Curry

K is for Kuku Paka 

By / A to Z Challenge, Entrée, Poultry / 2 Comments /

Kuku paka is a chicken and coconut curry, from the coastal East Africa, the region extending from the Northern point of Kenya to the southern point of Tanzania. Kuku means ‘chicken’ in the Swahili language spoken in the area. The dish is also sometimes called ‘kuku na nazi’ (chicken and coconut).

A perfect blend of heady spices and creamy coconut milk, absorbed by chunky pieces of chicken, kuku paka shows African, Arabic, and Indian influences. 

Kuku paka is quite adaptable in that the chicken can be cooked in different ways – charcoal grilled, steamed or braised. Similarly, the sauce can be spicy or mild as per your preference. And as can be imagined, there are quite a few variations of the dish. For this recipe, I’ve used skinless, boneless chicken thighs.

Shrimp or firm fleshed fish can also be substituted for chicken in this dish.

Kuku paka represents rich and well rounded flavors. The dish is usually served with cooked rice, rotis or other flat breads.

K is for Kuku Paka 
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K is for Kuku Paka 

Author: Ria Cooking Method:Stove-top Cuisine:East African Courses:Entrée Recipe Keys:Chicken, Coconut, Curry
Difficulty:IntermediateServings:6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a food processor or blender, grind together tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, chiles, cumin and coriander into a coarse paste.
  2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Apply half of the paste to the chicken and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 1 to 4 hours.
  3. When ready to cook, heat a large pan, (preferably a grill pan) on high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of cooking oil till very hot. Place the chicken pieces in the pan, without overlapping and cook for three minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and turn over the chicken pieces. Continue to cook for another three to four minutes.
  5. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
  6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the remaining ground paste. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook the paste on medium heat, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.
  7. When the paste becomes thick and is almost dry, add the coconut milk to the pan. Mix well, loosening up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
  8. Place the chicken pieces in the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and continue to cook on simmer till the sauce has thickened, and the chicken is cooked through, maybe for another 20 to 25 minutes.
  9. When the sauce starts to stick to the chicken pieces, add the lemon juice to the pan and mix well.
  10. Check the seasoning and turn off the heat. Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter and serve with rice or flat breads.
Keywords:Coconut, Curry, East Africa, Kuku paka, Chicken

G is for Gaeng Massaman

By / A to Z Challenge, Entrée, Meat / 3 Comments /

Gaeng Massaman (massaman curry) comes from Thailand, unique among the varieties of Thai curries we are all familiar with. What makes this dish unique is the spice mix which consists of ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, mace, and nutmeg, none of them native to Thailand. 

Historically, gaeng massaman was introduced to Thailand by traders from the Middle East, in the 18th century. The name massaman has its origin in the word ‘musalman’ referring to the traders who were muslims. As part of their travels for trade, some of them settled in Thailand and gaeng massaman became popular there.

The distinctive component of this recipe is the massaman paste. Though you can buy bottled massaman paste in eastern grocery stores, I decided to make my own. It is not a difficult process; getting all the ingredients together might be the hardest part.

Garlic and shallots are roasted before they are ground into the paste. You can do this roasting over the grill, in the oven or on the stove top. I used a grill on the stove top to roast them.

The roasted garlic and shallots are ground together with the dry toasted whole spices, ginger, and lemongrass. It is recommended that these be ground in a stone mortar and pestle, but believe me, you can do an equally good job with a Cuisinart. 

Even with the very spicy paste, gaeng massaman has an overall creamy texture due to the addition of coconut milk and crushed peanuts.

Gaeng massaman can be made with chicken, beef, lamb, or mutton, chicken being the most common. I have opted to make this version with beef.

Once the gaeng is put together, the rest is easy as the long slow cooking is done in the oven. 

You can serve gaeng massaman with cooked rice or rotis (flat bread).

G is for Gaeng Massaman
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G is for Gaeng Massaman

Author: Ria Cooking Method:In the oven Cuisine:Thai Courses:Entrée Recipe Keys:Meat, Spicy
Difficulty:IntermediateServings:4 servings

Ingredients

    Massaman paste

    • Gaeng

Instructions

    Massaman paste

  1. In a medium hot pan, lightly toast the dry spices, adding them one by one based on size. You will start with chilis and end with cumin. When cooled, powder them using a grinder.
  2. Roast the head of garlic and the shallots on a hot grill or in the oven, till char marks appear on them. When cooled peel them.
  3. In a food processor, add the lemon grass and ginger pieces and process till smooth. Add the spice powder, garlic and shallots, with salt to taste, and continue processing till a smooth paste is formed.

