Aaharam - A Tamil word which means MEAL used by the Brahmin community.
"Aaharam Aacha " means " Have you had your meal" ?
As the word is from Tamil ; let's see few interesting details about Tamil (Brahmin) cuisine.
Tamil Nadu (To be pronounced as Tamizh Nadu) is one of the 28th states of India. It lies in the southern part of India. It was known as 'Madras Presidency' till 1968. It's the eleventh largest state in India by area. The region has been the home for Tamil civilization since atleast 1500BC. The state's classical language Tamil has been in use & contributed in literature for the past 2500 years.
Like any other Indian state Tamil Nadu is also well known for it's hospitality & it's deep belief that " Serving food to others is a service to humanity
Tamil cuisine is basically South Indian cuisine , where Rice & Rice derived dishes from the major portion a diet. There are regional sub varieties namely Chettinad, Kongunadu, Madurai, Tirunelveli , etc.... Traditionally food is served on a banana leaf instead of a plate & eaten with right hand. The Chettinad region is famous for its spicy non-vegetarian delicacies , while Ambur, Dindugal and Sankarankovil are known for their Biriyani.
A common person from the Tamil community starts his/ her day after bathing, praying god & then have their breakfast. There are still families who do not enter kitchen before bathing & they only allow family members inside the kitchen. This is just to make sure that the kitchen is hygiene & safe.
Breakfast normally consists of Idly, Dosai, Pongal, Poori, Vadai, Puttu, Paniyaram, Aappam, Idiappam, uppuma, etc... with an accompaniment of Chutneys, Sambhar, Spiced powder (called as Milagaai podi- Chilli powder; made with dried red chillies & lentils). As Rice is the staple diet most of the dishes are based on Rice.
Lunch At home ; consists of following items: Rice with Sambhar (with or with out Ghee) followed by Rasam & then curd or buttermilk with an accompaniment of a vegetable (dry preparation called 'Porial'), vegetable (a semi gravy item called 'Kootu'), Pickle ( known as 'oorukai')& Appalam (Pappadums)
Non Vegetarian meal consits of the above menitoned items with an addition of Chicken or Fish or Mutton or Egg (can be made of a dry or a gravy preparation)
Majority of the people don't eat Beef or Pork dishes due to religious reasons.
Dinner will be similar to Lunch or Breakfast items
Tamil wedding feast Traditional Tamil wedding meal is always a table service; where friends & families sit in a row & the waiters serve the food in order. Any request of second service will be happily served.
The wedding lunch is served on a Banana leaf & the elaborated menu items are served in the following order.
Sweet (as Payasam), Thair pachadi, Pickle, Salt, Lentil salad, Vadai, Sweet pachadi, Appalam, couple of vegetable dishes, Boiled rice with Ghee. Sambhar, Mohr Kuzhambhu, Rasam are the traditional gravy items which accompanies the rice followed by curd / buttermilk to cool the appetite. This delicious meal compliments the appetite with mouth watering sweet dishes sucha as Payasam/ Badam Kheer or Mysore pak. The items may vary depending on the financial background of the families.
After the meal is over , there'll be a tray of Betel leaf/ nuts which aids in digestion.
Few Tamil culinary terminology absorbed in English
* The word "Curry" is an anglicization of the Tamil word "Kari"
* The Tamil phrase "Milagu Thaneer" (Pepper soup), literally Pepper water , been
adapted in English as "Mulligatawny"
* The word "Mango" is derived from the Tamil word " Maangai"
* The word "Rice" may have ultimately derived from the Tamil word "Arisi"
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Essence of South Indian Cuisine
Indian cuisine
Like any other large country in the world, Indian cuisine is also divided among its regions. But unfortunately, Indian cuisine outside India refers as only the North Indian cuisine. There are dishes which are more delicious in other parts of India, but are hardly noticed. Thanks to the globalisation, people around the world have started acquiring knowledge about the flavours & the diversities in Indian cuisine. It’s really amazing to know that the taste/ flavours of the food changes in every 50-70 kilo meters along with the accent of the local people.
