CHICKEN IN THICK CHILI GRAVY / KOZHI SAMBAL

Hi! Everyone, welcome back to my blog Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared.

It is a new day with a new recipe to share. Chicken In Thick Chili Gravy / Kozhi Sambal Indian style. Sambal is part of Malaysian cuisine. It is made from red chili paste. Sambal is part of Malaysian cuisine. No home goes without making it.  You can make any types of sambal using this chili paste. So try yours at home and enjoy with your family!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg chicken (cut into desired pieces)

4 potatoes (skinned and quartered)

2 big onions (sliced)

4 small tomatoes (cubed)

6 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)

2 thumb size ginger (roughly chopped)

8 dry chilies (boiled for 5 minutes)

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 tablespoon plain chili powder (for chicken marinate)

1 tablespoon coarse cumin powder

1 tablespoon coarse fennel powder

1 tablespoon coarse kasakasa powder or poppy seed powder

1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

5 cardamom pods

Salt to taste

Oil

METHOD

1. First, marinate the chicken with 1 tablespoon of plain chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Keep aside. 

2. In a blender, add in the onion, garlic, ginger, coarse fennel seeds, coarse cumin seeds, coarse kasakasa powder, turmeric powder and dry chilies. Blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

3. Heat up enough oil in an iron wok to fry the chicken and the potatoes. Fry till half cooked only. 

 4. Take out excess oil and use about 6 tablespoons of the same oil to cook the sambal / gravy. Add in the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise.Then add in onions and curry leaves. Cook till slightly brown. Then add in the tomatoes cook till soften.

5. Now add in the the blended chili paste and mix it well. Cook till the oil separates.

6. Once the oil separates, add in the fried chicken and combined all well. Then let it cook about 10 - 15 minutes till the chicken is fully cooked. Check salt first, Remember we added salt to the chicken during marination. So add salt accordingly.

7. Then after the chicken is fully cooked add in the fried potatoes. Cook till the potatoes are slightly soften.

8.Switch of the stove once the gravy is thicken. Now it is ready to be served. Best eaten with rice.

CLAYPOT CRAB IN THICK CURRY / MANCHATTI NANDU PERATAL

Hi! Readers, welcome back to my blog Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared.

It is seafood day everyone and I am going to share my family way of cooking crab in thick curry / nandu peratal. This dish is a bit spicy but not to worry you can add your spice according to your spice level. It is a weekend treat for my family, where we sit together and patiently enjoy this finger licking delicious dish . Make it a weekend treat for family too and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

4 crabs 

2 big onions (sliced for cooking)

1 big onions (sliced for blending)

1 big tomato (quartered)

1 big brinjol / egg plant (quartered)

1 thumb size ginger (roughly chopped)

5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)

6 dry chilies (boiled for 5 minutes)

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon coarse coriander powder / seeds

1 tablespoon coarse cumin seed powder / seeds

1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Oil

 METHOD

1. Clean and wash the crab. Separate the legs from the body.

2. In a grinder, add in dried chilies, 1 sliced onions, garlic, ginger, coarse coriander powder, coarse cumin powder. Grind to a smooth paste. 

3. Heat up oil in a claypot, add in the mustard and fenugreek seeds. 

4. When the mustard seed pops, add in the onions and curry leaves.

5. Once the onions are soften, add in the brinjol / egg plant. Cook till it has changed color and half cooked.

6. Now add in the tomatoes and cook till is soften.

7. Then add in the blended chili paste, turmeric and salt to taste. Combine all ingredients well. Cook in medium flame. Frequently stir the chili paste, so it don't get burned. Cook till the brinjol / egg plant mashed and oil separates. When the oil separates, it indicates that the chili is well cooked.

8. Now add in the crab and combine again evenly. No need to add water as the crab will release some water.  Do not cover the pot, let it simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the gravy. (depends on your preference wet or dry gravy)

9. Now the claypot crab curry / manchantti nandu peratal is ready to be served. Best eaten with rice.

GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY / VERKADALAI THOVAYAL

Good day everyone! Welcome back to my blog Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared.

Today, I am going to share with you another vegetarian dish. It is called Groundnut Chutney / Verkadalai Thovayal.  It is a delicious dish and I love to it with plain hot rice. It is also nice to eat with other vegetarian dishes too. So try it and enjoy with your family.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup groundnuts

4 dry red chilies

4 big cloves garlic

2 sprigs curry leaves

3 tablespoons tamarind pulp 

1 tablespoon oil

Water 

Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat up oil in a wok. Add in the groundnuts and toast it till it comes to golden brown. Then add in the garlic and toast again.

2. Then add in the dry chilies and curry leaves. Toast again for another 2 minutes. Keep it aside and let it cool.

3. In a blender, add toasted ingredients, tamarind pulp, salt and water. The groundnut with get thicker so add water in between and check for sourness and salt. If needed add. Blend it to a smooth texture. Like so. Groundnut chutney is ready to be served.

OKRA / LADIES FINGERS IN TAMARIND / VENDAKKAI PULI

Good day, everyone! Welcome back to my blog Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared.

For those vegetarians out there, I am going to share with you another vegetarian dish. It is called Okra / Ladies Fingers In Tamarind Gravy / Vendakkai Puli.  This is the way how it is done in my family. Try it at home and enjoy!.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg okra / ladies finger / vendakkai (cut into small pieces)

2 big onions (sliced)

2 big tomatoes (cubed)

5 cloves garlic (pounded)

3 green chilies (split into two and sliced thinly)

3 fresh red chilies (split into two and sliced thinly)

1 tablespoons cumin seeds (pounded)

1 tablespoons fennel seeds (pounded)

1 tablespoon plain chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon broken urad dhal / ulunthu

5 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1/2 cup  coconut milk

Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat up oil in a wok. Add in mustard seed, urad dhal, onions, green chilies, fresh red chilies and garlic. Add in the pounded cumin, fennel and turmeric powder. Mix well.

2. Next add in the tomatoes and salt to taste. Combined again all the ingredients. Cook till the the tomatoes are soften. Then add in the cut okra and chili powder. Mix well.

3. Then add in the tamarind pulp and coconut milk. Let the okra cook till the water evaporates and soften. Don't over cook the okra till it mashes.

tamarind pulp

coconut milk

4. Now the okra is ready to be served. Best eaten with rice.