Chettinad Chicken Kulambu in Pressure Cooker ~ Tamil Nadu Special Chicken Curry

Ok for once it turned out that I was unable to click more pictures in the recent dinner party. I just managed to click most of the dishes together, while rest was being prepared. This time for a change in the menu, Amma wanted to try something else, different from our usual menus. She always says she would want to have her best dish included, even if the new dish that she tries flops, which of course has never happened. Anyway it's always better to be prepared right.

So we have this Chettinad Chicken curry that Amma makes, she wanted to vary the ingredients and made a new combination. This was again liked much, so needless to say I am here to record that on dot! You must make it and enjoy as I have heard very good feedback on the Kulambu. She also wanted to make the roast, which was again a derivative of another dish. All in all this menu was assembled mostly with a thought that we create a new list with what we have already! Kids loved the Paneer Butter Masala. Did I tell you that the current Paneer Butter Masala has gone through lot of modification from what it's on the blog? Well I hope someday I get around sharing the recipe as well. Until then you get to just hear me talk about it all the time.

With today being Women's Day, I went out with my colleagues for an outing, leaving the guys very jealous, they were hoping they would get to go out and enjoy on Men's day. The feminist in me shouted out "as if they don't have a men's day daily!"..:) On the other hand, knowing that the men in my life don't always expect me to hen around them, I can say they can have a special day, else no chance!

Chettinadu Chicken Kolambu Recipe

Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onions - 1 medium
Tomatoes puree - 1 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili powder - 3/4  tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves handful

Masala to be ground

Coconut - 1/2 of a whole medium size
Poppy Seeds / Gasa Gasa - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsps
Whole peppercorns - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili whole - 2
Cashew Nuts - 5 -6 whole
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 2"
Cardamon - 2 nos

How to make the chicken kolambu

Dry roast the spices for the masala and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Then in a pressure pan, heat oil, saute the onions till they turn nice brown colour. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.

Next goes the chicken and you cook on high flame for the chicken to get nicely roasted, making sure the raw smell leaves.

Then add the tomato puree, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and simmer for 5 - 7 mins.

You can add the ground masala and continue cooking for another 5 mins.

When you feel the chicken is nicely coated with the masala, add a cup of water and cover with lid. Cook for 1 or 2 whistle depending on the chicken getting cooked.

Once the pressure falls off, add coriander leaves and cook on simmer again for couple of minutes.

Notes:

Since the chicken gets nicely roasted through the process, you can simply put for one whistle. Else you can check and cook for another whistle. Since you are serving as side dish for parotta, make sure pieces don't get smashed.

Chicken Biryani Dindigul Thalappakatti Style ~ Step by Step | Weekend Cooking

There is always a strange feeling getting back to things you haven't been doing for a while. Like not updating this space can easily be one of it. I almost had to remind myself that it's been almost half a month past and there has been no updates. Though it wasn't the lack of dishes. 

As I have said many times, getting Biryani recipe always excites me no end. Couple of weeks back, when Konda had visited her friend's birthday party, she came home with a packed Chicken biryani. Kids loved it and I had to know how it was made. I called up her friend's mom right away and came to know they hail from Dindigul and this was one of the many varieties she prepares. Now that got me really hooked and asked her if she would share the recipe with me. She was such a sweet lady to do it right away. I ended up making this after couple of days and boy, everybody loved it!

I could easily say this looks exactly like how they serve as Thalappakatti Biryani, only difference being I didn't use the Seeraga Samba Rice for the biryani. All Non Veg biriyanis in south use Seeraga Samba Rice and I guess the taste almost goes with that. Anyway having arrived with yet another Chicken Biryani that I can make again, I was content.

I made this during Sunday lunch and had paired it with Mutton Semi Gravy, Chicken Legs Gravy and X Chicken Fry.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani Step by Step Pictures

Ingredients Needed

For boiling chicken

Chicken - 3/4 Kg
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Curds - 2 tsp

Pressure cook without adding water for 2 -3 whistles. Once done, allow the pressure to fall

For the Masala Paste

Pearl Onions - handful
Mint Leaves - handful tightly packed
Coriander leaves handful tightly packed.
Green chillies -  3 long


Whole Spices

Cloves - 3
Cinnamon 2"
Cardamon -2
Bay Leaf - 1 long

For the Rice

Rice - 3 cups
Onions - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green Chilies - 2
Oil - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk, thick - 2 & 1/2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Salt to taste (remember you added in chicken already)
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

How to make the chicken biryani

Wash and cut chicken, drain well. In a pressure cooker, take the chicken along with salt, turmeric and curds. Pressure cook for couple of whistles. Once done, allow the pressure to fall down.

Extract the coconut milk and keep it ready.

