Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Chicken Salna for Parotta

Other names: Chicken chalna / road side stall parotta kuruma.

If you stroll along the streets of Madras or any place in TamilNadu(India) like Madurai , Tuticorin ,Kovilpatti , Tirunelveli etc., in the night , you won't miss to hear the word parotta and salna. Parotta with Salna is a common street food in TamilNadu and kerala. It is called the staple food of the bachelors and Truck drivers there.
Chicken with some bones and skin is the flavor riser in a salna. It is made in a jiffy way to satisfy the taste buds of hard workers (but loved by all classes). We can make a vegetarian version with potato , cauliflower, beans also but the popular one is with chicken.
The chicken salna is much equivalent to a kuruma or soup except for its less addition of chicken and some different ingredients. Look at the simple ingredients like besan flour and groundnut.... don't add cashews or poppy seeds to get the original taste. You cannot relish the salna unless otherwise you make it along with parotta.
I am narrating a parotta stall version for the famous chicken salna (chalna).



Event:
Including this Chicken salna to the event The potluck - chicken ' hosted by me.


Ingredients:
Chicken (with bone) - 200 gm
Red Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful
Potato - 2
curry leaf - 2 brig
Bay leaf - 2
fennel seed - 1 tsp
cinnamon (pattai)- 2 inch
ghee / vanaspathy - 3 tbsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

To grind :
Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 4
cardamom - 4
cumin - 1 tsp
(roasted)groundnut or puffed channa dal - 2 tbsp

Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 3 pods

besan flour - 1 tbsp
Sour Curd - 2 tbsp

Method:

Chop the chicken pieces along with some skin and bone (approximately 150 - 200 gms).
Wash and clean the chicken . Apply Turmeric, 1 tbsp curd and keep aside.

Chop onion, Tomato separately and keep aside.

Grind ginger + garlic together.
Grind the other items given to grind and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok.
Add the fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf and let the fennel get red.

Then add the chopped onion , curry leaf, cilantro, mint and saute till the onion becomes golden.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till oil oozes out.

Then add the chopped chicken, chilli powder, coriander powder ,salt, potatoes and stir well.
Add a cup of water and cook the chicken for 15 minutes or till the meat is cooked completely.

Then add the ground masala with 3 cups of water.
Let it come to a boil.

Beat the 1 tbsp curd with besan flour and add 1 cup water .
Pour this mixture into the boiling salna.
Cook for another 30 minutes in medium heat.
The consistency of the salna should be thin.

switch off flame.
Sprinkle a few slit green chillies, crushed cardamom (2) and close the lid.

Chicken salna is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with parotta , Idly, Idiyappam .
Makes 1 liter of Chicken salna.
Parotta with salna:

Click here to see How to make parotta at home.

The very thought of the hot parotta loosened and mixed with the chalna packed in a banana leaf makes me nostalgic. Oh , yeah . That's how they pack in India before the arrival of plastic sheets:) The flavor of the banana leaf and the parotta chalna can definitely lit up a lot of smile in our faces:) Hope you all fall in love with this combination forever.
Happy cooking friends!

45 comments:

Gita Jaishankar said...

I am drooling over those pictures Viki...this my favorite combo...looks so yummy dear :)

eshoboshoaahare.blogspot.in said...

Chicken salna sounds great...lovely recipes...

Finla said...

Just reading the post i am missing kerala for the lovley delcious parotta from the street stalls :-)
That curry look so yumm all that gravy one can really soak them up with parottas.
RRRRRRRRRRRR now i am hungry for this

Padma said...

Hello Viki... looks so delicious ... salna is just perfect for Kothu Parotta :D

Parita said...

i love kootu parathas..these have come out perfect..yum yum

Saraswathy Balakrishnan said...

hey look what u have done..i'm homesick now:( btw magnificent recipe pa..

Priya Suresh said...

Yummm!!!i love salnas, Oh viki ur salna makes me hungry yaar!

ARUNA said...

tempting pictures Viki.....nice work!

Pooja said...

