Finally, Konda's summer holidays are coming to an end. And I feel so guilty that we didn't take her anywhere during the vacation. Two months just flew, with almost the same thing happening day in and day out! Not that she ever complained, she doesn't actually know about it. She was happy that her Ammamma was here. So she happily spent most days with her, hopping here and there. Even her big bag of books have arrived. I now have the task of binding them pending.
I always loved covering and labeling notebooks and books. I remember my school days when it wasn't really a rule to bind with brown paper. I used to select the choicest and glossy newspapers for the cover. And bind each one according to a different theme. During any of those dull class hours, I found myself looking at those beautiful sceneries and being promptly transported to that place! How wonderful it used to be. So sad that kids these days can't enjoy that. It's got to be brown paper now. Then we used to get those lovely attractive labels. I used to select such cute ones and enjoyed writing my name, subject, and so many things. These days, the school give their labels printed with their names. I really feel kids are being deprived of so many creative outlets.
Coming to today's recipe, it's a chicken that was prepared a few days back. Never got around blogging on it. Since this is another one of self created recipe, for want of a better name, hubby suggested this name! He said it was really flavorsome and had a ring of masti around it! What better name than this.
Ingredients Needed:
To be marinated
Chicken - 500 gms
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curds / Yogurt - 1 ladleful ( app 50 gms)
Turmeric a pinch
For the gravy
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Cinnamon + Cloves + Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Mint / Pudina - about 5-6 big leaves
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method to prepare:
Clean and cut chicken into medium size pieces. Let it drain. Then in a bowl, take the chicken, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, and curds. Mix well and marinate for 2 hrs.
Heat a pressure cooker with oil. Sauté the onions, when they turn brown, add the tomatoes. Let it become mushy. Then add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Cook on high flame for 5 mins, while you stir it. Then simmer it down.
Then add the spice powder. fry well. Then add poppy seeds powder. Followed by chili and coriander powder. Add the mint and coriander leaves. Sauté well. Adjust salt and add 1/2 cup water. Replace lid and put for 1 whistle or till chicken is cooked.
Once the pressure is off, cook again till the gravy is thick and the chicken is nicely coated with it.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Notes: Since grinding the poppy seeds are so difficult, this time we ground about 100 gms and store it in the fridge.
The spice powder that I have mentioned is a roasted combination of the whole spices. We roast them and grind to a fine powder. This gives a great taste to the non - veg dishes. Depending on different recipes, we use this powder.
This one was quite spicy, so adjust the spice and chili according to your taste!
Marination can be less depending on your needs.
Swati Raman Garg says
even i used to love binding my books and notebooks, but even we had the rule of brown papers but yes, we did have d freedom to choose our own jazzy labels.. 🙂 chalo bubye for now.. and thanks for this easy way for cooking chicken (the pressure cooker part...)
Homecooked says
Yum Yum yum! This looks so tasty!
Rachel says
I have a couple of years more (I hope) before I start covering my daughter's books..
That plate of chicken looks delectable...
Purnima says
Sri, loved ur simple way of making chicken,shall try it out..memories of school, picking up stationery n inhaling the odor of fresh books n covers, covering them and stacking them neatly ...all returned as i read this post! we had brown covers..no labels..it used to b printed on the covers, we had to fill in the subject n our names etc..:)
kamala says
You bring back all the memories of childhood.Covering the books and labelling...Hope Konda is enjoying all these things.Chicken looks yumm
ranji says
CHicken masti is MAST:)..drooling pics..loved it:)
Jayashree says
Covering books with brown paper is something I used to hate.....I've already started giving hubby broad hints that he'd better polish up his book covering skills before our daughter starts school....
Kalai says
Oh, gosh! You just brought back memories of school days... Buying new clothes, backpack, etc. We only used brown paper to cover our books, too. Guess we had to look for creativity elsewhere! The chicken looks mouthwateringly delicious, Valli! 🙂
indosungod says
I am cooking this chicken dish real one, simply tasty.
JZ @ Tasty treats says
A chicken recipe with gin-gralic paste and yoghurt got be fantastic in my mind!!!
I also loved to bind my books with brown paper. And abt the stickers/labels, I would pick labels with crazy characters and stick the not-so-good ones for the strict-er teachers and for tougher subjects!! Haha...those were good times! Best wishes to Konda for the coming year!
Happy cook says
Chicken looks delicious.
Yeah when we were in school we could also cover our books with other papers. We also used to collect the beautiful calenders to covr them.
Sukanya Ramkumar says
Hi...
Chicken looks so nice. Love the combo. Chicken's red color is so appetizing.YUM!
Suma Rajesh says
chicken masti tho ek dam mast hai...very colourful and yummy tooo
Kamini says
The chicken looks delicious.
I loved the smell of the new books and the brown paper, and I remember clearly the solemn resolutions I made while covering the books that I would study hard and do well. There was so much of excitement and promise in the air with the piles of books, brown paper, glue and scissors!
Good luck to Konda for her new academic year.
Kamini.
Arundathi says
lovely looking chicken.
i too used to buy cute labels! and loved the newspaper binding. i used to bind it with the cartoon section or puzzles so i could do it in class! lol!
Cham says
Looks spicy and mouthwatering ur chicken... Aready the summer is over in India...
Good luck 4 ur sweetie for the whole new academic year!
Asha says
Your hubby really loves meat dishes, doesn't he? He even naming them now! HeHe!
Masala sounds wonderful, must be very tasty,I will try. My kids love any dish as long as it has meat!:P
Trisha has a very special surprise tomorrow at school, it's a secret call betn us and the principal.I have to go at 10am and hide in the school auditorium before she comes out!:D
I will tell you next week. Konda is ready for school already, last day here is 11th and no school until Aug 25Th! I remember those colorful cover and labels too. School is too boring these days,huh?
Vani says
OMG! That chicken curry looks amazing, Sri!
Divya Vikram says
Drooling over the chicken in ur pics Srivalli..nice name for the dish too..I used to select my fav cartoon characters for my labels..It was fun
Suganya says
My mom used to make glue at home due to large number of books. The faces on the newspaper cover always get mustache before end of the month 😀