    4. Gaeng

  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  5. Keep a large pot on the stove and add the top creamy part of the coconut milk to the pot. Heat the pot on medium heat.
  6. Add the massaman paste to the pot and mix with the coconut milk and keep stirring.
  7. When the mix starts to turn dry, add the beef pieces to the pot, coating the beef with the paste.
  8. Cook stirring, till the beef is browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  9. Add to the pot: remaining coconut milk, potatoes, onion, cinnamon, tamarind paste, fish sauce, all but 1 tbsp of crushed peanuts and 2 cups of water.
  10. Season with salt, and bring to a boil.
  11. Cover the pot with a fitting lid and place in the pre-heated oven.
  12. Cook in the oven for 1 and 1/2 hours. Check for doneness, and if the beef is not yet tender, cook for another 30 minutes.
  13. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp of crushed peanuts on top and serve with cooked rice or rotis.
Keywords:Curry, Massaman, Spicy, Thai

A Simple Curry with a Miracle Ingredient… Drumstick Leaves Elissery

By / Entrée, Vegetarian / 2 Comments /

The other day, I was reading about some exotic chocolates with the essence of moringa oleifera, which apparently has a heap of health benefits. The name ‘moringa’ seemed to ring a bell and wondered where I had heard the name… and of course, one of my best friends, Wikipedia, was right there with the answers. Moringa oleifera is nothing other than our good old drumstick tree!
 
SCDLE-leaves1

The drumstick tree gets its name from the stick like shape of its fruits. The leaves, flowers and fruits of the tree are edible… nah, they are delicious. I have enjoyed all of them, routinely cooked in a myriad ways, from early childhood. And yet I didn’t know a thing about the extent of its worth as a miracle food!
 
SCDLE-closeup

The drumstick tree, moringa oleifera, has been called the ‘miracle tree’ due to its innumerable health benefits to humans. According to NIH (National Institutes of Health) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, it has the ability to treat over 300 diseases.
 
SCDLE-leaves3

The leaves of this tree can provide all of the amino acids required by the human body, some of them enzymatically active amino acid sequences that do not exist in the food chain anywhere else. It contains 36 natural anti-inflammatory agents and 46 different antioxidants. The leaves also contain 7 times the vitamin C found in oranges, 4 times the calcium in milk, 4 times the vitamin A in carrots, 2 times the protein of yogurt, 25 times the iron in spinach, and 3 times the potassium in bananas.
 
SCDLE-leaves2

In addition, the drumstick tree has the ability to enhance the immune system function in human beings. What is more, this tree has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibiotic qualities as well! Last but not least, the drumstick tree acts as a detoxifying agent.
 
SCDLE-leaves4

That is a glimpse into the benefits the tree provides for the humans. Talking about the tree itself, it has the ability to retain high concentrations of electrolyte minerals, and stay internally hydrated in the driest of conditions. The tree is prevalent in Asia, Africa and South America.
 
SCDLE-leaves5

The drumstick tree was recognized by the National Institutes of Health as the Botanical of the Year for 2007, and praised again in 2011 and 2012.
 
SCDLE-plated2

I am not sure how far I believe the paean of praise bestowed on moringa oleifera, aka the drumstick tree. But one thing I can say, any dish prepared out of the leaves, flowers or fruits of this tree is delicious!
 
SCDLE-ingredients

Elissery is a common dish prepared in Kerala, the tiny little state on the south western coast of India. It is very versatile in the sense that you can prepare it with a wide variety of vegetables. The dish here has been made with the leaves of the drumstick tree, but you can make the same with either the flowers or fruits.
 
SCDLE-in-dish

While getting the leaves ready, you have to be careful to pluck only the leaves, eliminating even the smallest stems, as the stems taste slightly bitter when cooked. Also, be careful not to overcook them. The leaves are quick cooking, being done in about five minutes.
 
