Chicken Madras Recipe
 Madras,
one of India' largest cities, is the capital of Tamil Nadu. The city is
generally regarded as the heartland of southern Indian cuisine. It is
surrounded by long stretches of beautiful beaches, shared between the
Bay of Bengal to the east and the Indian Ocean to the south. The food is
mainly vegetarian, but the small Muslim and Christian communities have a
wonderful range of meat- and poultry-based dishes, such as this one.
Take care not to use too much ground fenugreek in this recipe, as it can
be quite bitter.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
450 g/1 lb chicken breast fillets, skinned
45 ml/3 tablespoons tomato paste (puree)
Large pinch ground fenugreek
1.5 ml/¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
5 ml/1 teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
7.5 ml/1½ teaspoons ground cilantro
(coriander)
5 ml/1 teaspoon crushed garlic
5 ml/1 teaspoon chili powder
1.5 ml/¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
30 ml/2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 ml/1 teaspoon salt
300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups water
45 ml/3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onion, diced
2-4 curry leaves
2 fresh green chilies, seeded and chopped
15 ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
(coriander), plus extra sprigs to garnish
Naan bread, to serve
Method:
Cut the chicken breast fillets into cubes.
Mix the tomato paste in a bowl with the fenugreek, fennel. ginger,
ground cilantro, garlic, chili powder, turmeric, lemon juice, salt ad
water.
Heat the oil in a wok, karahi or large pan
and fry the onions with the curry leaves until the onions are golden.
Add the chicken and stir for 1 minute to seal.
Pour the tomato sauce and spice mixture into
the pan. Stir for 2 minutes to ensure the ingredients are well.
Lower the heat and cook for 8-10 minutes,
then add the chilies and fresh cilantro garnish. Garnish and serve.
Happy Cooking,
Carol |
