Quick and Ezee Chicken Curry In Sauteed N Ground Onion Tomato Masala

We have many names for chicken curry, like chettinad chicken, butter chickn, chicken tikka, chicken masala, kadai chicken etc... I'm not sure what to name this chicken curry, all I know is this is a very simple and easy to make chicken curry that can be made in a jiffy without much pre-planning required. You get a very rich and delicious gravy without any lumps of onion, tomato bites and goes very well with rice, roti, dosas and Appams. Make this home today and relish with your loved ones!!!

Ingredients:-

For Marination

1. Chicken with bones ~ 2.2 lbs(1 Kg)
2. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
4. Salt - 1 tsp

To Sautee for gravy:-

1. Onion chopped roughly  - 3(~3 Cups)
2. Tomatoes chopped - 2 (~1½ cups)
3. Ginger chopped or crushed - 1 tbsp
4. Garlic chopped or crushed - 1 tbsp
5. Cinnamon stick - a small piece
6. Curry Leaves few
7. Oil - 2 tbsp
8. Salt - 1 tsp

Additional ingredients to add while you cook chicken :-

1. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
2. Chilly powder - ½ tsp
3. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
4. Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
5. Curry leaves a sprig
6. Garam masala -1 tsp
7. Water - 1 Cup + more if required

Preparation Method:-

• Add some salt and lemon/lime juice with chicken and apply all over. Wash and rinse the chicken two-three times.
• Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder and set aside for atleast 30 mins.
• Heat up a wide kadai, pour oil. Add cinnamon stick followed by chopped ginger and garlic, saute a minute till raw smell is gone
• Add chopped onion and salt and saute well till golden brown color.
• Add tomatoes and saute well till it break down the pulp and releases the juice. Put off the fire and keep aside till it cool completely.
• Grind the sauteed tomato onion mix.
• Heat up the same pan in which you sauteed the tomato onion mix. Pour the ground mix, add turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder and saute to combine.
• Add the marinated chicken and gently mix with a spatula or spoon and spread the mix evenly with chicken. Pour some water as required.
• Cover with the pan and let it cook in medium heat for ten-fifteen minutes stirring occasionally.
• Check for the salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add garam masala and mix well to combine.
• Add few curry leaves and a tsp of coriander leaves/cilantro, stir to mix. Cover and cook for another two-three minutes
• Open the lid and check if the chicken is well cooked. Add some more coriander leaves and put off the stove. 
• Serve warm with Rice/Roti/Appams/Dosas or anything of your choice. Garnish with more cilantro/coriander leaves before serving.

Lime Pickle -- നാരങ്ങ അച്ചാർ

Summer here and don't you think this is the best time to make pickles, powders, Jams and no matter what. In-laws are here with us during this summer, kids enjoying summer vacation with their grands. Or maybe I should better say grandparents enjoying with kids, it is really wonderful to watch the bonding of kids with their grands. No matter how much they love their parents and vice-verse, when me or hubby scold them for even a simple or silly issue they run to their grands. They are not satisfied until the granny scolds me or hubby and they believe granny can make us do anything.

Memories explodes seeing kids doing all the pranks. Recollecting the childhood days with my granny, the most beautiful women on earth, with magical hands, managing anything and everything around, with no so called big degrees but with simple common sense she could manage the world around her and make it beautiful. During summer vacation at granny used to make all these 'Achars'/Pickles. A bottle of pickle wouldn't last for more than a week and my granny use to recycle the achar bottle and fill them with next batch of fresh pickles. Mostly mango pickles used to be eaten right away after pickled, we used to scoop them into a bowl and eat those spicy, tangy ones

My MIL, queen of pickles as I call her, makes wonderful pickles. This recipe is from my MIL who is more than happy to make pickles asked at any point of time. I'm not into making much pickles these days other than simple cut mango pickle if I ran out of her homemade pickle in my pantry. To be precise after getting married I hardly make any pickles as I mostly have my MIL's pickles handy. Her pickles always tastes way better than store bought one's and of course the homemade one's are always fresh and without preservatives. So do try out this simple and ezee Lime Pickle and Enjoy !!!

Ingredients:-

1. Lime - 3lbs
2. Garlic Pods - 10 numbers
3. Green chilies chopped fine - 5
4. Curry leaves chopped fine - 2 sprigs
5. Sea Salt/Salt - 4 tbsp(as required) 
6. Sesame Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 3 tbsp(depends on the spice level of the powder and the spice tolerance level)
9. Fenugreek seeds roasted and powdered - 1 tbsp
10. Asafoetida Powder/Hing Powder - ½ tsp

Preparation Method:-

• Wash the lime well, pat dry fully with paper napkins or kitchen towels
• Cut the lemon in squares and move to a wide bowl or bottles. Put garlic pods and chopped green chilies into the bowl and toss.
• Sprinkle salt on top and set aside for three-five days till the skin becomes bit tender and change the   color.

• Heat up a Kadai/Pan, pour oil, splutter mustard seeds. Switch off the stove and add curry leaves. Let the oil reach to medium heat.
• Add chilly powder and asafoetida powder to the oil and gently mix(if the oil is too hot chilly powder will burn and taste bitter)
• Add the salted lemon, fenugreek powder to the pan with oil and chilly powder mix an mix well with a spatula to combine well. Let it cool completely

• Move to air tight containers and keep it at room temperature for couple of days or a a week before you use till the flavors blend in well with lemon. The skin of lime become soft and bitter-less by then.
• Lime Pickle/Naranga Achar is ready to serve with Rice or anything you wish. Splash a tsp of them on top of Yogurt Rice/Curd Rice and feel the awesomeness 

Tips: 

The shelf life of pickle last based on the preparation method. If pickled without any external moisture it will stay fresh for more than a month when kept at room temperature.