Oh I love this but never knew it was Salna! So happy to get the recipe! Looks fabulous and perfect combo with Parotta!

Vrinda said...

Chicken salna is new to me but Kerala porotta,my all time fav..looks yum..

Suparna said...

hey viki,
both the dishes are new to me ...looks so drool worthy...yummm the salna looks like a perfect match with the parotta. Shall def treasure this recipe dearie :) tempting clicks!
Enjoy!
TC

Pavithra Elangovan said...

I love this everytime... so lovely and perfect

Ann said...

Hummm My DH's alltime Fav.. If atall I have changed my mind to make.. I sure gonna refer your recipe :)

Priyameena said...

My favorite viki...When I saw the fotos I started dreaming..I too love ..love the loosened parota with salna wrapped in a banana leaf..Totally nostalogic..Kalukittenga ponga..

Pooja said...

viki i would just die for this dish ! i'm just waiting for july , when i will go to India and quench my appetite ! i'm already drooling .oops my keyboard ...

kittymatti said...

this gravy sounds interesting! I love parottas!

Malar Gandhi said...

Perfect recipe to satisfy my taste buds!!! Well said about Barotta salna...who cud resist this comfort street food!

I never knew that they add besan flour or peanuts there. Interesting discovery!!! Cant wait to try this!!

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

I love your stories and can smell the salna... Yumm dish dear!

Sanghi said...

Wow, was searhing for it a long time, got ur's. Thanks viki. Yummy!

Chitra said...

Ur write up made me drool..yes, me too used to have parata salna b4 marriage..I love to try that salna with veggies..have bookmarked it..another goodness from u..thanks viki:)

Manju said...

im a vegetarian so we always used to get parotta and kurma..that was also awesome!! i soo miss those here. Salna also sounds great. Let me try to make it with some veggies :)

Dori said...

That sounds delicious, I would eat that till I was stuffed, wish I could easily make that bread.

Varsha Vipins said...

am drooling like anything hearing ur narration about Salna..my..what a combination..I have to get some porotta's soon..to try this..yumm-o!

Kayal said...

You are true...the smell of banana leaf with the parotta....mouthwatering....I a die hard fan of parotta. I miss them. The frozen ones will never be compared with the roadside parottas.

Bergamot said...

Been a long time since I heard the term salna being used at a home other than mine. We make all types of salna at home to go with our food. We call it saalan :-)
Yeah and chicken salna is one of my favourites. It goes well with jeera rice too. The parotta are simply amazing. Having been trying to make these for long. Will give it one more try... thanks for the detailed instructions.

gtyuk said...

yummy yum, makes me hungry !

Unknown said...

Ah!! You made me crave for parottas and chalna now. You cook chicken so well! Also liked ur baked chicken curry.

Unknown said...

Salna turned out excellent. Thanks a lot viki. I acidentally found your blog when i was searching how to clean banana flower and ended up doing this salna. It had the original taste. I have tried many before but this is the best. I have added your recipe to my tried and tasted collection. :). Whenever i go to Tirunelveli i eat parotta and salna but now on i don't have to wait for that.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks a lot Cynthia. I am so happy that you like this salna. This is my family's favorite too. Sometimes I long for that flavorful parottas soaked in salna and folded in banana leaf....the leaf imparting much flavor to that soggy parotta salna pack.....mmm...unimaginable taste:) Keep visiting and enjoy dear!

Newman Joseph said...

i am from tirunelveli....long time i am looking for "namma oru salna". finally i have landed in a correct web site, thanks for all the posts. looking forward to learn more things....

Vikis Kitchen said...

Joseph: Thanks Sir. Nothing can beat that Tirunelveli parotta. Namma ooru saappadu pol varuma:) Glad that you visited my blog. Happy blogging!

Anitha Ganesh said...

Wow!!! Very nice recipe. I am from Madurai and I always use to crave for Protta, Egg Protta and Salna.
After marriage I don’t cook non veg at home. So planning to try this with some veggies. But I would love to have it with chicken.
Have you tried with veggies?

