Fusion Chicken

Had to make chicken in a hurry yesterday for three very important persons: my sister
in law Selvi and my two brothers in law, one of them visiting from New York.
The whole family is rather fussy about their food - most of them my husband! - and the 'farmaish' was for chicken with 'Russa' (gravy).
I am a cook who cooks by instinct, often using net recipes as guides, but today just nothing inspired me when i google searched for various chicken curry recipes. So I decided to go with my own, adding ingredients as I went along. Here in short is my recipe:

INGREDIENTS FOR MASALA (for 2 kg of dressed chicken)

• Three large onions - chopped fine


• ginger garlic paste - two tea spoons


• khas khas- three tea spoons


• peanuts - 1/4th cup

I roased the ingredients ( exept garlic-ginger which i ground raw and separately) together in a little oil in a 'kadai' till it was nicely browned.

Then ground it into a paste using a little water to get a fine paste.

• DRY MASALAS & other ingredients


• Safflower oil - one large cup


• turmeric powder


• chilly powder - 3 tea spoons


• coriander powder - 2 tsp


• Goa garam masala - 2 tsp ( since i've just come from Goa)


• Ready made paste of 'Goan roast'


• curds - one cup


• one large chopped onion


• handful of green chillies


• JUICE of one large lemon


• large pinch of pepper powder

PROCESS -

After washing the chicken properly and letting it dry i rubbed it with lots of turmeric powder and juice of one lemon - as i didn't like the strong broiler odour! ( I also used pepper powder). Left it for about 15 minutes while i prepared the masala etc.

Then i heated oil in a large kadhai. First put in the chopped onion and fried them till crisp and red. Then put in the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and paste. Let it brown and then added the chicken - also added the Goan masalas at this stage. Added the coriander powder - which was freshly ground - in the last to preserve the flavour. DO NOT ADD SALT YET.

After the whole mixture is 'bhunoed' properly, then add the salt. Add bioling water - i added almost 3 cups since the peanuts in the masala tend to make the gravy thicken quickly.Cover and simmer till done.

Must say it turned out quite tasty - It was fed to all the above in laws, plus my parents, plus my cousin Radha, her husband Pavel, her brother Eshan and Meena, my aunt.

Pavel commented that it was the most "different" chicken he had had and it was really nice.

Therefore i am posting this for my own future reference too, since i tend to forget what i had put and how i had made it...