Chickdee/ Broken Red Rice, Lentil & Chicken Khichdee

There are times in the year.... when one season changes to another, ....when leaves burnt red from summer fall graciously on earth,.... when you see people change their wardrobes and bring out their woolens and when you hear the first sneeze! You know winter is approaching and you also know that this drastic change in weather is going to bring our favorite enemy....the common cold. Well, then there are rounds of home remedies like ginger and pepper kashayam or the usual coldarin's, anacin's, vicks vaporubs coming out of your shelf. Try as much as u will but our temporary guest just loves his host.

So, if cant beat it then join it. That's exactly what i thought when i was down with my first bout of cold after marriage. I was just so tired of having the usual chicken soup and kanji (gruel made from red boiled rice popular in south india) and pickle and wanted a desperate change from boring food. As you see desperation became the mother of invention in my case and i put everything together with some dal(lentils) and that was the beginning of "Chickdee", the chicken version of khichdee. It's made with broken red boiled rice which is the ideal food while you are ill, dal gives it that extra protien and the chicken made in the similar way you would make clear soup is great for your cold. Cooked together, all these ingredients makes a steaming broth which is so dense, that it just refuses to go cold in its bowl, even on a wintry day. So even your last spoonful will be warm and that is the best thing you could ask for when its cold. I always top my plate with freshly grated pepper, which really soothes my throat when this warm, mushy and delicious chickdee goes down it.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Chicken - 600gms (about half a chicken cut into medium size peices, use the pieces with bones)

Toor Dal - 1/2 cup, washed

Broken Boiled Red Rice - 1 cup, washed(if you cant find broken rice read tip at the end of recipe)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Onions - 2 medium size, chopped fine

Tomato - 1 medium size, chopped

Cloves - 3 nos

Cinnamom - 1/2 " piece

Cardamom - 3 nos.

Bay leaf - 1no.

Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp

Freshly grated pepper - 1 tbsp + more while serving

Salt to taste

Water - 4 cups

Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pressure cooker pan. Add cloves, cinnamom, cardamom and bay leaves.

2. When the spices pop add the chopped onions. Fry on high heat untill brown. (about 5 mins)

3. Lower heat and add tomatoes. Add turmeric pwd and red chilli pwd. Fry untill the tomatoes are soft.

4. Add the chicken and saute for a minute.

5. Add dal and rice and mix well untill combined.

6. Add 4 cups water, salt to taste and 1 tbsp freshly grated pepper. Mix well. Close the cooker lid and bring to full pressure. ( on high heat untill you hear 1 whistle) Lower heat to medium and cook for 5 mins. Let the pressure release on its own.

7. Once the pressure has come down completely, open the lid. If you like your chickdee like a porridge add 1 cup water. (This dish has the ability to absorb a lot of water, so every time you reheat it you will have to add more water.)

8. Pour onto your bowl. Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and sprinkle with freshly grated pepper to your taste. Eat Warm and be Happy!

P.S. : If you cannot find broken boiled rice you will have to par boil boiled rice. I usually put the rice in  P.C.  with 5 times the quantity of water. Bring P.C. to full pressure on high heat(1st whistle). Lower heat to medium-low and cook untill 3 whistles. Let pressure come down on its own. Use this half cooked rice and you may also add the broth.

Chicken Pepper Masala

From the land of spices, comes this simple yet sophisticated Chicken dish that is very easy to prepare and yet a great hit at many parties. This dish has few ingredients and simple cooking methods. To get best results use only fresh whole spices and avoid pre-ground powders, except for turmeric.

Serves 5

Ingredients:

Chicken - 10 medium sized pieces, cleaned and washed with salt and turmeric

Onions - 3 medium size, sliced

Ginger- Garlic paste - 1 tbsp, freshly ground

Cloves- 2 nos.

Cardamom- 2 nos.

Cinnamom - 1/2" piece

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Pepper- 1 tbsp (roasted and coarsely ground)

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp (roasted and coarsely ground)

Oil- 3 tbsp

Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water - 1 cup.