In another pressure Cooker, heat oil, add all the wholes spices. Let the flavours come out.

Then add the onion julienne, green chilies, followed by the ginger garlic paste, saute well. Add chopped tomatoes and saute well. Once the tomatoes get soft, add the ground masala to it and cook well till the oil comes out.

Now add the drained chicken and saute well to make sure the chicken coated with masala. Add coconut milk, water and adjust spice.

Add drained rice and bring to boil. Cover with lid and cook for 1 whistle. Simmer completely and cook for 10 mins.

Wait for the pressure to fall, fluff the rice well and transfer to a non stick pan, grease the bottom with ghee, spread the rice and cover with thick lid and dum for 15 mins.

Remove and finally add the lemon juice.

Serve with Onion Raitha or chicken gravy.

Notes:

There are couple of ways of making this biryani. You can half cook the rice and add it at the last stage. Cook both separately and dum the whole process.

Cooking in pressure cooker was much easier, only cautious thing you have to remember is add the salt at different stages and adding less water than required for the rice to be separate and grainy.

Always fluff and never mix too much.

Other Chicken Recipes
Other Biryani Recipes

Pepper Chicken Curry Tamil Nadu Style without Coconut | Milagu Kozhi Kulambu

Seeing that it's been a while since I actually made something special for the blog, I requested Amma to think of a new variety in chicken when she was planning the menu for her party. She said she can't think of anything new, nor want to take a risk of making something new of which she has no verdict as it's going to be a party.

Then she decided to call in one of our guests, Vasantha Aunty, who is quite an expert in making Non veg dishes. She came in early and decided to make Chicken in the style she makes. By then Amma had all the other dishes set and done. She said this chicken gravy goes very well with just plain rice as it's quite spicy with pepper flavour being more.

The main specility of this gravy is the fact that it's made without Coconut. So if you are looking for a low calorie Chicken Gravy, then this is something that will suit just fine. I was asking her how she will get more gravy when she hasn't added coconut to it, she asked me to wait and watch. And I must agree the gravy was more and I guess people didn't miss out the coconut at all.

Pepper Chicken Curry

Pepper Chicken Curry

Ingredients Needed:

Chicken - 1 kg
Onions - 3 medium
Tomatoes - 2 small
Bay leaf - 1
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red Chili powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Ground powder to be added

Pepper - 1 & tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Dry roast and grind to a smooth powder.

How to make the Pepper Chicken Curry

Wash and drain the chicken on a colander. 

Heat a pressure cooker with oil, add the bay leaf, then chopped onions. Saute till it turns brown. Add the drained chicken, saute well.

Add salt and turmeric and saute well till the moisture evaporates.

Then add the ginger garlic paste, combine everything well. Now add the red chili powder, coriander powder, and chopped tomatoes. Saute everything well and cover with a lid. Simmer to low flame and let the chicken get roasted well. add garam masala

Add a cup of water and pressure cook for a whistle. 

When the pressure falls, remove the lid, add coriander leaves and sprinkle the ground pepper, cumin powder.

Bring to a boil and remove.

Notes:

The coriander powder gives the gravy in this dish. The pepper that you add at the end makes it a perfect spicy gravy.

Chicken Gravy Andhra Style ~ Yet another one!

I know I have so many variations of chicken gravy, that I almost gave up trying to check if I had already made that particular way. The fact being each one varies in some form and when that method is liked by all, I immediately think I must share with all and also it will surely help me again when I would want to make something different. 

So you are subjected to yet another method the chicken gravy is prepared at home. Athamma makes this way and I can never actually get her to tell me the recipe in the way she makes. Like she always forgets to tell me and then she remembers. It's all sort of very cute because I am sure she would have forgotten something. This time I even made sure I was around the time she made. And captured pictures as well. She is somebody who never really cares about following a recipe and adds in something based on what's available. Anyway we have been always happy that her dishes turn out great.

Ingredients needed:

Chicken - 500 gms
Onions - 200 gms
Tomato - 100 gms
Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves chopped - half cup
Curds - 2 tbsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Coconut and Poppy Seeds paste - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup


Method to prepare:

Chop chicken to desired size.

Chop Onions, Tomatoes, coriander finely,

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaf. Then add onion and sauté well. Fry till its light brown in colour, then add ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell is gone.

Then add chicken piece along with salt and turmeric pw. Fry on high flame for 5 mins. Ensure it doesn't get burnt. Simmer and add the curds, saute well.

Then add chilli powder, coriander powder, fry well so that the chicken pieces gets a coating. Then add tomatoes pieces, simmer it for 5 mins. Add half of the coriander leaves. Keep rest for garnishing.

Add water and coconut paste and milk. cover it with lid and bring to 1 whistle.

