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!

Butter chicken

Butter chicken is a kind of less spicy but creamy side-dish prepared in India. Due to its silky texture and lesser spice it is loved all over the world. So if you are new to Indian cuisine but eager to try some Indian restaurant then you can safely go for a butter chicken. I am sure you will become addicted to that creamy chicken with lots cashews and butter. The origin of butter chicken can be traced back to the Mughal period. It is a common dish in Delhi restaurants. Even though general recipe of butter chicken is well known, the actual flavor can vary from restaurant to restaurant even within India. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice.
Including this silky butter chicken for the event 'Potluck - chicken' hosted by me.

Butter chicken / Murg Makhani :



Ingredients:
Chicken (boneless & skinless) - 2 lb
thick curd - 2 tbsp 
Red Onion - 1 (50 gm)
Tomato - 3 (100 gm)
cashew nut - a handful (20 numbers)
Butter - 100 gm (1 bar / 8 tbsp)
ginger - 2 inch
garlic - 6 pods
salt - to taste
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
cloves - 6
cardamom - 4
bay leaf - 2
cinnamon - 1 inch
oil - 4 tbsp
dried methi leaves (kasuri methi) - 2 tbsp
fresh cream - 2 tbsp (or) whole milk - 1 cup

Method:
1.Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

2.Clean the chicken pieces in running water. Again apply 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and wash finally.
Cut it in to medium size squares. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Apply salt, ginger garlic paste, thick yogurt 2 tbsp and mix well.
Let it marinate for an hour.

3.Then heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the chicken pieces just till the chicken becomes golden grown in the outside.
(No need to cook it till crispy).
Take out the fried chicken.

4.Add another tbsp oil and fry the chopped onion to golden. Keep aside.

5.In a lidded vessel cook the whole tomatoes with 1 cup of water till their skin cracks.
Let it cool.

6.Peel the skin and grind the tomato along with cashews, fried onion, cumin seed, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon. fennel seeds.
Mix the masala with fried chicken, red chilly powder, coriander powder, red food color , salt and mix well.

7.Melt butter in a pan, add cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, fennel and add the mixtue.
Fry well till the gravy thickens.
Finally garnish with chopped cilantro, fresh cream (optional) and dried methi leaves.
Butter chicken is ready!

serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with any Indian bread.
Goes well with Naan , paratha , plain rice and chapathi.

Note:
I did not add any fresh cream before serving. But if you like a less spicy version , then add a tbsp of fresh cream per serving.
Instead I have added 1 cup whole milk.
Decorated the dish with my home-grown mint leaf:)
Instead of frying the chicken pieces, we can bake them in oven at 375 dec C for 20 minutes and use as told above.

Chicken 65

Last week I made this chicken 65 as side dish for plain rice and sambar.
Chicken 65 can be the very best choice of all the chicken lovers. After marriage I slowly introduced a lot of chicken items to Xav. Before that because of restaurant food and bachelor life he had an aversion towards most of the food, especially the non veg. In some restaurants the chicken 65 won't be fully cooked inside and people start hating it. Yes, we should be careful in selecting the restaurants .
The first item I made was 'Chicken thokku' and the next one was 'Chicken 65'. From that moment of tasting the flavorful and well cooked home made chicken 65 , he became a fan of it. I will narrate my stories with fish and mutton later:)
I love to make this chicken 65 just because I can see him around while frying it. He loves to taste some pieces immediately after frying , even before the lunch time or my photo session..... ha ha. See how this aromatic chicken 65 has changed my man:)
The biggest challenge I face is to get a 'Chicken 65 masala powder' just like chennai version. So I made my very own masala at home.
I have been researching many versions and found the following very useful. I got this recipe from a chef near my dad's house.
So here is a Chicken 65 made without store bought masala.
The story behind the name 'chicken 65':
I heard two versions on how the name chicken 65 could have originated.
1. I read in a magazine that it is a kind of kebab / dry fry served in restaurants of Bombay during the period 1965 and hence the name.
2. Some people say that the suitable chicken used for the recipe would have grown for 65 days and hence got the name.
Any way when it comes to eating I ignore all stories and focus on my plate. How about you guys?

Enjoy the fool proof restaurant version of chicken 65.




Chicken 65:
Ingredients:
skinless boneless chicken - 1/2 lb (1/4 kg)
(thighs are the best here. Breast will yield a dry chicken 65)
Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Egg - 1
Corn flour / all purpose flour - 1 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
curd / plain yogurt - 2 tbsp
Red food coloring - a pinch
garam masala - 1 tsp
Lemon juice / vinegar - 1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying _ 250 ml

To grind:
Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 4 pods

Method:
Wash and clean the chicken in running water.
Then again apply a tsp of Turmeric powder and wash it again. Drain the water. Pat dry it with paper towels.

Cut the chicken into 2 inch squares.

Grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
In a mixing bowl add everything above except oil and chicken.
Blend it into a homogeneous mixture with a fork.Check for salt.

Then add the chicken and mix well.
Keep aside for the chicken to absorb the masalas for 1 hour or more .
(We can keep this in refrigerator overnight also - best way).

In a deep skillet heat the oil to smoking point.
Fry the chicken pieces in small batches in low heat until they are fully cooked.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels to remove excess oil .

Place it on serving bowl.
Squeeze a full lemon over the fried pieces (to make it soft) and serve with sliced onion and lemon wedges.
Chicken 65 is ready!

Tamilnadu style chicken 65 I made for a party ( Aug 2013)

Serving suggestion:
Serve as starter or side dish with any rice dish.
Goes well with plain rice and sambar / rasam.

Note:
Overnight marination inside fridge is my secret behind best juicy chicken 65.
If doing so, add 1 tbsp white vinegar per pound while marination to ensure freshness of meat.