Chicken Stew & HAPPY EASTER

First of all, I wish you all a very Happy Easter..Hope u guys are having a good time. In this easter occation i am going to share with u a very delicious non-vegetarian dish, "Chicken Stew". I think this is one of the popular dish all over the world however, the recipe and cooking method are different in different palaces. What i am going to share is a Kerala-style Chicken stew.

One of the main ingredient used for all type of stew is Coconut milk. Nowadays it is quite easy to prepare any dish using coconut milk because ready-made coconut milk is availble in all the shops.I do remember when amma prepared this dish; she used to prepare the coconut milk at home (by squeezing the grated coconut using a white cotton cloth).  But still amma refused to use these ready-made coconut milk in her cooking. when amma came here in US, she didin't use those. She used to say that these ready made milk does not give the exact taste..Yes, that's true..Now a days powdered and/or liquid forms of coconut milk are available in the market.Preparing this milk at home is not that difficult but it takes little time. In this busy-life nobody wants to spend time to prepare the milk. 

Ok let me explain the preparation method.
Cooking time : 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken: 1 pound 
Onion : 1 no
Carrot : 1 no
Potato: 1 no
Ginger : small piece
Green chili: 6 nos
Garlic: 4 pods
Oil: 2 tbsp
Curry leaves: 1 spring
Turmeric Powder: 1  tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp(optional)
Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp
Salt : to tatter
Fennel seed : 1 tsp
Cinnamon: half portion of a medium sized one
Cardamom: 2 nos
Cloves: 5 nos
Coconut Milk: 1 1/2 cup diluted(Second Milk - randam pal)
Coconut milk:1/2 cup concentrated(First Milk - onnam pal)
For Seasoning
Mustard Seed : 1 tsp
Red chili: 2 nos
Curry leaves: 1 spring
Preparation
Step 1:

• Marinate the chicken with Salt ,Turmeric Powder and Pepper Powder
• Dice the onion,carrot and Potato into medium size pieces
• Make a nice paste of ginger and garlic
• Slit the green chili into 2 pieces
• Make a nice powder of fennel seed. 

Step2: Heat oil in a pan.add the Cinnamon stick and crushed cardamom and cloves, sauté for 1-2 minutes
Step2: Add the diced onions into it, saute until the onions become light brown color.
Step3: Add the green chili,garlic ginger paste ..saute well 
Step4: Add the carrot and potato let them fry for some time (until the edges become light brown).
Step5: Add turmeric powder and Coriander Powder and salt,Curry leaves.Mix all together
Step6: Add the chicken into it.
Step7: Add the diluted coconut milk and cook the chicken for 10-15 minute in medium heat
Step6: Once the cooked mix get thicken add the concendrated coconut milk and cook it for 2 minutes in low heat and switch off the heat
Step7: In another pan heat the oil ,Add the mustard seed ,once it started spluttering,add the red chili and curry leaves..saute for 10 second
Step8: Pour this seasoning into the Chicken stew


The Delicious Chicken stew is ready to serve..Have it with Appam,Idiyappam or Rice..

Cook's Tip

• Do not over cook the vegettable..Once it is slightly cooked add the chicken
• Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to 1 hour
• For making the the diluted coconut milk..Take a 1/2 cup of milk from the bottle and mix 1 cup of water.
• Do not boil the mix after adding the onnam pal.

Preparing the Coconut milk at home
Ingredients
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Water : 1 cup
Step1: Grate the coconut using a coconut grater( use the store bought  frozen grated coconut also)
Step2: Add one or two tbsp of water into the garted coconut and grind them to make a nice paste
Step3: Extract the coconut milk from the paste using a cloth or the tea stariner 
Step4: Collect the milk into a bowl..This is the concentrated milk or "First Milk - Onnam Pal"; Keep it for further cooking
Step4: Grind the remaining coconut mix again and add 1 cup of water
Step5: Extract milk from it. This is diluted milk or "Second Milk - Randam Pal"..