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks Anitha. You can try with potato+ beans+ carrot+ cauliflower. Totally you may need 2 cups of vegetables. I do the veggie version most of the time and I am sure you will like it.

மதன் said...

hello sister,

unga recipe la rendu try pannen

1. muslim marriage mutton briyani: samachi atha inga irruka oru relation akka veetla koduthen, avanga sapittu entha muslim veetu kalyanathula irunthu suttutu vanthane kettanga ;-)

2. chicken salna: i m not good in cooking, onnum illa i just followed ur steps as like, WOW wat a taste....it was really YUMMY...

half the credit goes to you and rest to me :-)

KEEP GOING......
half the credit goes to you

Vikis Kitchen said...

Kanthasamy Anna (ippidi ellaraiyum kooppittu en vayasai kuraichukkiren, hi hi), Thanks for that half credit:) unga comment padichi santhosathula vaarthaiye varale:)
recipe ennanga recipe, unga kaimanam nicahyama super thaan! I am so glad that the salna and biryani came out well. Happy blogging!

மதன் said...

kanthasamy annavaaaaaa....enna koduma sir ithu....illanga sister really i have tried so many chicken kurumas by reading many web pages...mostly it was a luck factor to make a good kuruma i can say ana unga measurements for the recipe and timing was accurate which makes the dish so good...

THANK U VERY MUCH FOR FOLLOWING ME SISTER....HAPPY BLOGGING////

meera said...

Hi Viki
I made this salna yesterday eve with some chicken pieces i had and it turned out amazing.. I just followed wat was written and my husband said it was absolutely fantastic.. just like what we have in India.. thank u sooooo much for sharing this recipe viki...:) so kind of you..

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks Meera. I am extremely happy that u enjoyed it. our native salna flavor comes from that old style banana leaf wrap in parotta , cardamom and very simple ingredients they use in parotaa stalls:) u made my day too:)

Divya A said...

I love parota with salna especially the Tuticorin's parota where they are deep fried and served crispy with delicious salna !! miss them alot... Thank you will try!!! http://youtoocancookindianfood.blogspot.in

Divya A said...

I love parota with salna especially the Tuticorin's parota where they are deep fried and served crispy with delicious salna !! miss them alot... Thank you will try!!! http://youtoocancookindianfood.blogspot.in

shabana said...

hi viki your chicken salna is truly amazing i tried it and was really shocked it was so good and it was exactly like the one we get at madurai road stalls,i have posted labour of my recipe in ur blog do visit and post ur valuable comments..its http://bondedbyfood.blogspot.in/2012/05/chicken-salnakurma.html

Anonymous said...

Hi Viki,
I was going to try this recipe until I noticed that it mentioned that besan and Curd has to be added and the curry has to be cooked for 30 more minutes, for a total cooking time of 1 hour for 200 gms chicken. Can you please explain? Also can lemon juice/vinegar be substituted for curd (my kid has milk allergy). TIA Sapna

Vikis Kitchen said...

Anonymous: Thanks for the review dear. You can reduce the cooking time by pressure cooking, (bring to 1 whistle, then reduce flame and cook for 5 minutes in lowest heat). But this native recipe is cooked in wood stoves for longer hours to bring out the flavor and to attract the crowd, i guess:) The chicken in this curry is not a star ingredient. It is used to give some meat flavor only. Yes, you can totally avoid curd. You can use tomato in more quantity. Lemon won't suit for longer cooking time. Hope it helps. In your leisure, try this and tell me how you liked it. Thanks , Viki.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your reply. I will try it out. Meanwhile, I had cooked your Sambar rice today and it tasted very very good. I had checked out other Sambar sadam recipes on youtube.. all time consuming and laborious and finally decided to check if you had a Sambar sadam recipe. Of course, you do!. I should have come here first! :) Thanks, Sapna

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks for the lovely words dear Sapna. I am very glad that you liked my sambar saatham recipe.I too like quick versions for most of the days. Keep visiting and enjoy the weekend!

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