Coriander leaves -  finely chopped for garnishing

Lime wedges to serve along.

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and put in the cloves, cardamom and cinnamom.

2. When the spices pop, put in the sliced onions and fry till transparent.

3. When onions are transparent, add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.

4. Put in chicken pieces and freshly ground pepper and coriander. Fry until the chicken turns golden brown on the outside.

5. Add 1 cup of water, salt and turmeric pwd. Cook covered on medium heat for about 20-30 mins till chicken is done.

6. When the chicken is cooked remove from cover and cook uncovered untill the masala is dry.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with lime wedges.

P.S.: If you want to use store bought ginger- garlic paste use only 1 1/2 tsp of it. You will also need to put in lesser amount of salt as the ginger -garlic paste will contain salt in it.

Kori Rotti /Mangalore Chicken curry with Rice Wafers

"Kori Rotti" - the name is nostalgia......... Thin rice wafers soaked in spicy chicken curry, warm, mouth watering and a Sunday special in most Mangalorean homes.Authentically from the Bunt community, Kori Rotti is loved and relished by all non vegetarians in Mangalore. But what makes it truly Mangalorean is the fact that the thin rice wafers called "rotti" is made only in Mangalore. Manufacturing these rotti's is a cottage industry here. They are never made at home as its easily available in the stores and the making is a laborious and skilled process. They are eaten only and only with hot spicy chicken curry and thats the recipe im sharing with you now. Although you will find small variations of this recipe from household to household, this is the recipe that is followed by many families and restaurants in Mangalore. If you cannot find the rotti's you may also serve this with another authentic Mangalorean dish "Neer Dosa", dosa or also with idli's. Always serve the curry piping hot!

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1kg, skinned, cleaned and cut into small pieces
Coconut - 1/2 grated
Coconut Milk(thin)- 4 cups
Coconut Milk (thick)- 1cup
Onion - 3nos., finely chopped
Garlic - 6 pods, peeled
Long Red Chillies( Kashmiri) - 10 nos.( remove the stalk)
Short round Red chillies - 5 nos.
Corriander seeds - 3 heaped tbsp.
Jeera - 1 tsp.
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Peppercorns - 6 nos.
Tamarind -1 tbsp
Turmeric pwd - 1/4 tsp.
Salt to taste Ghee -4 tbsp.


Method of Preparation.
1. In a large kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee on medium heat. When warm put in the small red chillies first. Fry for a few seconds and then add the long red chillies. Fry again for a few seconds and remove the fried chillies with a slotted spoon and place aside on a plate.
Put in the garlic and fry for a minute.
Then add the corriander seeds, methi seeds, and jeera. Fry for a minute. Remove from heat and place along with the red chillies.
(Frying of whole spices is done to remove the raw flavour. Do not fry any of the spices to brown.)
To the same kadai, add 2 tbsp ghee. Add 1 chopped onion and fry untill transparent.
Add the grated coconut and fry for about 5 mins untill the raw smell goes and is just about to brown. The mixture will look golden. Remove on to a plate to cool.

2. Put the fried whole spices and grated coconut/ onion mixture in a mixie jar. Add the turmeric powder and tamarind. Grind into a fine paste with about 1 cup water.

3. In a small frying pan, heat 1tbsp ghee. When hot, add 1 finely chopped onion and fry to a golden brown. Drain and keep aside. This is the tempering that is added to the curry at the end of cooking.

4. Take a large vessel to make the curry. Pour the ground masala paste into this vessel.
Add 1 chopped onion to this masala along with the thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil on medium heat. When the curry starts boiling add the chicken. Cover and cook untill the chicken is done. (About 25-30 mins on medium heat).
When the chicken is cooked, reduce heat to low and add the thick coconut milk. Mix well and cook on low heat for 5 mins.
Finally add the onions that have been fried to a golden brown. Put off heat and serve hot over Rice Rotti's.