Posted by How do you break free from the mundane? Take a vacation with family, venture out alone or catch up with your gang of best friends. It works for me, but occasionally I need to relive my memories through a dish.
Just like me, my friends were impressed with the movie “Sisterhood of the traveling pants” and wished to meet up after college in a place we loved Goa. Little did we know, as we sat on the broken wooden bench of our hostel watching this very movie that one day we would have our wish granted. Around this time last year, my best buddies from college and I took a short vacation to Goa. We flew from different parts of the country to be together for a few quiet and peaceful days. Yes, the food was definitely on our minds with seafood and other local delicacies that this coastal paradise had to offer.
After a few disastrous trials, we finally got to taste authentic Goan cuisine in a small roadside eatery and also at a popular restaurant in the heart of Goa. All thanks to a dear friend who was kind enough to show us around. From xacuti masala, rawa/semolina fish fry, shark pakoras (fritters) and vindaloo. To top it all, we were treated with a tender coconut ice cream made with fresh ingredients.
The recipe I am sharing is of a simple chicken curry cooked in one of the restaurants we tried. We were not very happy with it, but somehow it was special. We made fun of the extra small size of the chicken pieces floating in a coconut based sauce, we yet ate it without complaining.
Turmeric chicken cooked in coconut milk and a handful of spices paired with warm rice is like a hug in a bowl. It is a perfect side dish and comes handy on a lazy Sunday. Hope you enjoy!!!
Preparation time: 15 min
Serves : 2
Cooking time: 20 min
Ingredients
Chicken 500 gms
Coconut milk 200 gms (half a can)
Onion 1 (finely chopped)
Garlic 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Curry powder ½ tsp
Salt
Green chilli 2
Curry leaves 10-12
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Toasted almond flakes 1tbsp and coriander leaves (optional)
Method
- Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
- Once they start to pop add the curry leaves and let them crackle. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and onion. Sautee them till slightly fragrant.
- Now add the cubed chicken pieces and let them cook through. When the chicken pieces stick to the sides of the pan add the turmeric and curry powder. Reduce flame to prevent the masala from burning.
- Stir the coconut milk well and add it to the pan. Add salt as per taste. Cook for a couple of minutes so that the gravy thickens.
- Serve with warm rice topped with coriander and toasted almond slivers.
Magic Ingredient 