The same simple ‘Dal’ varies from every house hold & leaves one in dilemma if asked to choose the best one among all!
Let’s see some interesting facts about the South Indian cuisine.
What is South Indian Cuisine?
South Indian Cuisine is a term which refers to the cuisines found in the four states of Southern India, mainly Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Unlike the North Indian cuisine, there is a limited use of garam masala and other dried spices except for cardamom, black pepper and turmeric.
Differences between South Indian & North Indian Cuisine
South Indian food is slightly spicier than North Indian food.
To acquire the sour taste of food, South Indians make use of tamarind, tomatoes, kokum, and yoghurt. Some of which are not normally used in the North Indian cuisine they only make use of tomatoes and yoghurt to do so.Coconut milk is used in almost all the South Indian curries. Tomatoes are used in vegetable dishes while tamarind enhances the taste of fish & meat dishes.
Another specialty of this cuisine is the use of ‘Banana leaves which are not eaten but are used as ‘plates’. Perhaps the world’s first hygienic use and throw system might have started from here.North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the extensive use of dairy products like milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt) which form the common ingredients as compared to that of southern India, where the milk products, though consumed in large quantities are usually used unaltered.
North Indian gravies are generally dairy-based and employ thickening agents such as cashew or poppy seed paste unlike the South Indian cuisine where coconut plays the vital role of a thickening agent.The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Some common North Indian foods such as the different types of kebabs and most of the meat dishes originated with Mughals who advent into the country.South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the liberal use of coconut and curry leaves particularly coconut oil, gingelly oil and the ubiquity of sambar and rasam (also called saaru) in the meals.South Indian cooking is much more vegetarian-friendly compared to the north Indian cooking. Garam masala is generally avoided in South Indian cuisine. Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi Nawabi, Mangalorean, and Kerala each cuisines have distinct tastes and methods of cooking. In fact each of the South Indian states has a different way of preparing sambar (A lentil based broth kind of preparation). A connoisseur of South Indian food will easily tell the difference between the sambar from Kerala and that from Tamilnadu or from Karnataka.
Ingredients mainly used in South Indian cuisine:
Peppercorns, Mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut, red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel seeds and tamarind.
Andhra Pradesh
Mainly known for its ‘spicy food’; the red chillies from GUNTUR are very famous for it’s hot. Interestingly Andhra Pradesh is the second largest rice producers in India. Many of its local dishes are made of rice.
Hyderabad is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh; interestingly it got its own cuisine which is mainly dominated of mughal flavours & this cuisine matches to Lucknowi & Awadh cuisine both are in the centre region of India.
Karnataka
Described as the mildest (in terms of spice content) of these four states' cuisines, there is a generous use of palm sugar or brown sugar and sparingly used chili powder. Since the percentage of vegetarians in Karnataka is very high compared to the other states, vegetarian food is enjoyed by almost everyone for all meals of the day.
Udupi cuisine forms an integral part of Karnataka cuisine. Udupi restaurants are typical Vegetarian restaurants & popular in all among the major Indian cities. The origin of UDUPI restaurant is from the famous Lord Krishna Mutt temple in Udupi city, Karnataka. The practice of naivedya, or ritual offerings, to Lord Krishna at the Krishna Mutt temple in Udupi, Karnataka, has led to the Udupi style of vegetarian cooking. The variety of dishes which must be offered to Krishna forced the cooks of the temple to innovate. Traditional cooking in Udupi Ashtamatha is characterized by the use of local seasonal ingredients
TamilNadu
Normally when it comes to Tamilnadu cuisine; it’s very well known for ‘Chettinad food’.
Chettinad is located in southern district of Tamilnadu & is known as homeland for ‘Chettiars’; normally a banking & business community.
Their food can be anything from chicken – mutton – fish – prawns & vegetarian delicacies. They don’t eat Pork or Meat.
The famous dish from this region is ‘Chicken Pepper fry’ & ‘Chicken Chettinad’
In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek.
As rice is the staple food; many of the South Indian food are based on ‘Rice’.
