Chinthamani chicken

While watching a comedy clip in a Tamil movie, I noticed this name sinthamani in a menu card behind the scene and immediately googled to know the details. I got this interesting recipe from Amrita and thanks to her I got a best chicken recipe with a beautiful name:)  This chicken recipe needs only a few ingredients and its a winner in our house always:)

Preparing spiciest foods is the specialty of South Indians. One among the most spiciest dishes is this chintamani chicken, which is made with very spicy dry red chillies. The chillies impart a dark red color to the oil while frying and makes the dish extremely flavorful. Generally this dish should be made with mutton (and we call it as varuval in our house), but I substituted with chicken thighs and it tasted equally delicious.

Ingredients:
Chicken (red meat) - 1 lb
red onion - 2 (medium size)
(or) shallot - 15 numbers
sesame oil / any cooking oil - 1/4 cup
fennel - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 2 sprig
dry red chillies - 15
salt - as per need
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Clean the chicken and cut it into small cubes.
Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.
In the meantime chop the onions roughly into medium size cubes.
Cut the dry red chillies into small bits.
Heat oil in a thick bottom wok (iron wok).
Add fennel and let it get red.
Then add the onion and fry till it turns golden brown.
Then add chopped dry red chillies, curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
Put the marinated chicken and stir well.
Cook covered without any water in low heat for nearly 30 minutes or till the chicken is cooked and gets a beautiful red color.
Switch off.
Chinthamani chicken is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with rice (with ghee and curd).
I made it with parotta and salna.
This is a very spicy chicken fry, so pair it with curd always.

Vella Aval Payasam (Kerala)

I am sure many are familiar with the Tamilnadu style quick aval payasam (kheer). I am narrating a different version of aval payasam prepared in some parts of Kerala and villages near Kerala border (where we get more coconut and palm sugar.). We add coconut in almost everything in our food. This aval payasam should be prepared with coconut milk and jaggery (White sugar and milk for TN aval payasam).  Here I have added Indian brown sugar (vellam), but we can add palm sugar (karuppatti) instead, if we can get it.I made this for Xav, when he reminded me how much he enjoyed the different kinds of payasams that were served in his brither&SIL's wedding.On seeing his expression on the first sip, I understood that I made this dish perfectly :)

Vella aval payasam

Ingredients:
thick Poha / red Aval - 1 cup
jaggery (or)palm sugar- 1 cup
ghee - 2 tbsp
coconut milk - using 3 tbsp powder
sliced coconut - 2 tbsp
cashew - 10
raisin - 10
cardamom - 2
dry ginger powder (sukku) -  1/2 tsp

Method:
Fry the aval in 1 tsp ghee. Take it out.
In 1 tsp ghee fry coconut pieces, cashew, raisin . Keep aside.
In a vessel add the crushed jaggery and 1/2 cup water. Boil and let it dissolve. Remove any impurities (at bottom).
Prepare thick coconut milk using powder (1/4 cup water) or extract fresh coconut milk using 1/2 coconut.
In another vessel bring to boil 1 cup water and cook aval for  minute.

Add jaggery syrup, coconut milk, dry ginger powder, crushed cardamom. Bring it to a boil.
Add fried coconut, cashew, raisin and switch off.
Aval payasam is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve warm or at room temperature as dessert.