SCDLE-plated1

Note: Spell check suggested that I change ‘elissery’ to ‘emissary’… All I could say was, what do you know about the excellence of elissery? 😉

 

~Ria

 

A Simple Curry with a Miracle Ingredient... Drumstick Leaves Elissery
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Main meal
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups drumstick leaves, picked free of stems
  • ¾ tuvar dal
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 cup scraped coconut (can be fresh or frozen; if frozen, thaw to room temperature)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 red chilies, broken into pieces
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Boil the tuvar dal with enough water, till tender. If you use a pressure cooker, the dal will get cooked faster.
  2. Using a blender, coarsely grind the scraped coconut and cumin seeds, adding ladlefuls of water as required.
  3. When the dal is done, add the drumstick leaves, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste to the cooked dal.
  4. Stir well and cook covered, for five minutes.
  5. Add the ground coconut mixture to the dal-drumstick leaves mix and stir to combine.
  6. Remove from heat before the curry comes to a boil.
  7. In a small pan, heat the oil.
  8. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Keep a splatter screen handy, or you will have oil all over your stovetop.
  9. When they have finished spluttering, add the chili pieces and curry leaves.
  10. When the chili is fried, add the mustard-chili mix to the curry, along with the oil.
  11. Stir well and serve with boiled or steamed rice.

Quick & Easy Chicken Curry

By / Entrée, Poultry / 10 Comments /

Chicken curry is a dish that lends itself to innumerable variations. Indeed, when you consider the fact that ‘curry’ as such is a generic term used to refer to a spiced dish with gravy, the variations can be so many. No wonder, there are as many recipes for chicken curry, as there are cooks making them!
 
QECC-curry-closeup

Some of these dishes like the Mughlai versions can be quite complicated with a long list of ingredients, while some are quite simple with just a few things thrown together. Regions have their specialities just like families have their favourites. However, when a friend from my zumba class spoke about looking for an easy to make chicken curry recipe, I did not have to think at all… I knew right away the perfect one. The most straight forward, easy to make chicken curry! So Corina, this is for you!
 
QECC-curry-rice-salad2
 
One good thing about this curry is that, as you become an expert in it, you can experiment with it. Instead of adding water, you can try some coconut milk… or you can vary the spice mix to focus on specific flavours. This is the recipe that all kids from our family take with them when they go to unis with the hope that they will get an opportunity try it out on their friends… this is the recipe that is followed when unexpected guests turn up at the door and something good has to be whipped up right away.
 
QECC-curry2
 
The process is very simple to follow… you chop up the basic curry combo – onion, ginger, and garlic. These form the essentials of most curries. Optionally, you can include green chilles in this group. I had some very mild ones in my refrigerator; so I added them.
 
QECC-onion-mix
 
Then comes the vegetable part. If you like potatoes, definitely add them; they will turn out to be tastier than the chicken! And tomatoes to add to the flavour of the gravy. As you advance in the curry craft, you can add other vegetables like green peas or lima beans as well.
 
QECC-potato-tomato
 
The next part is the spice mix. Coriander, chilli, turmeric and black pepper powders form the base. And I use the eastern eight spice mix, which I make at home, for the curry flavour.
 
QECC-spice-mix
 
And finally, the chicken. There is no definite preference for the pieces. Chicken thighs or breasts will work well. The whole chicken cut up into pieces can also be used.
 
QECC-curry-rice-salad1
 
Then it is a matter of sauté and cook. And your curry is ready! Perfect to be served with rice/pulav and a quick salad.

 

~Ria

Quick & Easy Chicken Curry
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Main meal
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Ingredients
  • 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 medium onions
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 inch piece ginger
  • 1 green chilli, optional
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 2 tsp eastern eight spice powder
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • Coriander leaves
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
  2. Slice the onion into thin wedges.
  3. Cut the ginger into juliennes.
  4. Thinly slice the garlic cloves.
  5. Cut the potatoes into cubes.
  6. Cut each tomato into eight pieces.
  7. Mince a few spring of coriander leaves.
  8. Measure out all the spice powders and keep ready.
  9. In a large frying pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies, if using.
  10. Sauté till the onions start browning around the edges.
  11. Add the potato pieces and keep stirring.
  12. After 5 minutes, add the powders and stir well.
  13. Right away, add the chicken and tomatoes and stir together for two minutes.
  14. Add enough water to cook the chicken.
  15. Cover and cook till the chicken is done.
  16. Check for consistency, adding more water if required.
  17. Take off the heat and sprinkle the minced coriander on top.
  18. Garnish with a spring of coriander and serve immediately with rice/pulav.