Its not just Basmati rice is used in India.
Following are the few varieties of rice used in South India.
ADT (R) 46 , ADT-37 Rice ADT-38 Rice ADT-39 Rice Amrut Rice Annapurna-28 Rice Chengalpattu Sirumani Rice Improved White Ponni Rice Jagannath Rice Kadaikazhuthan Rice Kaliyan Samba Rice Kallimadaiyan Rice Kallundai Rice Kappa Samba Rice Karnataka Hill Paddy-5 Rice Kattu Kuthalam Rice Kaum Rice Kothmala-Golukulu Rice Krishna Anjana Rice Kudaivazhai Rice Kullakkar Rice Kuzhiyadichan Rice Lakshmi Kajal Rice Nagarjuna Rice Neelan Samba Rice Phalguna Rice Pitchavari Rice Prakash Rice Pusa-44 Rice Ravi Rice Rohini Rice Sabari Rice Sadakar Rice Samba Mahsuri Rice Samba Mosanam Rice Samba Rice Seeraga Samba Rice Sivappu kuruvikar Rice Sona Masuri Rice Thangam Samba Rice Thooyamallee Rice.
Religion & Food, Wedding & Food are always interlinked in India.
Famous temples like Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh), Udupi (Karnatka) offer free food for the 1000’s of devotees on a daily basis.
In a traditional wedding even the size of ‘Pappadum’ make a big difference & also the variety of food served in the wedding shows how wealthy the family is.
Like any other large country in the world, Indian cuisine is also divided among its regions. But unfortunately, Indian cuisine outside India refers as only the North Indian cuisine. There are dishes which are more delicious in other parts of India, but are hardly noticed. Thanks to the globalisation, people around the world have started acquiring knowledge about the flavours & the diversities in Indian cuisine. It’s really amazing to know that the taste/ flavours of the food changes in every 50-70 kilo meters along with the accent of the local people.
The same simple ‘Dal’ varies from every house hold & leaves one in dilemma if asked to choose the best one among all!
Let’s see some interesting facts about the South Indian cuisine.
What is South Indian Cuisine?
South Indian Cuisine is a term which refers to the cuisines found in the four states of Southern India, mainly Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Unlike the North Indian cuisine, there is a limited use of garam masala and other dried spices except for cardamom, black pepper and turmeric.
Differences between South Indian & North Indian Cuisine
South Indian food is slightly spicier than North Indian food.
To acquire the sour taste of food, South Indians make use of tamarind, tomatoes, kokum, and yoghurt. Some of which are not normally used in the North Indian cuisine they only make use of tomatoes and yoghurt to do so.Coconut milk is used in almost all the South Indian curries. Tomatoes are used in vegetable dishes while tamarind enhances the taste of fish & meat dishes.
Another specialty of this cuisine is the use of ‘Banana leaves which are not eaten but are used as ‘plates’. Perhaps the world’s first hygienic use and throw system might have started from here.North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the extensive use of dairy products like milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt) which form the common ingredients as compared to that of southern India, where the milk products, though consumed in large quantities are usually used unaltered.
North Indian gravies are generally dairy-based and employ thickening agents such as cashew or poppy seed paste unlike the South Indian cuisine where coconut plays the vital role of a thickening agent.The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Some common North Indian foods such as the different types of kebabs and most of the meat dishes originated with Mughals who advent into the country.South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the liberal use of coconut and curry leaves particularly coconut oil, gingelly oil and the ubiquity of sambar and rasam (also called saaru) in the meals.South Indian cooking is much more vegetarian-friendly compared to the north Indian cooking. Garam masala is generally avoided in South Indian cuisine. Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi Nawabi, Mangalorean, and Kerala each cuisines have distinct tastes and methods of cooking. In fact each of the South Indian states has a different way of preparing sambar (A lentil based broth kind of preparation). A connoisseur of South Indian food will easily tell the difference between the sambar from Kerala and that from Tamilnadu or from Karnataka.
Ingredients mainly used in South Indian cuisine:
Peppercorns, Mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut, red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel seeds and tamarind.
