Unusually cold falls..Pitter-patter Seattle..2 hot viral-attacked bodies..Cough..sneeze more cough..Achoooo..n sneeze....Now that pretty much sums up for my absence here..(sigh.. if any of you had ever noticed)..It was really bad n we both were down one after the other.:P,but was relieved to know that it had nothing to do with the scary flu stuff that we all dread of..Thanks for your TC messages n wishes,am good n healthy now..:)..but facing a major block as to how to drag myself back to blogging..almost lost touch with the whole thing..I haven't checked out any blogs in a while as well..Hope you all had a great Diwali n had an overdose of sweets..:)..I hope to catch up with all soon..:)
I have been away from kitchen all these while too,n we really lived on some simple comfy food,n some warm dal soups,chicken soups n all that which really helped..After all,its officially soup time here..with such dreary dark cold days , a warm bowl of soup is all that we need to stay cozy..:)..But today's post is no soup,but again a spicy chicken dish ,one from my drafts..I am in no mood for big cooking these days,n so planning to exhaust my drafts,which is almost a void now..A disgusting virus attacked my frail old somber system,n I had to reinstall the whole OS,while my Live writer died taking away my precious drafts..sobs..Haa..time for another blogging break it seems..:(
Now,I know its all Chicken in Will-O’-the-Wisp..:P ..what do I do..I am just a sucker for Non veg meaty stuff n chicken is the easiest one around..In these cold days,hot spicy food is such a divine way to indulge in n If I go for straight one week without meat,I go crazy….:P..After these feverish days of gulping in all veggie food,am just craving for some non-veg .. cant wait to go out n get some…n these my own pics are a torture to me now..:p.
So,today’s chicken special is Pepper Chicken as you can see..A spicy,tasty chicken dish cooked in the heat of Pepper corns and a roasted coconut gravy..The thick dark gravy is super yum n flavorful..Unlike Red chilli powder,pepper corns are spicy in a different way with a subtle nutty flavor n leaves that mild tinge at the back of your mouth..:) In Kerala,we are blessed with bountiful of Peppercorns and the sight of the plants drooping with heavy rich green peppercorns is a delight..Pachakurumalaku or green peppercorns are the epitomes of fine authentic taste n the taste n flavor it imparts to a dish is just unexplainable .Pachakurmulakaracha Kozhi or Tharavu / chicken or duck roasted in Green Pepper corn gravy is an ever-so-famous preparation in those traditional kitchens.In Kottayam( a district in Kerala) Christian families,I have seen elderly ladies plucking those green peppercorns from the plant which directly goes into that day’s lunch dish,chicken or duck..How cool is that..:)..But we less fortunate people have to do with the dried black peppercorns,which are, if not equal, but really good stuff..:)..So,for this dish,do roast some peppercorns n grind/use them to get the maximum taste n flavor..:)
Ingredients
1 lbs Chicken
1 inch Cinnamon stick
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp whole Pepper corns
Handful of Curry Leaves
2 cups finely sliced Onions
1 Tbsp chopped garlic n 1 Tbsp julienned ginger
5 Slit Green Chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp fresh ground Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala (optional)
Salt
Sugar
Coconut Oil
Cilantro leaves
Kasuri Methi
To Roast n Grind:
1 tbsp Coconut oil
5-6 curry Leaves
3 Pearl onions/small onions sliced finely
1/2 C fresh/dried Coconut flakes
1.5-2 Tbsp Fresh ground Pepper Powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala (Ground mix of Fennel,cloves,cardamom,cinnamon,mace n nutmeg)
Method
In a wide bottomed pan heat coconut oil and pop in the whole garam masala’s ,fennel seeds,pepper corns n curry leaves.Fry under low heat till the aroma fills the place n curry leaves turn slightly crisp.
Add the ginger n garlic n fry till raw smell goes off.
Now add the thin sliced onions,chillies,sprinkle salt n sauté till its soft.
Add the Turmeric powder,ground pepper powder n sauté for a while.
Pop in the chicken pieces n mix with the onion-spice gravy base.Add salt n mix well.
Close tight with a lid n simmer.
Meanwhile,In another pan heat the oil n add the curry leaves,onion slices n coconut flakes.
Sauté under low heat till the coconut turns dark brown,n then under very low heat add the pepper n coriander n garam masala powders n mix till the whole mix is dark n aromatic.take care not to burn.
Cool n grind it without water to a fine powder/paste.
Pop in this paste to the half cooked chicken with little moisture inside the pan,mix under high heat for a while.
Now,add water only if the gravy is too dry,close the pan n simmer for 5 more minutes to complete the cooking.
Open the lid,increase heat n sauté to dry the chicken to your desired level.
Finally sprinkle 2 pinches of sugar,garam masala if needed ,Kasuri Methi n chopped coriander leaves over the dish.Mix n close till use..
Verdict : A cold rainy day..hot white rice with some of this Pepper chicken..What more do I tell..It was a gastronomical delight..!.I am a fan of Pepper corns n add a tsp of Pepper powder in almost all of my dishes.This dish stands out with the heart warming taste n aroma of pepper.Slight sweetness of Onions n coconut mingled with the nutty heat of Pepper n flavor of Garam masala n fresh topping of cilantro just infused the meaty tender chicken with an awesome taste n a palate-pleasing dish is here..! Fresh taste makes this dish all special,so don't miss it..Also,do take care to adjust the amount of pepper corns n powder to suit your spice level..:)
Have a great week ahead..:)
hugs