Once the pressure is out, remove the lid and put on high flame. Sprinkle garam masala and then garnish with coriander leaves before removing from flame.

I made this along with the Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Other Chicken Recipes

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani | Chicken Biryani Pressure Cooker Method

While planning for the weekend cooking, I thought I would make something new and asked Hubby dear what he wanted. He remembered his Aunt, who is a wonderful cook and wanted me to ask her for ideas. She was the one who shared the Fried Keema Balls, Keema Kofta Curry when we had gone to my SIL's place.  I called her up to know if she knows a newer version of biryanis, she was all praise of her daughter who lives in Hyderabad and asked me to talk to her. Well finally it lead me talking to her daughter who shared this Hyderabadi Style Chicken Biryani.

I specifically asked her if there was a said thing that tomatoes are not added in Hyderabadi Biryani. She said they make it both wise, with tomatoes and without and also in Dum Style and in regular cooking method. The procedure is quite long, the end result though makes it all worth is what she said. I set up making it and ended up making in Pressure cooker.

I was so surprised when Konda and Peddu loved this biryani so much. Konda never prefers Biryanis and it was a real treat that I have finally have something that she likes so much. So this joins yet another array of biryanis that has to be noted down.

I made this in pressure cooker and you got to be really careful about the water as you add water in couple of steps and I ended up using another method which takes care of excess water as well. I was told the specialty in this biryani is the amount of onions added, so much onions are added that it gives a different taste and texture all together. As with the Mutton Biryani that was shared by our Muslim Friend, this biryani uses Methi leaves as well. Maybe someday I will try out a vegetarian version of this and taste it myself!

 

Ingredients Needed:

For the Marinade:

Chicken  1 Kg

Curds - 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt - 1/2 tsp

For the Biryani

Rice - 3 cups

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 2"

Cardamon - 3 -4

Bayleaf - 2

Biryani Mogga - 2

Onions - 4 -5 big

Tomatoes - 2 -3 big

Green chilies - 5 -6 long

Coriander leaves - 1 tightly packed cup

Mint leaves - 1 tightly packed cup

Fresh Fenugreek / Methi leaves - 1 tightly packed cup *(Refer notes)

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Dry Coconut powder / Cashew powder - 2 tsp

Cloves powder a pinch

Oil - 1/2 cup

Water - 5 cups

Salt to taste

For the garnish

Roasted onions

Roasted cashews

How to make the Biryani in regular pressure cooker method:

Wash and cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Wash and soak the rice for 15 - 20 mins

In a bowl, marinate along with the ingredients listed for marination for about 30 - 40 mins.

In a pressure cooker, add oil and saute the whole garam masala. Then add onion julienne and saute till they turn colour.

Next add the ginger garlic paste and continue sauteing. Add slit green chilies.

Now add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and Fenugreek leaves. Continue cooking in simmer.

Now add tomatoes, salt and cook till the tomatoes turn soft. Next add the chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder.

Cook for 10 mins, till the oil comes out on the sides. Make sure you don't let the bottom brown.

Add the chicken marinade along with the liquid. Cook till the all the moisture is evaporated. When all the water is evaporated, add the coconut powder. Mix everything well.

Drain the water from the rice and add to the pan. Combine everything well. Add the clove powder, water and adjust salt. Cover with lid and cook for 2 whistles or simmer for 10 mints.

For the garnish, roast the onions to crisp brown along with cashew for final garnish.

By Dum Method:

If you plan to make this biryani in Dum, Cook the rice to half boil and keep it aside after draining the water.

Cook the chicken gravy as per the above method, make sure the chicken gravy is almost dry.

In a thick bottom pan, layer with rice and chicken gravy alternatively and dum for 30 mins in sim over a tawa.

Finally serve with roasted cashews and onions.

I served with Chicken Gravy Athamma style and a plain Onion raitha.

Notes:

I made this biryani in pressure cooker method and though I added much less than the water I would for 3 cups of rice, the biryani turned soft and mushy. So I cooked it only for 2 whistle, and continued cooking in simmer, while having the pressure cooker over the tawa, covered with 4 layers of newspaper. Over the newspaper place a plate that fits it well and then finally place the cooker lid. This way the rice gets cooked evenly and the excess water is absorbed by the paper. End of 15 mins, the biryani turned out correctly done. It wasn't mushy or overcooked. 

Also since you add salt in two different places, please check after adding water. 

As onions are more, it will tend to become little sweet, so you will have to compensate with enough green chilies and red chili powder. This can be adjusted even after added the water at the end stage.

I couldn't lay my hands on fresh methi leaves and used kasuri Methi instead. Maybe this could have been the reason for the slight bitterness that was felt by Athamma, though as always kids didn't know it.