Andhra Pradesh
Mainly known for its ‘spicy food’; the red chillies from GUNTUR are very famous for it’s hot. Interestingly Andhra Pradesh is the second largest rice producers in India. Many of its local dishes are made of rice.
Hyderabad is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh; interestingly it got its own cuisine which is mainly dominated of mughal flavours & this cuisine matches to Lucknowi & Awadh cuisine both are in the centre region of India.
Karnataka
Described as the mildest (in terms of spice content) of these four states' cuisines, there is a generous use of palm sugar or brown sugar and sparingly used chili powder. Since the percentage of vegetarians in Karnataka is very high compared to the other states, vegetarian food is enjoyed by almost everyone for all meals of the day.
Udupi cuisine forms an integral part of Karnataka cuisine. Udupi restaurants are typical Vegetarian restaurants & popular in all among the major Indian cities. The origin of UDUPI restaurant is from the famous Lord Krishna Mutt temple in Udupi city, Karnataka. The practice of naivedya, or ritual offerings, to Lord Krishna at the Krishna Mutt temple in Udupi, Karnataka, has led to the Udupi style of vegetarian cooking. The variety of dishes which must be offered to Krishna forced the cooks of the temple to innovate. Traditional cooking in Udupi Ashtamatha is characterized by the use of local seasonal ingredients
TamilNadu
Normally when it comes to Tamilnadu cuisine; it’s very well known for ‘Chettinad food’.
Chettinad is located in southern district of Tamilnadu & is known as homeland for ‘Chettiars’; normally a banking & business community.
Their food can be anything from chicken – mutton – fish – prawns & vegetarian delicacies. They don’t eat Pork or Meat.
The famous dish from this region is ‘Chicken Pepper fry’ & ‘Chicken Chettinad’
In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek.
As rice is the staple food; many of the South Indian food are based on ‘Rice’.
Its not just Basmati rice is used in India.
Following are the few varieties of rice used in South India.
ADT (R) 46 , ADT-37 Rice ADT-38 Rice ADT-39 Rice Amrut Rice Annapurna-28 Rice Chengalpattu Sirumani Rice Improved White Ponni Rice Jagannath Rice Kadaikazhuthan Rice Kaliyan Samba Rice Kallimadaiyan Rice Kallundai Rice Kappa Samba Rice Karnataka Hill Paddy-5 Rice Kattu Kuthalam Rice Kaum Rice Kothmala-Golukulu Rice Krishna Anjana Rice Kudaivazhai Rice Kullakkar Rice Kuzhiyadichan Rice Lakshmi Kajal Rice Nagarjuna Rice Neelan Samba Rice Phalguna Rice Pitchavari Rice Prakash Rice Pusa-44 Rice Ravi Rice Rohini Rice Sabari Rice Sadakar Rice Samba Mahsuri Rice Samba Mosanam Rice Samba Rice Seeraga Samba Rice Sivappu kuruvikar Rice Sona Masuri Rice Thangam Samba Rice Thooyamallee Rice.
Religion & Food, Wedding & Food are always interlinked in India.
Famous temples like Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh), Udupi (Karnatka) offer free food for the 1000’s of devotees on a daily basis.
In a traditional wedding even the size of ‘Pappadum’ make a big difference & also the variety of food served in the wedding shows how wealthy the family is.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
DOSA(i) with Sambhar & Coconut Chutney
Dosai- No need to give much introduction to Dosai (Dosa - outside Tamilnadu) with in India.
There is no single restaurants(udupi/darshini/sagar/bhavan) with out Dosai in their menu!.
It looks very simple & taste delicious. All you need is a laddle of batter & a 'tawa' (pan).
But, just having the batter/ tawa/ laddle is good enough to get the right one?? The answer will be NO.
At home if you are having a Dosai, it should not be made in advance. It's been told that if a person is eating a Dosai, that time the secone one should be on the tawa! Hot box/ food warmer wont be able to keep them crispy & fresh.
Why the Dosai's we have in the restaurants are crispy & nice brown in colour than the one we normally make at home!!What is the trick that the chefs are doing in any restaurants to get the Dosai crispy, nice brown colour !
