light brown.
3. Add Chicken pieces from cooker, and fry for 2 - 3 minutes, till the oil separate.
4. Add the chicken stock and cook till ¾ done.
5. Add Coconut paste, Garam Masala and Curry leaves. Saute well and cook till the raw smell of coconut leaves and curry leaves change its colour.

Chicken Chettinad is ready, serve with steamed rice.

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Ilish macher jhol (The Hilsa curry) recipe

Hilsa fish or Ilish mach is one of bengalis favorite. Ilish easily available in West Bengal but also found in other parts of India specially during monsoon. There are various recipes of Ilish found in a Bengali's cook book. But when I started cooking I realised the Ilish has a distinct flavour of its own. Too much cooking or too much spice actually suppress the flavour. My recipe is simple in thin gravy so that you can enjoy the distinct flavour of Ilish even in the curry.

Ingredients

• Thinly sliced Ilish 1pc
• Turmeric powder 1tsp
• Salt
• Panch phoran (mix of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and radhuni)
• Red chilli powder 1tsp
• Green chilli sliced 1pc
• Onion 1 medium, sliced
• Potato 1 medium, sliced
• Mustard oil 1tbsp
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Marinate the Ilish slice in salt and turmeric powder for 30 min. Then shallow fry the Ilish golden brown in mustard oil and keep aside. 

In a pan heat ½ tbsp mustard oil, then add pinch of panch phoron, let them crackle. Add onion and potato slices and fry for sometime. After a minutes or two add a cup of water, turmeric powder, salt to taste, red chilli powder. Cover and cook till the vegetables are done, approx 15 min. 

Add Ilish piece, sliced green chillies cover again and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes more. The curry is ready. Serve with steamed rice. 

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