1) Experience
2) Understanding the temperature of the Tawa/ Pan
3) Getting the right ingredients
Dosai
Parboiled rice - 2.5 cups
Raw rice - 1.5 cups
Urid dal/black gram dal - 1 cup
Methi/ Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil/ Ghee - for making Dosai's
Soak the two kinds of rice together in water.Soak the lentil & fenugreek together in a different bowl for a minimum of 5-6 hours.
Grind the washed lentil in a wet grinder or blender . The mixture needs to be light & smooth. (Do not add too much water).
Grind the rice to a smooth paste ( but not as smooth as the lentil. Once its done mix the rice mixture along with the lentil mixture & pour it in to a large vessel ,cover& leave it aside for 6-8 hours. ( or overnight)
Mix the mixture thoroughly & add water (only if needed) . The batter should NOT be runny,but on the thicker side.
Heat an iron tawa & smear oil on it, with a small piece of rolled cloth or half onion.
No need of doing this if you are using a Non- stick pan.
Pour a laddle of batter to the centre of the pan. Spread the batter with the back side of the laddle in circular movements till it forms a large thin round shape. Pour one/two teaspoons of oil/ ghee around the corner. Maintain medium heat till the ''Dosai's" gets a nice even brown colour. If the "Dosai" is thin enough ; no need to turn it around.
By using a thin spatula, lift the Dosai from the corner & serve it hot along with Sambhar & Coconut Chutney.
For sambhar & Coconut Chutney recipes.
http://dakshinspices.blogspot.com/2008/08/sambhar.html
http://dakshinspices.blogspot.com/2008/08/masala-vada-coconut-chutney.html
Chef's Tip:
1) If the Dosai's are not crispy enough, add a spoon or two of rice flour in water & add to the batter.
2) If the Dosai's are getting sticked to the pan, dissolve a spoon or two of plain flour/ Maida & add it to the batter. Alternatively, beat an egg & pour it over the pan,rub it well. Later discard the egg & wipe the pan with a clean cloth.
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Paratha
Making Paratha is very simple; if one get the right ingredients(flour). Stuffed Parathas are always special than the normal ones. Again, individual choices are different!
While i'm not busy in kitchen; i cook for my chefs & encourage them to make something.Well, the fact is such things makes the team more stronger & break the shyness of the chefs to try out sumthing new. It can be a rice dish, plain dal, sandwich, snacks. It's fun!
So, here we go with "Paneer Paratha". I just gave a little twist to this recipe by adding mustad seeds & turmeric powder.
Basic for any bread dish is "Good quality of Atta/ Flour". If you have the right one; consider then half your work is done.
PANEER PARATHA
Whole wheat flour - 200 gms
Paneer - 100 gms.
Green Chillies - 4 no's
Coriander Leaves - Few
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Salt
oil- 2 tbspn
Ghee -To cook parathas.
Make a dough with flour, salt, water & oil. Leave it aside for around 20-30 minutes by covering it with a wet cloth.
Grate the Paneer. In a pan heat oil; add mustard seeds; while it crackles add green chillies followed by turmeric & then paneer. DO NOT ADD SALT. Add chopped corainder after the mixture cools down.
Divide the dough in to equal portions. Slightly press the portioned dough in between your palms. Slowly press the edges of the dough; so that it form in to a bowl shape.Now, add salt to the paneer mixture fill the required amount of paneer mixture in to it & then seal it. Follow the same process to all the portioned dough.
Slightly dust some flour on the table or on the rolling surface. Place the dough & gently press it & then start rolling it out. DO NOT PRESS IT HARD; as the stuffing will come out.
Heat a pan/ tawa wipe it clean; gently rub it with ghee; place the paratha to the hot pan. Turn it over finish it with ghee. Serve the paratha hot with curd / pickle or raitha.
CHEF'S TIP: The secret for adding water to the dough is very simple. Always keep the ratio as 1 cup of flour ; 35% (of the same cup) of water; then add more if needed. Also, the quality of the atta plays a major role in this.Never add salt to the stuffing in advance as it leaves water & it will be difficult to roll the parathas. The first few attempts may not be successful in rolling the parathas but never give up! Always think you are trying something new at home & it will be fun! (Not applicable to professional chefs during the busy service period :D)
CHEF'S TIP: The secret for adding water to the dough is very simple. Always keep the ratio as 1 cup of flour ; 35% (of the same cup) of water; then add more if needed. Also, the quality of the atta plays a major role in this.Never add salt to the stuffing in advance as it leaves water & it will be difficult to roll the parathas. The first few attempts may not be successful in rolling the parathas but never give up! Always think you are trying something new at home & it will be fun! (Not applicable to professional chefs during the busy service period :D)
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Talking to the media.
Cooking for 500 people is really easier than talking in front of a camera. During my last visit to Teneriffe for the Gastronomic tour of Indian Cuisine; i was interviewed by the local TV channel. While talking on the television; i learned something which is "One must know when to stop". Its quiet natural for any chef to talk a lot about their food but it should not bore the viewers or the person who is taking the interview. Just stick to the point & dont complicate things.
Idly was a big hit in this year's menu!
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Fusion food
Personally am not a big fan of fusion food. I do call it as "confusion food" but i did realise if a chef got the understanding of the ingredients then it cannot go wrong. When i started my career back home in India i have come acroos dishes like "spinach & paneer cannelloni with makhni sauce". Now i am laughing when i think of those days. So, basically if a chef doesnt understand the ingredients & proceeds with fusion cooking then it may become a disaster.
I do like to try fusion things but none of those dishes come to the guests table till i get satisfied. I do call many of colleagues & ask them to taste & criticize it & then will come to an conclusion.
Fusion cooking may attract customers but not for a long time. Many professional chefs may differ from this.
One of such fusion dish which i tried for a canape party.
SMOKED SALMON KOSHIMBIR
(Koshimbir is a Marathi word which means 'salad')
Smoked Salmon - 100gms
(it can be purchased from any good supermarkets/ fishmonger)
Cucumber - 15 gms
Orange Juice -From 1/2 No'
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Chillies - 2 No's
Lemon rind - few
Coriander Leaves - Few.
Mini Pappadum - Few
Oil- 1 tspn
Fry the pappadums in hot oil & drain the oil. Thinly shred(strips) the salmon & keep it aside.
Remove te seeds from the cucumber & cut it as same like the salmon. In a bowl mix the orange juice, coriander leaves & chopped chillies Heat oil & add the mustard seeds; add the mustard to the bowl & leave it aside for few minutes. Now, gently add the salmon to the ornage juice mixture & cover & leave it in the fridge for a while.
Arrange the pappadums in a plate & place the salmon koshimbir on top of it. Scatter the lemon rind on top.
CHEF'S TIP : If you dont like smoked salmon then use normal salmon. it can be cooked in oven or poached or panfried. Also the same item can be replaced with shrimps, beetroot(vegetarian). DO NOT ADD SALT FOR SMOKED SALMON.
If you use poached fish; a dash of freshly grated coconut will be more delicious
Monday, 11 August 2008
Chettinad
Thanks to the globalisation; the world has become well familiar with many cuisine. Japanese, Thai, Korean, Indian,Tapas (spanish), Italian are few to name.
When people outside India talk about Indian cuisine they talk about Naan, Kebabs, Tandoori dishes, Pilaf rice,Mango chutney , chicken tikka masala only.Sadly, the diversity in Indian cuisine was not much famous outside India.
Recently, people are becoming more experimental & ready to try new cuisine. Many hotels & restaurants import the right ingredient to get the authentic taste of the dish.
I personally know Chefs in UK who imports Red chillies, Black pepper, cardamom,etc... from India. I import few ingredients from Maharashtra, Tamilnadu for my food festivals in Spain.
Even in India many Chefs thinks that Chicken Chettinad is the only dish from Chettinad Cuisine.
Normally when it comes to Tamilnadu cuisine; it’s very well known for ‘Chettinad food’.
Chettinad is located in southern district of Tamilnadu & is known as homeland for ‘Chettiars’; normally a banking & business community.
Their food can be anything from chicken – mutton – fish – prawns & vegetarian delicacies. They don’t eat Pork or Meat.
The famous dishes from this region are ‘Chicken Pepper fry’ & ‘Chicken Chettinad’
In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with Cinnamon stick, cloves, bayleaf, Peppercorn, Cumin seeds and Fenugreek.
When people outside India talk about Indian cuisine they talk about Naan, Kebabs, Tandoori dishes, Pilaf rice,Mango chutney , chicken tikka masala only.Sadly, the diversity in Indian cuisine was not much famous outside India.
Recently, people are becoming more experimental & ready to try new cuisine. Many hotels & restaurants import the right ingredient to get the authentic taste of the dish.
I personally know Chefs in UK who imports Red chillies, Black pepper, cardamom,etc... from India. I import few ingredients from Maharashtra, Tamilnadu for my food festivals in Spain.
Even in India many Chefs thinks that Chicken Chettinad is the only dish from Chettinad Cuisine.
Normally when it comes to Tamilnadu cuisine; it’s very well known for ‘Chettinad food’.
Chettinad is located in southern district of Tamilnadu & is known as homeland for ‘Chettiars’; normally a banking & business community.
Their food can be anything from chicken – mutton – fish – prawns & vegetarian delicacies. They don’t eat Pork or Meat.
The famous dishes from this region are ‘Chicken Pepper fry’ & ‘Chicken Chettinad’
In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with Cinnamon stick, cloves, bayleaf, Peppercorn, Cumin seeds and Fenugreek.
CHICKEN CHETTINAD
Chicken - 1Kg
Shallots- 25 gms
Tomatoes- 3 No's
Ginger - 2No'
Garlic - 1 pod
Turmeric - 1 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn
Cumin Powder - - 1/2 tblspn
Coriander Powder- 1tblspn
Chicken - 1Kg
Shallots- 25 gms
Tomatoes- 3 No's
Ginger - 2No'
Garlic - 1 pod
Turmeric - 1 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn
Cumin Powder - - 1/2 tblspn
Coriander Powder- 1tblspn
Salt - To Taste
Cardamom - 3 No's
Cinnamon - a small piece
Bay leaf - 2 No's
Kalpaasi - a small amount
Curry Leaves - A sprig
TO GRIND
TO GRIND
Dry Red Chillies - 6(or)7 No's
Coriander Seeds - 1 tblspn
Fennel Seeds - 1 tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1 tspn
Ginger - 1 small piece
Garlic - Few No's
Black Pepper corns- 1 tspn
Grated Coconut - 1/2 No'
Poppy seeds (khus khus)-2 tspns
Oil - To fry these masala.
Cut the chicken in to small pieces by removing the skin. Wash it; add little amount of salt & turmeric. Keep it aside
Heat oil in a pan. Add the above given ingredients for grinding & stir carefully. Once you start getting the aroma of all the spices. Transfer this in a blender & grind it to a paste by adding little amount of water.
Heat oil in a vessel. Add the whole spices; saute it for a minute then add curry leaves. Add shallots & cook the onions till turns nice brown in colour. Add tomatoes followed by ginger garlic paste. Add all the dry powders. Cook till the masala leaves oil on the side. Add the ground masala paste & cook well.
Now the gravy is ready.
In a seperate pan; fry the chicken with very little amount of oil & add it to the above finished gravy. Cook well. Check for seasoning.
In a seperate pan; fry the chicken with very little amount of oil & add it to the above finished gravy. Cook well. Check for seasoning.
CHEF'S TIP Any curry /stew items tastes much better with bones. Poppy seeds in this recipe can be optional. The same gravy can be used for Lamb aswell. Alternatively, the chicken can be added directly to the gravy rather than pan
frying it seperately. The amount of chillies can be altered depending on your spice level. At any stage if you find the gravy too spicy; add more tomato paste or coconut milk.
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